Rovaniemi · Finland
Vaattunkivaara tower
Observation tower on top of Vaattunkivaara, the high point of the Arctic Circle Hiking Area, a little over a kilometre's climb from the Vikaköngäs car park. One of the few places near Rovaniemi where you stand above the forest.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Vaattunkivaara tower in Aurora Atlas
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- All round from a low tower on a pine-covered hilltop, just above the trees; Vikajärvi village and road 4 are about 1.5 km to the north-east..
- Darkness
- Dark sky, grade 1 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. Little artificial light; a good place for faint aurora and the Milky Way.
- Aurora
- Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 29 km by road from Rovaniemi (estimate), roughly 34 min by car.
- Parking
- Vikaköngäs car park (free, about 12 cars), then the marked nature trail uphill.
- Coordinates
- 66.6091, 26.1904 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
Steep, partly rocky trail that is icy in winter: snowshoes and a headlamp help. The tower steps can be icy.
Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Finland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.
Spot information from julkaisut.metsa.fi.