There’s something truly enchanting about Nuorgam. As the northernmost point of Finland, and EU, it has long captivated the imagination of adventurers and explorers, drawing them either as a destination or a starting point for their challenges. People have cycled there, walked, driven mini excavators, skated—the list goes on. Most often, the journey is either from Hanko, the southernmost point of mainland Finland, to Nuorgam or vice versa. While driving there might feel a bit mundane, it doesn’t diminish the enchantment of the place in the slightest.
The drive to Nuorgam has been long—over 1300 kilometers, to be exact—and this is just the beginning of my journey through Finnmark. For the first two-thirds of the trip, I passed through endless stretches of forest, offering little to capture the eye. But as I approach the Arctic Circle, the landscape begins to change. Suddenly, the scenery becomes more captivating. This is Lapland, where the vastness of the wilderness reveals its raw, untamed beauty.
I spent the night at a resort by the River Tana in Utsjoki. The experience was somewhat absurd, as the resort was completely empty, but that’s a story for another time. Still, the place and its surroundings were magical. Many have tried to capture the beauty of Lapland through words or paintings, but only true artists can truly capture its essence. I’m not even going to try; it’s something that has to be experienced.
The River Tana flows for 256 kilometers along the Finnish-Norwegian border in its upper course. From Utsjoki, it takes about 30 minutes by car to reach the border, with the road running naturally alongside the river. The scenery here is what draws tourists, as you might expect. From Nuorgam, it’s a similar distance to the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
Nuorgam, with its 130 inhabitants, is Finland’s northernmost town and the northernmost town in the European Union. It lies 500 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. The town is mostly known for its striking beauty, which attracts tourists for activities like hiking, fishing, cycling, hunting, and husky safaris—not to mention the northern lights. Nuorgam is also home to the border crossing between Finland and Norway.
There’s nothing particularly extraordinary about the national border or the northernmost point itself. A sign in Swedish, Finnish, and English marks the spot, stating that this is the national border. There are a few cameras pointed in both directions, a picnic table, some flowers, and a concrete stone with the coordinates of the northernmost point etched into it. Many cars drive by without even slowing down, some snapping a quick photo from a moving car. But I linger for a while, contemplating the magic of Lapland and the journey ahead. Despite the 1300 kilometers I’ve already traveled, this is just the beginning.
The northernmost point of Finland is, in this moment, more a symbol than a destination. The road will carry me even further north, toward the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where the land ends and there’s no way to go further.