Meltosjärvi – Lakes, Nature and Culture

The lakeside scenery, opportunities to observe nature, the Arctic Circle and logging culture offer different points of interest when you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Meltosjärvi. The village lies on an isthmus between two lakes, with wide views of both bodies of water.

Lakeside Scenery and Nature

The Meltosjärvet lakes are very shallow, with a maximum depth of 0.9 metres. As throughflow lakes, they drain into Miekojärvi via a small river. Other distinctive features shape the area around the destination: in years with low precipitation, parts of the area dry out completely, and the shores are mostly bordered by a 2- to 15-metre-wide belt of birch and willow.

Extensive, continuous stands of sedges grow at the Meltosjärvet lakes, including Carex aquatilis and Carex rostrata. Other plants growing among the sedges include marsh horsetail, marsh cinquefoil, meadowsweet and sweet flag. Floating peat islands are also a feature of the shores. These details make the lakeside scenery interesting for travellers who pay attention to plant life and the distinctive features of wetlands.

The Meltosjärvet-Pysäjärvi area is a regionally important stopover site for migratory birds, Category III, and is also an important gathering area during the moulting season. The birdlife is a distinct natural attraction alongside the shallow lakes and their shoreline vegetation.

The Arctic Circle and Activities in Meltosjärvi

The Arctic Circle passes through the area around the village of Meltosjärvi. It can be officially crossed at Loma-Vietonen, Kuusirannantie 59, 95675 Meltosjärvi. This offers both a way to orient yourself to its route through the village area and a specific place for an official crossing.

Meltosjärvi is also home to the illuminated Meltosjärven valaistu kuntorata fitness trail. The village also has the Iso-Meltosjärvi and Pitkäperä birdwatching towers. In winter, the Northern Lights can be seen from the towers; their refurbishment is planned as part of an investment project. Different aspects of nature are therefore central to planning a trip: migratory birds and their moulting season on the one hand, and winter Northern Lights viewing on the other.

Logging Culture and a Planned Facility

At Savottapiha Yard in the village of Meltosjärvi in Ylitornio, visitors can learn about the region’s rich logging traditions and culture. The Meltosjärven Savottapiha project also includes plans to dismantle three buildings in Kuusivaara, Rovaniemi, and rebuild them at a new site in the village: a logging cabin, a sauna and an outdoor toilet building. The planned facility is intended to serve as a meeting place for the village community and to share knowledge about traditional livelihoods. The rebuilding plans should be understood as a proposal, not as a statement that the facility has already been completed.

Ylitornio as a Regional Setting

The wider destination of Ylitornio lies in Tornionjokilaakso, a traditional agricultural region. The landscape around Ylitornio is shaped by the Tornionjoki River and the rugged fells rising on both sides of the river valley. Together, Ylitornio and Swedish Övertorneå form a historically, linguistically and culturally unique cross-border region. This regional perspective adds another landscape and cultural dimension to the more specific focus on the lakes and village of Meltosjärvi.

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