Tankavaara Gold Village

Gold was found in the rivers of Lapland in the 1860s and set off a rush that brought prospectors north to the Ivalojoki and later to Lemmenjoki and Tankavaara, and small-scale panning has continued in the region ever since. Tankavaara has a gold prospector museum covering that history and gold rushes elsewhere in the world, along with reconstructed prospectors' huts, a village of cabins and a stretch of stream where visitors are given a pan and shown how to work it, keeping whatever they find. Finnish gold panning championships have been held here. It sits on the main road north through Lapland and works as a break in a long drive.

History

Gold was found at Tankavaara in 1934 by Sámi from the nearby village of Purnumukka, and the find drew prospectors from across Finland and some foreign mining companies. From 1950 the Geological Survey of Finland used the area for research, and in 1970 tourism began, with a hotel, the restaurant Old Gold Prospector and the Gold Prospector Museum (Wikipedia, Tankavaara).

What to look for

• The gold prospector museum - Lapland gold history and rushes elsewhere.
• Panning in the stream - the practical demonstration visitors join.
• Reconstructed prospectors' huts - how the diggers lived.
• The championship ground - where panning competitions are held.

When to go

June to September, when the panning stream and full museum operate; winter opening is reduced. Half a day. It is a standard stop on the drive north.

Good to know

You will almost certainly find nothing worth keeping. The museum is dated in places. It is a roadside operation aimed at passing traffic. Winter opening is limited and the stream is frozen.

Nearby

Sodankyla is south; Ivalo lies north.

Key facts