Karasjok tourist information
We have Sami people, we have open plains and an amazing nature, we have northern lights and midnight sun, cold weather and mosquitoes, and we have gold and green forests. Welcome to Karasjok! Karasjok is located in the heart of Finnmark, and with its 5.464 km2 it is the second largest county in Norway. The central location, with only a one hour drive to the nearest airport (Northcape Airport Banak in Lakselv) and 18 km to the border of Finland, makes Karasjok a natural travel-destination and stop on your journey through Finnmark.
In Karasjok you will find Finnmarks oldest church, built in 1807. The Sami parliament was founded in 1989, and on 2 November 2000, the new parliament building, one of the most beautiful buildings in Norway, was officially opened by the King of Norway. Karasjok is the administrative capital of the Norwegian Sami people. 90% of the 2900 citizens are Samis. Here you will find many different Sami institutions as the Sami Parliament, NRK Sámi Radio, Sámiid Vuorká-Dávvirat - the national museum of Sami culture and history, the Sami Art-center and last, but not least - Sápmi, the Sami Theme park.
Let's be honest: Karasjok can be cold. Very cold. Actually, Karasjok has the Norwegian record with -51,4 degrees celcius. The first time it was this cold was 1 January 1886, and in January 1999 the lowest temperature measured was 51,2 degrees. But, don't believe that we hibernate because of that! Here, you may find full activity all year long. Snowmobile tours, reindeer racing, dog sleighing and northern lights make tourists from all over the world spend their winter vacation in Karasjok. If it's cold and dark during the wintertime, it's much brighter during the summer. Sure, we have millions of mosquitoes, but no mosquitoes no cloudberries. The forests and marshlands are full of cloudberries, blueberries, cranberries and other wild berries. Midnight sun, an amazing nature and the stabile weather makes Karasjok a vacation paradise for the naturelover. Here you can go fishing for salmon or trout, wash after gold in the Holy Forest (Basevuovdi) or take a swim in the Karasjok river, that cuts like a silver band through the village.
Sápmi - The Sami Theme park, is based on four of the main elements of Sami culture and tradition: Siida, Sami kitchen, Sami Handicraft (duodji) and Stálubákti. In the siida - the Sami camp - you will se how the Sami people used to live in the old times. A Sami family is your host, and shows you daily chores and offers tastes of traditional Sami food. You are also offered to join in on different activities like lasso throwing, joik-concerts or reindeer racing. Traditional Sami food is served in the siida, either in a lavvu (a Sami "tent") or in the Sami restaurant Storgammen. In the theme park you will also find Sami handicrafts (duodji) and a silver smith. You can buy the original Sami knife, made by the local knife smith. The main-attraction at Sápmi is Stálubákti: The Magic Theater. Special and unique multimedia-effects take the viewer back in time and teach you more about Sami mythology, history and culture. Stálubákti is shown in eight different languages and is available all year around. Sápmi is a must for those travelling through Karasjok.
Karasjok aerial map
Please click on any icon on the Karasjok aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of Karasjok.
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