Karasjok Attractions
Karasjok lies on the river Karasjohka, 145km/90mi east of Alta on E 6 and 14km/8.5mi from the Finnish frontier. This little town is regarded as the Sami capital, and home to the Sami parliament, the Same-Ting. The town has a markedly continental climate, with extreme cold in winter (down to -50°C/-58°F) and very hot summers (up to +30°C/86°F).
Economy
The economy of the town is of characteristically Lapp type. There are some 3,000 reindeer within the commune of Karasjok, and farming, hunting, fishing and tourism all make their contributions to the subsistence of the population.
Karasjok has Finnmark's oldest church, built in 1807. Other attractions of note include the Sami Theme park, tours by snowmobile, reindeer racing, dog sleighing and the northern lights.
Economy
The economy of the town is of characteristically Lapp type. There are some 3,000 reindeer within the commune of Karasjok, and farming, hunting, fishing and tourism all make their contributions to the subsistence of the population.
Karasjok has Finnmark's oldest church, built in 1807. Other attractions of note include the Sami Theme park, tours by snowmobile, reindeer racing, dog sleighing and the northern lights.
Excursions
Excursions available from Karasjok are boat trips on the Karasjohka, visits to Sami settlements, either in summer or in winter, and trips on dog sleighs (in winter). At the confluence of the Karasjohka and the Anarjokka are world-famed salmon-fishing waters.
Lutheran Church
The church of Karasjok (1807) is the oldest Lutheran church in Finnmark. This was the only building left intact when German troops withdrew from the region during the Second World War: the rest of the town had to be completely rebuilt.
The Sami Center (tourist information) was opened in 1991. There is a restaurant serving typical Sami dishes.
The Sami Center (tourist information) was opened in 1991. There is a restaurant serving typical Sami dishes.
Sami Culture
The Sami Museum (Samiid Vuorka Davvirat) in Karasjok has a large collection of material on the culture of the original inhabitants of Scandinavia, and the Karasjok Library has the largest collection of Sami literature. Sami crafts are represented by a cutler's and a silversmith's workshop.
Øvre Anarjåkka National Park
The Øvre Anarjåkka National Park, southeast of Karasjok along the Finnish frontier, is the largest nature reserve in northern Norway (1,290sq.km/498sq.mi). With its extensive areas of bog, this is not good walking country, but from any of the hills within the park (none of them rising above 600m/2,000ft) visitors will get a fantastic view of the endless expanses of the Finnmarksvidda, the northern Norwegian plateau.
