A holiday in Tornio offers much to see and do throughout the year, whether you are interested in history, culture or nature tourism. Tornio forms a cross-border twin city with Haparanda on the Swedish side and is the perfect setting for a lively city holiday. The beautiful countryside of Southern Lapland provides unique opportunities for an active adventure holiday or for hours of relaxation among Lapland's natural wonders. Once you've enjoyed the cultural experiences of Tornio, jump on a ferry and conquer the foaming Torne River or fish for salmon on the river's fish-rich rapids.
Inexpensive travel to Tornio can be easily arranged by plane, car or train from all over Finland. During the summer, the city on the Torne River is also accessible by boat. If you’re arriving directly from the UK, there are flights available to Kemi-Tornio Airport, which is located just 11 miles from the city centre, via Helsinki.
The variety of shopping, museum and restaurant services in Tornio guarantees an enjoyable and entertaining city break in this double city on the Swedish-Finnish border. Both Tornio and Haparanda, on the Swedish side, have plenty of shops, museums and restaurants to suit all tastes. An excellent way to explore the shared history and culture of the two cities is to go on guided tours. If you are interested in history, you should definitely explore the eventful history and culture of the region as presented by the Museum of Tornio Valley, as well as the old churches in the area, such as the 1686 Tornio Church and the Alatornio Church, completed in 1797.
Children and the young at heart will find lots to do and experience on a Tornio holiday. In addition to its scenery, interesting places in Tornio during the summer include Tornio traffic park, where children can learn traffic rules by driving pedal cars, and on the Haparanda side, Björka domestic animal and pet farm and the Candy World play park, which boasts Europe's biggest sweetshop. Also worth a visit is the bay of Alkunkarinlahti, about 6 miles from the centre of Tornio, where you can spot rare birds in the vicinity of wind power generators and an Outokumpu factory. Boaters can also enjoy the Bay of Bothnia National Park and explore the beauty of nature and the past lives of fishermen in the old fishing centres.
If you want an active holiday, you will find plenty to do in the Tornio area. The rapids of the Torne River offer excellent opportunities for fishing and rafting. In winter, you can take a long safari on the Torne by snowmobile or dog sled. Golf enthusiasts have a unique opportunity to play golf in two different time zones on a golf course that crosses the border between Finland and Sweden.
Travellers of all ages enjoy visiting Tornio throughout the year. The Torne River Valley and its twin city always provide plenty for travellers of all tastes to do and see.
