Jaunted

Tags: Finland / Lapland / museums / → All Tags

Lapping Up Knowledge

Heading north for the summer? If you have a Scandinavian excursion planned--and why wouldn't you want to pick up all those extra hours of daylight--the Arktikum in Rovaniemi, near the Arctic Circle in Finland, is your must-see educational stop. More than a museum, you'll leave knowing scads more about the weird way of life in a region that swings from midnight sun to midday darkness.

If Lapland's most architecturally cool glass tube corridor doesn't impress you, perhaps it'll be the 25 Inuktitut words for snow that'll get your blood pumping. Or the special exhibition, featuring archival films of Arctic Russia, opening this week and running until January (when the daylight'll have all almost completely disappeared).

One important factoid that this sterling museum imparts is the high incidence of elk collisions: 3000 per year, at last count. We think they mean on the roads, but nevertheless, when you're browsing Arktikum's main hall, watch out for the towering stuffed elk, or you might become nothing more than another statistic.

[Image via heavenuphere/Flickr]

Related stories
Fine Finnish Food [EU Observer]
Finnish Star Trek at Eurovision [readabet.com]
Lapland's Ski Resorts [Jaunted]