Explore Enontekiö

Enontekiö – son rohki soma paikka ellää

Enontekiö brochure

Enontekiö is located in the 'Arm' of Finland bordering Norway and Sweden. The municipality was founded in 1877. The municipality is the third largest in Finland in terms of area. More than 60% of all the fells in Finland and all the peaks over 1,000 metres are in the Enontekiö area. The best-known of these are Saana and Halti in Kilpisjärvi. Enontekiö is known for its vast, distinctive wilderness areas and is a popular destination for nature tourists.

Internationalism and multiculturalism are part of everyday life in Enontekiö. The municipality belongs to the Sámi homeland area. There are over 450 km of shared national border with Sweden and Norway. In Norway, the neighbouring municipalities are Storfjord, Kåfjord, and Kautokeino, and on the Swedish side, the municipality of Kiruna. Storfjord is also Enontekiö's partner region. The neighbouring municipalities on the southern border are Muonio and Kittilä, with Inari in the east.

Enontekiö belongs to the Sámi homeland area. The Sámi are the only indigenous people in the European Union area. You can learn about Sámi people, their local culture and history in Enontekiö's museums and exhibitions. For example, in the permanent exhibition Vuovjjuš – Travellers at the Fell Lapland Nature Centre.

Permanent exhibitions of Fell Lapland - Luontoon.fi

Tourism is Enontekiö's leading industry, followed by reindeer husbandry and natural livelihoods, services, small-scale processing, and scientific research.

The name Enontekiö derives from the place where the 'eno', meaning ‘river’, originates. The Ounasjoki River originates from Lake Ounasjärvi, on whose shore stands Enontekiö's beautiful parish village of Hetta. Hetta has about 800 inhabitants. In total, Enontekiö has about 1,771 inhabitants. In addition to Hetta, the largest villages include Peltovuoma, Kilpisjärvi, Karesuvanto, Vuontisjärvi, Leppäjärvi, and Palojoensuu.

Enontekiö in statistics

• The municipality was founded in 1877.
• It is the third largest municipality in Finland in terms of area (8,464 km2, of which 413 km2 is water)
• Largest villages: Hetta (parish village), Karesuvanto, and Kilpisjärvi
• Largest lakes: Pöyrisjärvi and Kilpisjärvi
• The rivers of Muonionjoki, Ounasjoki, Ivalojoki and one of the headwaters of the Tenojoki River originate in the municipality.
• The population in 2023 was 1,771 people, about 24% of whom are Sámi.
• The population density is about 0.21 inhabitants/km2, making Enontekiö one of the most sparsely populated Finnish municipalities.
• There were 1,385 summer cottages in 2023.
• Industrial structure in 2022: primary production 11.2%, manufacturing 9.2%, services 76.7%, and other 2.9%
• The income tax rate in 2024 is 8.60%.

Reindeer herding year

• The reindeer herding year starts at the beginning of June and ends on the last day of May. The three central events of the year are calving, summer marking of calves, and reindeer roundup. Throughout the year, reindeer are herded and their well-being maintained in a manner dictated by natural conditions.

(Source: Reindeer Herders' Association)

The history of Enontekiö can be traced back to the Stone Age. The first sources of livelihood in the area were hunting and fishing. Large-scale reindeer husbandry probably spread to Enontekiö in the 17th and 18th centuries. Reindeer husbandry is still an important livelihood in Enontekiö.

The first accommodation establishments were opened in Enontekiö as early as the 1920s and 1930s, and interest in tourism in the 'Arm' of Lapland was high. In the 1940s, the war left its mark on Enontekiö as well.

More information about the history of Enontekiö