Pyhä-Luosto National Park, in the heart of Lapland, is one of Finland’s most amazing national parks, and easily accessible by public transport.
Experience the magic of Pyhä-Luosto all year round.
In the northwest of Pyhä-Luosto National Park is the peak of Ukko-Luosto and in the southeast is Pyhä fell. There are ski tracks and hiking routes running through the area, and the road that hugs the border of the national park links these fells and the tourism centres at their bases.
There is a daily bus connection from Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi to Pyhä-Luosto. On the Luosto side, you can find an information point in the lobby of the Lapland Hotel Luostotunturi, which stands in the middle of the village, and, on the Pyhä side, in the Naava Visitor Centre. Pyhä-Luosto offers the ideal setting for hiking, nature and Northern Lights photography, skiing, snowshoe walking and fatbiking.
Simple tips – experience at least these!
You may have already heard about Luosto’s Amethyst Spa and the Amethyst Mine, where you can go and find your own amethyst to take home? Here are 4 more tips on what you should at least experience in Pyhä-Luosto!
- Have a fire at Lake Ahvenlampi. Just a few steps from P-place, right next to the village of Luosto, a hut awaits on the shore of the beautiful Lake Ahvenlampi (map). Due to its easy accessibility, the place is perfect for families with children.
- Hike to the scenic hut. Ukko-Luosto Landscape House is a day cottage completed in 2022 and located in Pyhä-Luosto National Park on the northern slope of Ukko-Luosto, just a couple of kilometres walk from the centre of Luosto. From the cabin you can admire magnificent landscapes and natural light phenomena from large windows in a warm and bright space and admire the Fell Landscapes.
- Take the stairs. The 575-step stairs of Ukko-Luosto challenge you to climb to the top of Ukko-Luosto in Pyhä-Luosto National Park. The stairs are part of the popular 6.5 km long circular route, which offers spectacular views of the fell landscape and natural light phenomena. You can get started from Luostonportti.
- Snowshoe to the heights. The slope of Ukko-Luosto offers an incredible view of Pyhä and candlelight spruce forests. Local tourism entrepreneurs rent snowshoes, guide you to the start of snowshoeing and give you advice on the route.
The Pyhä-Luosto National Park consists of Finland’s oldest national park, Pyhätunturi, founded in 1938, and the Luosto area to the northwest of it, which were combined as one national park in 2005. The national park has a total area of 142 km2.
Do you enjoy a challenge?
In Pyhä-Luosto, you can ramble or get some exercise by completing one of the more challenging one-day walks. For example, the Ukko-Luosto rambling path is an 18 km long circle route which takes you through beautiful forest and bog landscapes and to the top of Luosto. On the Pyhä side, you can break a sweat on the 15 km Noitatunturi circular route through breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. It also takes you past Isokuru gorge and the famous Pyhäkaste waterfall.
The true Lapland rambler is sure to enjoy the 35 km Pyhä-Luosto hiking trail linking the two huge fells. This route takes you past rest spots and the best landscapes of the chain of fells. Thanks to the bus link between Pyhä and Luosto, you can complete the train in either direction as you wish and return to your departure point by bus.
Treat tip: On the Sodankylä side of Luosto you can find the Torvisen Maja trail café, which has no electricity and thus provides a unique old-world experience. Treat yourself while exploring the great outdoors in the winter, for example with some doughnuts! Torvisen Maja is next to the ski trail and serves backpackers and drivers.
Naava Visitor Centre
Naava offers a fine nature exhibition that guides you through the nature, geology and cultural history of the Pyhä-Luosto National Park. The customer service desk can give you the best advice for trips in the national park and nearby areas. We can also tell you about services for travellers in the area.
There are events at Naava year-round: nature evenings, concerts, films and much more. The treats and cheerful atmosphere of Café Loimu make for a great place to take a break. You can find some fun finds in the NaavaShop, and there is free Wi-Fi in the visitor centre.