Sampo Kemi

Kemi

A port town where the Sampo icebreaker allows you to swim in the Arctic oceans.

Kemi is a northern port town lying at the gateway of Finnish Lapland on the shores of the Arctic Gulf of Bothnia. It's population is around 27,000 people mostly working in the pulp mills and the only chromium mine in Europe.

Kemi Lutheran Church is a Gothic Revival structure with an ornate, red-brick exterior. To the north, Bothnian Bay National Park has old fishing huts, rare plants and abundant birds, including Arctic terns. Just a stone’s throw from the sea, the Culture Centre also houses the city library, the city orchestra, the Kemi art museum and the city theatre.

The sheltered Kemi Guest Marina is located on a beautiful spot, just a few hundred metres from the city centre. Local yacht clubs with their restaurants, saunas, and other services provide pleasant visits.

It is also home to two tourist attractions - the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year with a different architecture) and the Sampo Icebreaker. The Icebreaker takes brave tourists on a 4 hour cruise and allows for time to swim in the Arctic ocean.

Best things to do in Kemi:

Local Fishing on the lakes
Snowcastle
Kemi Church
Sampo Icebreaker

More details about the Icebreaker:

Availability: December to April

  • Icefloating
  • Meet the captain at the Captain’s bridge
  • Diploma

Departure times: 3 h cruise 9-12, 4 h cruise: 8-12, 13-17, 18-22

Accommodation
Director's Choice
Design choice
Historic choice
Highlights
Snowcastle of Kemi
Image courtesy of Sampo Icebreaker
Sampo Icebreaker