Kemi | Exploring Finland

Kime is a town in northern Finland, in the Lapland region. It is a town with an important harbor along the coast of the Gulf of Bothna. This is where the river Kemijoki enters the Baltic Sea. This is a monolingual part of Finland, with Finnish being the majority language for the around 19.300 inhabitants.

The town is today probably most famous for its waterfront and its industries. The waterfront is home to the Lumilinna Ice Hotel, the Finnish version of the ice hotel found in Swedish Jukkasjärvi. The nearby area is home to the only chromium mine in the European Union, but also a huge industrial area belonging to Metsä. Kemi has also historically been home to a large paper and pulp mill belonging to Stora Enso. It was, however, announced in 2021 that their operations were being closed down.

A Short History of Kemi

Emperor Alexander II of Russia founded the town of Kemi in 1869. The new town had a strategic location near the deepwater harbor in the area. The area had before becoming a part of Russia in 1809 been burned several times by Russian troops. This included that local church was looted in 1473 and burned down in 1517.

Emperor Alexander II of Russia was coronated in 1856 and had within a month issued the decrees to establish five cities. Kemi was one of these, the others were Varkaus, Iisalmi, Ikaalinen, and Salo.

Industrialization of the area began with the forestry industry in 1863. This initial industry was the Laikakari Saw Mill, but several more would follow. Something that accelerated during the first half of the 20th century.

The 20th century also saw Kemi affected by the many wars. The area was affected by the Civil War in 1918 with skirmishes between the Reds and the Whites. The Winter War saw the men of Kemi participating in battles such as battles along the Raate Road close to Suomusalmi. The town itself was, however, mostly unaffected by both the Winter War and the Continuation War. It was first with the Lapland War that the retreating Germans caused limited damage to the area, mostly by destroying bridges and attempting to blow up the town hall.

Things to Do and See

The city center of Kemi is quite compact with a small commercial center close to the railway. The Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia are never far away. Along the shores, you will find six smaller marinas, but there is also the much larger Port of Kemi a bit further away on one of the islands. You might be able to see the large industrial areas of Veitsiluoto and Pajusaari, but there are touristy sights to enjoy.

Lumilinna – The SnowCastle of Kemi

There is a famous ice hotel in Sweden, in the small village of Jukkasjärvi. There is also the Snow Castle of Kemi, which is considered to be the largest snow fort in the world. The first castle was built in 1996 and has been rebuilt each winter. The construction is around 400 meters long, the initial castle did, however, have a length of 1100 meters. The Snow Castle of Kemi is partly used as a hotel and partly as an event center.

Kemin Tullikamari

The Customs Office of Kemi dates back to 1912. It is a yellow Art Nouveau stone building designed by Valter Thomé. The building housed the local gemstone gallery from 1986 up until 2021. It stands right next to the Tullimakasiini, the customs warehouse. The Tullimakasiini is a wooden building dating back to 1874 that is matching the color of the Customs Office.

Meripuisto

Meripuisto, or the “Marine Park”, is a seaside park area close to the city center. It can in many ways be considered to be an open-air museum with a few historical buildings that have been relocated to the park. The street Luulajantie separates the park from the sea and along the street, you will find some of the old warehouses of the city, such as the Pentinsaaren Makasiini, the Monikäyttömakasiini, and the Raikamon Suuli. Many of the buildings in this warehouse complex date back to the late 19th century. At the center of the park stands the park pavilion, dating back to 1893. There is also a playground to be found here.

Kemin Kirkko

The Church of Kemi is a large brick building with a tall tower. It dates back to 1902 and is a part of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church. The church has seats for 1.200 visitors and the tower measures 44 meters.

How to Get to Kemi

Flights: The Kemi-Tornio Airport (KEM) is just a few kilometers north of the city center.
Car: Kemi lies along road E8 just to the east of Tornio and the border with Sweden and north of Oulu.
Train: Kemi is an important railway hub with destinations such as Helsinki, Kemijärvi, Kolari, and Rovaniemi.

The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps: