The best museums Laponie

A must-see cultural and architectural site in Rovaniemi, with its glass roof stretching over 170 m along the banks of the Ounasjoki River. Comprising the Arctic Center of the University of Rovaniemi and the Provincial Museum of Lapland, the complex is dedicated to the nature and cultures of the peoples of the Far North. History is not forgotten, with the painful episode of the Second World War: in October 1944, the German army destroyed 90% of Rovaniemi.

It's hard not to be impressed by the quality of the exhibits and the educational aspect of the displays. We learn a whole host of things, from the fact that "Arctic" comes from Arktikos in Sami, meaning "land of the great bear", to the fact that the giant crab was introduced by man into the Barents Sea, throwing the entire ecosystem out of balance. In short, this entertaining tour is highly instructive. Everyday objects are on display, and good films are shown to help you learn more about the Sami people. Allow at least 2 hours for your visit.

The museum regularly offers temporary exhibitions, which are less costly to enter (usually 5 euros), and allow you to rediscover the site over and over again. They also offer a less time-consuming and different approach to the museum, for visitors in a hurry who would still like to enter this incredible building. It's a must-see!

Little bonus: the café-restaurant in the center is delicious! Perfect for a gourmet break after your visit.

The museum opened in 1991, on the edge of an area excavated for rock engravings discovered in 1973. This is the largest area of its kind in Northern Europe, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was quickly voted best European museum in 1993, with 3,000 open-air engravings dating from 2,500 to 7,000 years ago. Inside the building, the museum features exhibitions on Finnmark's prehistory, Saami culture and the mysterious Komsa culture, named after the nearby mountain (viewpoint of the midnight sun). Superb.

It all began when in 1922, a young doctor came to settle in the village and never left. We discover his life, his passion for nature and of course the omnipresent Sami culture. At the top of the stairs, you will find a classroom, a sewing room and a kitchen reconstructed with objects from the 1930's; all the history of the pioneers of the time. Downstairs is the silver collection that made the museum famous, as well as a movie theater.

The museum is dedicated to the Finnish painter Reidar Särestöniemi (1925-1981) and presents nearly 500 works including pastels, watercolours, oil paintings, drawings and woodcuts. The exhibitions change every six months according to the theme. The artist, who studied in Helsinki, returned to live and paint all his life on his native farm, drawing his inspiration from the Lapland landscapes and nature. Also temporary exhibitions.

The Svalbard Museum is a museum of natural and cultural history. Of educational interest, its purpose is to present the Arctic, as well as to highlight its history, beauty and the environmental problems that it faces today. The museum therefore presents several themes, from the discovery of the territory to its mining, until the arrival of current tourism. In 2008, the Svalbard Museum received the prize of the Council of Europe Museum for the best European museum. You are strongly recommended!

The centre offers exhibitions on whales and reports on the research carried out by Norwegian scientists on these fascinating mammals. This is where you can book the 2-hour guided birdwatching tours to the Bird Rock in the Andenes Archipelago (season from¹ June to 20 August). A local fishing boat travels daily to this island where puffins, black-legged kittiwakes and many other seabirds can be seen!

In a listed customs house, there are exhibitions on hunting and scientific research in the polar regions, as well as photos of Amundsen's expeditions. In the summer many activities for children are organized. Go to their website to plan your visit and book places. Permanent exhibition on what Svalbard was like in the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions.

Ideal if you want to find out more about the search for and exploitation of gold: the exhibition presents the history of gold prospecting in Lapland, from the rush on the Ivalojoki River in 1868 to the present day. Also on display is an overview of gold prospecting around the world, the working conditions of gold miners, and a collection of precious stones. Bonus: the gold site offers you the chance to pan for gold yourself (outdoors in summer, or inside the panning site in winter).

Very well done museum about the Swedish mountains and the Sami. Indeed, Jokkmokk is the center of the Swedish Sami culture, it is normal that the museum presents the Swedish Lapland and of course the culture of the Sami people. Through eight rooms, you will discover all the aspects of the life of this people: craft industry, customs, traditions, folklore, history, way of life... Think of asking for the explanatory guide in French available free at the entrance, because the texts are in Swedish inside the museum. The name Ajtte means "the barn" in the Saami language.

This Museum of Perspective aims to be provocative and full of humanism, respect and open-mindedness through its collections and exhibitions. It offers temporary photo exhibitions on the history of the city of Tromsø, as well as exhibitions of contemporary art, with the aim of presenting history from different angles. Anyone who loves photography will be satisfied. A beautiful black and white exhibition takes you back to Tromsø and Norway in the 1960s. A good introduction to the city, its region and its people, quick and free.

One can follow step by step the destruction of Narvik, the Allied landings, life under German occupation until the end of the Second World War. The museum has recently moved, modernised and is now located in the centre of Narvik, at Kongens Gate, in the same hall as the Library and Tourist Office. The museum is very well detailed and provides a better understanding of the history of the town. There are regular temporary exhibitions...

Unusually, the building was built as a museum. At the time it was simply a museum of the fishing industry, but in 1947 it became a cultural museum. The museum traces the town's cultural history, from the Vikings to the Sami to the daily lives of the Lofoten Islands' peasant-fishing families. In front of the entrance is a Stone Age menhir. A 20-minute film in the small black room traces the history of Bodø before the outbreak of war.

This charming little museum explains the harsh living conditions in these regions where one man in four dies at sea. How, by the way, have we been living at the 71st parallel for 10,000 years? That's what this museum explains. Eiderdown mining on the island of Store Tamsøy ceased after the war, as all the houses in Northern Norway were razed to the ground by the Nazis. From an already fragile economic equilibrium, the situation of the islanders never recovered.

Completed in 1752, the church is located in the heart of the forest. You can reach it through a 5 km trail. it's a magical place, where some couples get married.

A concept that's part museum, part study center and part theme park, opened in 1998. The architecture is appealing, in the shape of a block of ice, and the attractions - mainly adorable seals - are well designed to bring visitors closer to the wildlife of extreme cold. Seal feeding at 3 p.m. in summer and at 12.30 p.m. from September¹. A great place for the whole family to discover the underwater fauna and flora of the waters of the Far North. You can sponsor the seals to improve their daily lives...

In the basement of this large building, a museum is dedicated to the memory of the Sami people, now largely a minority in their historical territory. Objects, clothing, accessories used by this people are exhibited and a traditional Saami tent is reproduced. Only three rooms, not very large but interesting if you take the time to read the explanations in English. Thus, we will learn more about the noaidi, this priest-medic who ensured the link between the spirits and the natural world, or about Lars Nilsson, Saami martyr burned for example.

A museum housed in the barracks of the former A8 regiment, which tells the military history of Sweden, in times of peace and war. Miniature reconstruction of the Boden fort, collection of uniforms, insignia and especially, outside, many equipment of the Swedish army (tanks, artillery pieces, military trucks...). A few steps from the Patinamuseet and near the river, you can stop by the museum during your walk or during your visits.

The university museum in Tromsø actually consists of three museums and a botanical garden: the main building of Norges arktiske universitetsmuseum, Polarmuseet, MS Polstjerna and Tromsø arktisk-alpine botaniske hage. All these museums highlight different aspects of the culture and nature of northern Norway, including Lapp culture, archaeology, geology, etc.. The garden can be visited from spring and during the summer.

The museum focuses on the local history of the town and its many transformations following the extraction of steel in the Kiruna mine and its transport by train to Narvik. Discover how this railway was built and its impact on the population over a period of more than 100 years. To this day, this railway line and the extraction of iron at the Kiruna mine are a major economic engine in the region. The museum is located in the former administrative buildings of NSB, the Norwegian railway company, dating from 1902.