Siida - Sami Museum

Siida in Inari is the museum of the Finnish Sami, the only Indigenous people of the European Union, telling the story of their culture, languages and relationship with the Arctic land on their own terms. Renewed with a striking modern exhibition, it also holds an open-air section of traditional Sami buildings.

What's there

• The main exhibition - Sami culture, reindeer herding, languages and the land, freshly renewed.
• The open-air museum - traditional Sami dwellings and structures outdoors.
• Returned heritage - objects repatriated to Sami care.
• The nature centre - the northern Lapland environment alongside the culture.

When to go

Year-round; a fully indoor museum, a good anchor for any northern Lapland trip and welcome on a cold or dark day. Allow a couple of hours for the renewed displays.

Practical notes

It is a serious cultural museum rather than light entertainment, and the better for it - come to learn, not just to look. It is deep in the far north, so reaching it is a real journey. The Sami culture it presents is living, so treat it with respect rather than as folklore.

Nearby

Lake Inari and its holy island are on the doorstep; Lemmenjoki and Urho Kekkonen parks lie around.

Key facts