Kemijärvi: Lake Scenery, Culture and Activities

Kemijärvi combines Lapland’s lake scenery with cultural attractions and activities on the water. The city centre is surrounded by waterways, with Lake Pöyliöjärvi an important landmark. Whether you’re looking for nature, exercise or insights into the region’s history, activities range from canoeing and swimming to exhibitions and museums.

The Lake and Outdoor Activities

Swimming and canoeing are popular leisure activities on Lake Pöyliöjärvi. The lake’s beach is in the centre of Kemijärvi and is within walking distance of the campsite and shops. Those interested in ice swimming will find a spot run by the Kemijärven Latu association on the shore behind the Poukama swimming pool and tennis courts.

There are also specific landmarks for winter activities. The classic Sun Trail loop on Lake Pöyliöjärvi is 10.5 kilometres long. Depending on ice and weather conditions, it is used each year from around mid-January to early April. It can be accessed from Parking P by the Beach Pavilion next to the cultural centre. Keep the approximate period of use and the stated conditions in mind when planning your stay. The city also maintains around 200 kilometres of official snowmobile routes.

For a different kind of active outing, Pöyliövaara has an 18-hole disc golf course. The route runs through hilly woodland, has many changes in elevation and is not maintained.

Culture, Art and Regional History

Kemijärvi Cultural Centre is in the city centre on the shore of Lake Pöyliöjärvi. Its auditorium has 200 seats for music, film, dance and theatre. Exhibitions of visual art in the foyer and auditorium change monthly. If you want to explore both cultural attractions and the lake during your stay, this is a central cultural venue.

The Kemijärvi Local Heritage Museum, near the city centre, tells the story of rural life in the early 20th century. The main building is a Peräpohjola-style farmhouse from the 19th century, originally located on the same site. The exhibitions cover traditional livelihoods: livestock farming, forestry, fishing, hunting and reindeer herding. A visit to the museum therefore focuses on everyday life and the region’s economic foundations.

The history of timber floating in Kemijärvi is presented at three sites: Uitonniemi, Ämmänvaara and Kulmunginniemi. Information boards and QR-code videos tell the story of timber floating. Another cultural venue is the Puustelli Art Centre in Särkikangas, whose exhibition hall is dedicated to wood carvings. At the Kemijärvi Snowmobile and Sawmill Museum, the collection spans snowmobiles from years past to the present; it also features almost 400 different chainsaws.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

Kemijärvi can be reached by bus from anywhere in Finland. The bus station is in the city centre behind the ABC petrol station and has no numbered platforms. Most bus services also go via Kemijärvi railway station: they run after the trains arrive and before the evening night train departs. The station is the northernmost in Finland’s eastern railway network.

Nearby is the Kotavaara observation tower, seven kilometres from the centre of Kemijärvi. It offers views of Kemijärvi and the Kemijoki River. Those interested in local fishing can buy fish by appointment at the Riekkoniemi Fish House, where professional fishers are based.

Other destinations in this page section include Äkäslompolo, Tornio, Patokoski, Sirkkakoski, Peurasuvanto, Nellim, Kolari and Savukoski.

For the wider travel overview: Lapland.