The Piilola Trail, which connects the Vätsäri
Wilderness Area in Finland and the Øvre Pasvik National Park in Norway, was
inaugurated on 16 June 2009 at its northern starting point of Sortbrysttjern in
Norway. An opening hike began at the same time, ending on 18 June at the end of
Kessintie Road and the village of Nellim, where the closing ceremony of the hike
was held. Some two dozen hiking and nature lovers from Norway and Finland took
part in the opening hike. The Piilola Trail is the result of cooperation between
the parties to the Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park: Finland, Norway and Russia.
The Piilola Trail is a magnificent, 35 km hiking trail passing through a
wilderness in the boreal coniferous forest zone, 24 km of which is located on
the Finnish side. The trail is clearly marked, with blue wooden signs hung on
trees in Norway and blue wooden poles set up along the trail in Finland.
On the Norwegian side, there are two open wilderness huts available for
hikers. Along the Finnish stretch of the trail is one campfire site with a
lean-to shelter as well as two open wilderness huts, one of which is owned by
Metsähallitus and the other by Stora Enso, a Finnish forest industry group.
Hikers may cross the border along the Piilola Trail if they have no goods to
declare. Free movement also applies to citizens of third countries who have a
visa or residence permit in a Schengen country.
Nature-based tourism and nature conservation play an important role in the
Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park cooperation. The main goals of the activities are
promoting sustainable nature-based tourism and strengthening the network of
various stakeholders in the Pasvik-Inari area.
The Finnish members of the working group include the Lapland Natural Heritage
Services of Metsähallitus, the municipality of Inari, the village societies of
Näätämö and Paatsjoki-Nellim as well as tourism entrepreneur from Inari. The
Norwegian and Russian members include representatives of conservation areas in
the Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park, local authorities, the state, border
authorities and the tourism trade.
The Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park complies with the principles of sustainable
nature-based tourism, which promotes nature conservation, respects and supports
the local culture and economy, and raises travellers’ awareness of and
appreciation for nature and culture. Sustainable tourism activities are
environmentally friendly, of high quality and safe.
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