Tankavaara | Exploring Finland
Looking for gold? You are not alone, especially if you visit Tankavaara. This is a village in northern Finland, within the Sodankylä Municipality of Finnish Lapland. This is known as the “Gold Village”, or Tankavaaran Kultakylä in Finnish, and is today a tourist attraction. Who knows, maybe you will find gold and maybe you will meet the local reindeer.
A Short History of Tankavaara
Local Sámi people found gold in the area in 1934. The findings attracted gold prospectors from Finland, but also mining companies. The gold prospecting was replaced by the establishment of a research center of the Geological Survey of Finland in 1950. The site became a tourist attraction in 1970 and still today attracts tourists interested in gold panning or just the gold prospecting history.
Things to Do and See
Tankavaara is today an open-air museum. Several buildings connected to the gold prospecting era can be found here. There are also paid activities like gold panning in summer and traditional activities during the long winter, such as snowmobile tours and hunting the sight of the northern lights. The local Gold Museum tells the story of both Finnish gold as well as the world’s more historical gold rushes. While walking around, don’t be surprised if you stumble upon a reindeer or two.
How to Get to Tankavaara
- Flights: Ivalo Airport (IVL) lies to the north, it is a regional airport with seasonal flights to other European airports and regular domestic flights to Helsinki.
- Car: Tankavaara lies along road E75 between Sodankylä and Saariselkä.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 1051 kilometers (12 h)
- Turku – 1063 kilometers (12 h 20 min)
- Vaasa – 764 kilometers (9 h)
- Oulu – 446 kilometers (5 h 20 min)
- Joensuu – 774 kilometers (8 h 50 min)
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