Discover Keminmaa: Churches, History and Nature

In Keminmaa, two themes stand out: church and community history, and nature trails and recreational activities. Historical highlights range from a medieval church to a local history museum housed in an old granary. The trails offer a variety of options, from the circular route at Kallinkangas to routes in the municipality near Martimoaapa. You can shape your stay around cultural interests, nature experiences or active pursuits.

Churches, Museum and Local History

The Old Church of Keminmaa is a medieval grey-stone church, built mainly between 1551 and 1553. Its ceiling paintings date from 1650 and depict the Passion of Christ. The construction period and the painted program therefore belong to different periods. The church also contains the mummified body of the pastor Nikolaus Rungius in a glass-lidded coffin. The Old Church is also known as a wayside church.

The New Church marks a later period: it was designed by C. L. Engel and completed in 1827. Together, the two churches offer different insights into Keminmaa’s architectural history. Valmarinniemi is also part of the area’s church history: the first church of the parish of Kemi was built there.

The Keminmaa Local History Museum is housed in a granary built in 1849, on the banks of the Kemijoki beside the Old Church. Its exhibits include objects relating to the history of the municipality and traditional fishing equipment. The museum’s location and collection add the themes of community history and fishing to the story of churches and their construction dates. Visitors who enjoy exploring different aspects of history during their stay will find not only sacred architecture here, but also a collection connected to local life.

Nature Trails and Activities

Kallinkangas is a valuable conservation and recreation area near the centre of Keminmaa. The circular trail is about 1.9 kilometres long and has 13 information boards about the area’s nature. The route therefore combines a specific distance with nature-related information along the way. However, some sections follow a fitness trail or cart track rather than entirely natural terrain. If the trail surface and character of the route matter to you, this distinction can help you decide.

At Martimoaapa, within the municipality of Keminmaa, an 815-metre accessible path leads to an observation platform. An approximately 13-kilometre hiking trail also runs through the Martimoaapa mire conservation area within the municipality of Keminmaa. The two routes at Martimoaapa in the municipality of Keminmaa differ in length and design: the path to the platform is the shorter accessible option, while the longer route through the mire conservation area is described as a hiking trail. By comparison, the approximately 1.9-kilometre loop at Kallinkangas falls between these two distances and has information boards about the area’s nature.

The Kalli Ski Centre offers more ways to enjoy active days: it has a nine-hole disc golf course, a nature trail for walking and fitness stairs. Mountain bikers can rent electric fat bikes and ride through the Meri-Lappi landscape. If you’re planning a ride on an electric fat bike, check rental availability in advance; it may change. Keminmaa’s offerings are clearly varied: the churches and museum provide historical highlights, the trails offer different lengths, and the ski centre adds more ways to get active.

Discover more destinations: Ranua, Ylläsjärvi, Kilpisjärvi, Äkäslompolo, Nellim, Räisälä, Salla, Muonio.

For the wider travel overview: Lapland.