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Napapiiri Café

Karhunkierros Visitor Centre

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Start your hike from here

Official starting point of Karhunkierros

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Welcome to the Arctic Circle

Ylitä pohjoinen napapiiri täällä

Location

Napapiiri Café and Karhunkierros visitor centre are located in Hautajärvi village, Salla, Finland.

Contact information

Napapiiri Café / Karhunkierros Luontokeskus Oy
Address: Hautajärventie 414, 98995 Hautajärvi

Phone: +358 400 196 741

E
-mail: info@napapiiricafe.fi
Business ID: 0871560-9



Salla

The municipality of Salla with 3,500 inhabitants is located in Eastern Lapland and is the seventh largest municipality in Finland by area. You can get to know more about Salla's versatile tourism offer, attractions and events on the Visit Salla website from this link.

Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle Café is located in the northern Arctic Circle and we are the official Arctic Circle visitor center. The Arctic Circle sign in our yard is a popular photo and selfie spot.

By air or rail

The nearest airport is located in Kuusamo (KAO) (71 km). Kuusamo can be reached from Helsinki  with scheduled Finnair flights. 
The nearest train station is in Kemijärvi (75 km). There is a regular night train from Helsinki to Kemijärvi (travel time approx. 13 hours). 


By road

We are located along highway 950 leading to Salla. The distance to Salla is about 40 km and Ruka about 50 km. The drive to Kuusamo airport (71 km) takes about an hour.

By snowmobile

During the winter months, you can reach us by snowmobile, too. We are located along the snowmobile path, which branches off less than a kilometer from the main snowmobile route in the direction of Salla. The distance from Ruka ski resort to Napapiiri Café is about 50 km, from Salla  about 40 km. Travel time, depending on driving speed, is about 1.5-2.5 hours.

By bus or taxi


By bus from Kuusamo airport, Kuusamo town, Ruka ski resort, Salla, Sallatunturi ski resort:


Check the bus timetables and book your ticket at Matkahuolto webshop. The name of our bus stop: Hautajärvi opastuskeskus.

By  taxi from Kuusamo, Ruka, Salla, Sallatunturi.

We will update the bus connections for the summer season 2024 here when the timetables are confirmed.



By foot

Finland's most popular hiking trail, the 82-kilometer long Karhunkierros, starts from our backyard. The route goes from us to the Ruka tourist center - or vice versa - in the breathtaking scenery of the Oulanka National Park. Read more about Karhunkierros trail and Oulanka National Park from this link.

Parking

There is a parking lot for 20 cars and snowmobiles in the front yard of Arctic Circle Café. If needed, more parking space is available for snowmobiles in the back yard of the café. Parking is free for same-day visitors and overnight guests. Long-term parking fee is 10 €/each 24 hours.

Distances

Kuusamo 62 km
Kuusamo airport 71 km
Ruka 50 km

Sallatunturi 32 km

Salla 39 km

Kemijärvi 75 km

Rovaniemi 148 km

Oulu 234 km

Helsinki 873 km

Timbuktu 8389 km