Centred around the village of Karasjok, this sprawling municipality is the second-largest by area in Norway. It lies just a stone’s throw from the country’s border with Finland and is home to a Sami parliament that was opened in 1989 by King Olav V.
One of Karasjok’s most popular attractions is the Sami Museum, which houses the largest collection of Sami cultural artefacts in Norway. Browse the traditional clothing and tools on display in the main building before wandering between the Sami structures in the open-air museum. Guided tours offer insight into Sami reindeer hunting techniques.
Also not to miss is the whitewashed Old Karasjok Church, which is the only building in the village to have survived World War II. In 1974, it was replaced by the 500-seat Karasjok Church. Designed by the Norwegian architect Odd Østbye, the new church features a low pitched-tent roof topped by a ridge turret.
Getting there
Karasjok is around an hour’s drive from Lakselv and Lakselv Airport, which has flights to Oslo and Tromsø. By road, Tromsø is seven hours away. Regular buses travel between Lakselv and Karasjok while the village centre is compact enough to explore on foot.