TervolaMuseum

I have told you before that summer is a great season to visit Finland, if you want to see what's hiding under the snow. It is a perfect season to meet local people and get familiar with the local culture. Usually people work hard over the winter time because the arctic climate. It is not only the work-work. It is the snow work (keeping the drive ways open at home), heating the houses, making sure the drains & pipes don't get frozen etc. It is very time consuming.

Usually local people don't work at tourism industry because it is seasonal and doesn't provide permanent jobs -unless it is a small family business. That's why you meet locals easier on summer season by the local museums for example where they volunteer or just pop in for a visit to support it. In July 2026 I visited Tervola's local museum Tervolan kotiseutumuseo. This was not my 1st visit there, but I think it is the 1st one I show you. 😊

As you can see from the pic above, it has been there for a long time and has had other names too. But after all, it stands there and is run by local volunteers and without public funding. That's why it is recommended always to buy something when visiting the local museums. It doesn't need to be anything expensive. Even the post cards they sell, are private funded.

Tervola's local museum is exactly by the high way from Kemi to Rovaniemi (E4). It is very easy to pop in for a visit if you are on a road trip on summer season. What is special in Tervola's local museum is that they actually have a volunteer operated restaurant. They provide perfect lunch and have also gluten free options. All in fair price. It is local food in a historical property with modern kitchen facilities. Even I can always have something to eat there. Both salty and sweet. That's how we literally call it. Salty means something food-like that is spiced with salt and sweet means cakes etc. that is spiced with sugar. 😀

Tervola's local museum has a big estate that includes traditional buildings which have been transferred to the museum estate from somewhere surrounding area to save the building. That's why it is a great place also for the ones that are interested about the local architecture.  

In Finland there are many different kind of "aitta". Aitta is a building where you can storage something. Grain, clothes etc. If "aitta" has the second floor, it usually is for sleeping over the summer season. In my culture the girls sleep in "aitta" over the summer to have some privacy. As you can notice there are no firm stairs to the upstairs. Usually the ladders are used. Even if a girl would sleep in small "aitta" without upstairs and with straight access from the ground in my Firest Sámi culture the boys/men are not allowed in without the invitation. Even the fathers ask the daughters to come out. Girls need their own space and "aittas" provide it for them over the summer season. "Aittas" don't have the fire places for the fire safety, so they can be used only when it is not too cold.

Smaller "aitta" you can see all over the fields and forests. They are used to storage hay and fire wood. Boys and men can sleep in these. Also the shepherds use them to over night stay. But they are possession of someone. That's why no one else is not allowed to go in and sleep there. Not even the hikers. If you see one in the landscape, don't go in. It is considered very rude and people think you are a thief. At the museums you can visit them and see what it is like.

This "aitta" shows well the traditional idea of building the house. Traditionally, we build it over the stones, so that there will be space between the ground and floor. When it snows, we shovel the snow around the house. Then there will be air under the house as an insulation against the frost that rises up from the ground. When the snow begins to fade, we might help it by shoveling again. Usually it fades without any trouble. When the snow is gone, the wind gets under the house and keeps the floor structure dry. Usually they don't build the houses in this way anymore. But this style was one of the criteria when we were seeking a house of our own and finally buying one at spring 2009.

Because also Tervola's local museum is funded by local volunteers and has many buildings on a big estate they renovate it slow. This is a great example how they have turn an old cow house to educational class room about farming for the school visits.

Even some of the buildings are closed because of the safety and the renovation process, you can always peek in through the windows. At a museum estate it is ok. 😅This pic is taken through a window especially for you. Even it includes a mixed room for several timing problems (because it is under the construction) there are some things I want to show you. 

At 1st, lets talk about the pink loom: It is painted. That's unusual. But perhaps it was made to fix it or cover some ugly marks on the wood. It has pink, yellow and blue paint. It seems the blue was the original paint. Blue was used widely as floor paint for hard use. This is a traditional style loom up in the north. I dream of one. Unfortunately many were burnt because of the wars.

Behind the loom you can spot a wheel spindle. It seems to miss few spokes of the wheel. It seems to be traditional Kiikka wheel spindle which were very common because of the Kiikka wheel spindle factory. But it is very hard to say for sure is it or not. Hilja is a traditional and typical wheel spindle from Kiikka factory in South Finland.

Then you can spot a sewing mannequin torso. It is very interesting that it actually is there. Around here I have never seen a vintage sewing mannequin. Not even despite my great grandma was a professional seamstress. But it might be because in Sámi culture you traditionally don't measure (or photograph) the body. Traditionally it was considered to bring bad luck.

You can also spot few interesting wood items which design obviously base on recycled wood item form or the natural arch of the wood available.

The main reason why this space is closed for the visitors is the traditional stove oven on the left. It has sink from its front part. That makes it to be dangerous. Obviously the frost has done its damage. But, pay your attention on the space behind the chimney over the oven. Take a look at it.

Then take a look at this oven. Notice the space over the oven and behind the chimney. It is made for the arctic climate, so why they have not piled the stones all the way up to the ceiling to make it storage more heat? Well, this is a bit newer oven than the previous, but this shows the idea too.

Can you spot the stairs behind the oven? Between the wall and the oven & chimney? They don't lead to attic or anywhere upstairs.

They lead behind and up the stone made wood burning oven. The stairs and the stair case is very narrow. Only small adults and children can get through. The stairs lead to a space that's built behind the oven, over it and by the chimney. There is -usually a dark- space for small adults and children to sleep over the cold winter nights when the stones of the oven still stay warm. Just image: few sheep or reindeer skins under you and a blanket over you and your tiny love ones. Silence. Darkness. Warmth. Safety. And when you close up your eyes you see in your mind the stars of the sky and the Northen Lights. 💕

At Tervola local museum you can spot many different kind of fire places. This one shows one option to get warm water. There is a fire place next to and under the round water tank. 

This picture is from a traditional big smoke sauna. There is no chimney so the smoke gets in. That's why it is a smoke sauna. And that's why the timbers are dark.

There's a fire place under and the round stones over. You can see there really is not a chimney. Usually it is made of natural flat stones.

The traditional saunas usually have two levels. The floor level and the upper one. And a window to bring some light. Traditionally you place a lantern outside the window, not inside -for the fire safety. Traditionally you were born, healed, died and cleaned for the burial ritual in sauna. 

Tervola local museum includes also an old school building. Can you see how also it has been built over the stones. The stones must be big enough to bear the weight of the huge timbers of the huge building.

You can experience the spirit of the old fashion school there. I would love to have this kind of class room for me at work!

If I can't have the bigger one I could do just fine with this smaller one. I love the light that arrives through the huge and high windows. And the spirit of course.

The smaller class room has one fire place at the end of the class room but actually another by the teacher's desk corner. Here you can see also the hand washing place. The water stays warm longer in the tank by the fire place.

The bigger class room has 2 fire places next to each other. One really is not enough during the coldest season.

Despite I have shown you several pictures and told many things about Tervola local museum and themes connected to it, it is best for you to pop in yourself. There are a lot to see. Like these fabric shoes, which were very common during the wars and after the wars when there was lack of everything. Fabric shoes were made of old clothes. Real old fashion recycling. And The Planet Earth says thank you. 💚