Aavasaksa

Aavasaksa is a hill of around two hundred and forty metres above the Tornio river valley, low by any standard but prominent in flat country, and it has been a destination since the eighteenth century for a specific reason: it was one of the accessible places from which travellers could see the midnight sun, and expeditions came from across Europe to stand on it in June. A royal pavilion was built on the summit in 1882 for a visit that never happened, and it still stands. The hill also carries one of the station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc, the chain of survey stations used to measure the shape of the earth, inscribed by UNESCO in 2005.

What you actually see

• The midnight sun from the summit - the reason travellers came from the 1700s.
• The 1882 royal pavilion - built for a visit that did not take place.
• A Struve Geodetic Arc station - part of the World Heritage survey chain.
• The Tornio river valley - the border river below the hill.

When to go

June and July for the midnight sun, which is visible here for a few weeks around the solstice. Half a day. Midsummer weekend is the busiest date by far.

Honest expectations

The midnight sun window is short and cloud frequently spoils it. The hill is low and the view is pleasant rather than dramatic. Facilities on the summit are limited and seasonal. Mosquitoes in June are severe.

Nearby

Ylitornio is south; Kukkolankoski lies down the river.