Things to do in Haparanda and Tornio - 16 tips

What to do in Haparanda and Tornio? Two cities in two different countries, but almost fused together. This is clearly a unique place, and here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Haparanda and Tornio.

Haparanda and Tornio

Tornio was already a major marketplace in the Middle Ages, and the town of Tornio was founded in 1621. At the peace treaty after the Finnish war in 1809, a new national border was drawn along the Torne River. Suddenly almost all of Tornio was in Russia, while a small number of farms in the village of Haparanda remained in Sweden.

Two cities grew on either side of the border, and throughout history the area has attracted spies, agents and smugglers. During the First World War, the site provided an opportunity to smuggle mail, goods and refugees between Russia and the rest of Europe.

Today, Tornio is a city in Finland and Haparanda is a city in Sweden, yet the two cities are almost joined together. Together they market themselves under the name "HaparandaTornio". #TwoTimesand the border has been called "the world's most peaceful border". It is hard to imagine that a riot fence actually went straight through during the pandemic ...

Haparanda is on the Torne River in Norrbotten, Sweden, and Tornio is on the Torne River in Lapland, Finland.

What can you do in Haparanda and Tornio?

What can you do in Haparanda and Tornio? We travelled to Haparanda with our motorhome and started from there, with excursions on both the Swedish and Finnish sides. Here are our top tips for things to do in Haparanda and Tornio.

1. Take a selfie at the border

One thing you won't want to miss doing in Haparanda and Tornio is taking a selfie at the border. This border is special, after all, and a lot has happened here throughout history. Not long ago, during the pandemic, a riot fence went up here, but now the border is once again as open as a border can be.

On the border, right next to the shopping centre aptly named 'On the Border', there is a red heart, which is half in Finland and half in Sweden. Here you can photograph yourself with one foot in each country, or next to a partner or friend, with the border between you.

2. Strolling in the city of Haparanda

Haparanda is a quiet little town, with houses and buildings in different styles. Some buildings that stand out include the water tower, the city hotel and the folk high school. If you want to have a coffee, you can take a look at Konditori JoLa, where you will be greeted by friendly staff and tasty pastries.

3. Check out Haparanda church

Haparanda church stands out and my (Helena's) first thought when I saw it was "oh, so ugly". Peter had a more open mind, and after a while even I had to admit that the design is a bit cool. The church, which was inaugurated in 1967, was designed by Bengt Larsson and replaced the wooden church that burned down in 1963.

4. See wartime memorials

Haparanda and Tornio are characterised by being a border area. During both the First and Second World Wars, there was a lot of cross-border trade here, and refugees have also crossed the border on several occasions.

In both Haparanda and Tornio there are a number of different memorials. Below you can see the "Memorial to the Battle of Tornio", which was a battle during the Finnish Civil War in 1918, and the "War Child Memorial", which commemorates the approximately 80,000 Finnish children who were moved from Finland to Sweden during the war years 1939-1945. Many of the children travelled by train across Tornio and Haparanda, passing this site.

In the centre of Haparanda you will also find information signs that vividly tell the story of war, border trade, smuggling and other things that have happened in these parts over the years.

5. Go shopping at IKEA

One popular thing to do in Haparanda is to shop at Sweden's northernmost IKEA. The store is quite large and has many visitors, both Swedes and Finns.

6. Shopping in "On the border"

Another popular place for shopping is the large department store "På gränsen". The department store is located on the Finnish side, in Tornio, but so close to the border that we parked our bikes in Sweden before walking into Finland to check out the shops. The department store includes clothing stores and food outlets.

7. see Nedertorneå church

Nedertorneå Church is located at the mouth of the Torne River in Tornio. The church that stands here today was completed in 1797, but also includes parts of a medieval stone church from the 16th century. It is worth noting that the Nedertorneå bell tower is one of the measuring points on Struve's meridian arc, which was measured in 1842.

8. Strolling in the park Arboretum in Tornio

The Arboretum is a beautiful park in Tornio, which is open during the summer season. There are about 300 species of trees and around 200 different perennials. It is very nice to stroll around here or just sit down for a while!

9. Get to the easternmost point of Sweden

The most easterly point in Sweden is the island of Kataja, which is shared between Sweden and Finland. If you can't make it all the way there, you can visit the easternmost point on the mainland at Sundholmen in Haparanda. The site is located at the far end of the headland, not far from the Cape East spa hotel, and is marked by the stone 'Riksröse 59'.

10. Discover the Robinsonian Council

Sweden's easternmost point may not be much to see in itself, but one thing that makes a potential excursion a little more exciting is that it is also the location of a filming site for the TV programme Robinson. During the pandemic, when filming could not be done in exotic locations, the participants had to live the life of Robinson in the Haparanda archipelago, and the set was built right here, in the easternmost corner of Sweden. The sets are still there and you are free to look around.

11. Learn about Struve's meridian arc

The Struve meridian arc is a triangular chain extending from Hammerfest on the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea in Ukraine. The chain was established by astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve 1816-1855, to measure and establish the exact shape and size of the globe by measuring degrees.

Struve's meridian arc is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and although the measuring points are not so exciting to see in themselves, the scientific history is of course interesting. At the point in Haparanda there is a small monument and an information sign.

12. Experience the Torne River

The Torne River separates Sweden from Finland and, at 520 kilometres, is Norrbotten's longest river. The river can be experienced in many different ways, and in Haparanda you can, for example, walk or cycle along the river.

There are also swimming spots in the river, and it is possible to kayak.

13. Discover Haparanda Archipelago National Park

Haparanda Archipelago National Park was established in 1995 and forms part of the Haparanda municipality archipelago. The national park consists of a number of islands, the largest of which is called Sandskär, and includes long sandy beaches and a rich bird life.

You can get to the archipelago by your own boat, or by tour boats with Innala Tours, which leave from Haparanda harbour in the summer. Archipelago tours go to Hanhinkari, Torne-Furö and Haparanda Sandskär.

14. Take a trip to Seskarö island

If you don't want to spend time or money travelling by boat to the archipelago, you can still get the archipelago feeling on the more accessible island of Seskarö. You can get here by car via bridges. Seskarö is home to Seskarö Havsbad & Camping and Tromsöviken bathing area. You will also find hiking trails in nature.

15. Visit Kukkolaforsen

Kukkolaforsen is a rapids in the Torne River just north of Haparanda. The large rushing rapids are a natural attraction, and you can see and learn about the special and traditional whitefish fishing. At the rapids there is also a hotel, restaurant, campsite, fishing museum and sauna museum. Don't miss a visit here!

16. Celebrate New Year twice - in Tornio and Haparanda?

If you like to celebrate New Year, you should definitely head to Haparanda and Tornio when the time comes. They celebrate New Year's Eve no less than twice, as there is a one-hour time difference between Sweden and Finland. The two cities invite you to celebrate New Year's Eve together. First, it's time to celebrate the Finnish New Year. An hour later, it's time to celebrate the Swedish New Year. What a New Year's Eve party!

More things to do in Haparanda and Tornio

Of course, there is even more to see and do in Haparanda and Tornio than our tips. You can find some more suggestions here.

• Aine Art Museum shows Finnish art from the early 19th century and various exhibitions (Torikatu 2, Tornio).
• Cape East is a hotel and spa, with camping (Sundholmen 1).
• Old Water Tower Haparanda is a water tower from 1920.
• Mia Green's park is a monument to Mia Green (1870-1949), a photographer who created Haparanda's most valuable image collection.
• Saivaara Stone Age village is a settlement found in Saivaara, near Kärrbäck, on road 356 in the northern part of Haparanda municipality.
• Museum of the Torne Valley talks about the common roots of the Tornedalians (Torikatu 4, Tornio).

Where can you stay in Haparanda and Tornio, or park your campervan?

In Haparanda and Tornio there are many different hotels and other accommodation options, such as Cape East and Kukkolaforsen Turist & Konferens. If, like us, you're travelling by motorhome, there are also a whole bunch of different options in and around Haparanda and Tornio, such as, among others:

• BestPark Toranda, Näätsaarentie 241, Tornio
• Cape East hotels and camping, Salmisaari 1
• Haparanda Camping, Strandgatan 22, Haparanda
• Haparanda harbour car park
• IKEA parking, Haparanda (regular car park)
• Kukkolaforsen Tourist & Conference campsite

More things to see and do around Haparanda and Tornio

Starting from Haparanda and Tornio, you can continue to explore Finland or Sweden. In Finland, for example, you can go to Rovaniemi, where Santa Claus lives, or to Sweden. Oulu, which offers everything from museums to nature experiences. In Sweden, for example, you can continue on to Kalix and then to Luleå and Storforsen.

More tips for things to do in Haparanda and Tornio?

Have you visited Haparanda and Tornio? Do you have even more suggestions on what to see and do in Haparanda and Tornio? Please let us know!