Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
HAPARANDA
By bus
Haparanda is the terminus for the services that run
up the Bothnian coast from Umeå. Arriving by bus, you'll be
dropped at the station at the northern end of Haparanda's
main street, Stationsgatan, which runs parallel to the Torne
River (the buildings you can see here across the river are in
Finland). From here it's a 5min walk south along Storgatan
to the main square, Torget.
Destinations
Pajala (Mon-Fri 2-3 daily, Sat & Sun 1 daily;
3hr 30min); Tornio, Finland (hourly; 5min).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
In Tornio, Finland, in the Green Line
Welcome Center (Swedish time: June to early Aug Mon-Fri
8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; early Aug to May Mon-
Fri 8am-5pm;
T
0922 120 10,
W
haparandatornio.com).
ACCOMMODATION
Cape East
Sundholmen 1
T
0922 80 07 90
W
capeeast
.se.
Pamper yourself at this new spa hotel just 1.5km south
of the centre on the banks of the Torne River. Rooms are
ultra-modern and Nordic in
design a
nd the place boasts the
world's biggest sauna, too.
1990kr
Haparanda Stadshotel
Torget 7
T
0922 614 90,
W
haparandastadshotell.se.
Perfectly located in the
main square, this is an elegant and sumptuous hotel dating
from 1900 with wooden floors and opulent chandeliers.
Rooms are well appointed with period fur
niture and some
rooms even have their own private sauna.
1090kr/1610kr
STF youth hostel
Strandgatan 26
T
0922 611 71,
W
haparandavandrarhem.se.
The cheapest beds in town
are at this smart two-storey riverside place, affording good
views to Finland. Rooms have private facilities and bed linen
costs an extra 50kr should you req
uire it.
There's
a good
kitchen, too, for self-catering. Dorms
200kr
, doubles
480kr
7
EATING
As far as eating, drinking and nightlife go, you're better off in Tornio in every respect. Friday nights there are wild, the
streets full of people trying to negotiate the return leg over the bridge; meanwhile, Haparanda sleeps undisturbed. It used
to be the case that Tornio was much cheaper than Haparanda, but prices are now roughly the same, although drinking is
still a little less expensive in Finland.
Hasans Pizzeria
Storgatan 88
T
0922 104 40.
For
eating without trekking over to Finland, this place has a
range of pizzas for around 50kr; true the interior is nothing
to write home about but the low prices keep the locals
happy.
Tues-Fri 10.30am-8pm, Sat & Sun noon-8pm.
IKEA
Norrskensvägen 5
T
0775 70 05 00.
Though the
thought of eating inside a flat-pack furniture store may not
immediately appeal, it's clear that the price and quality of
what's on offer in the in-store restaurant are streets ahead
of any other option in town; eight meatballs and mash
costs just 19kr Mon-Fri.
Daily 10am-7pm.
Leilani
Long-established Asian restaurant serving a selection of Thai
dishes such as curries and stirfries (from 128kr) as well as
dependable Chinese mains (from 92kr) and rather uninspiring
pizzas.
Mon 10am-9pm, Tues-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat
noon-10pm, Sun noon-9pm.
Umpitunneli
Hallituskatu 15
T
358 40 126 02 00.
Across in Tornio, your best bet is this riverside restaurant,
bar and nightclub all rolled into one, and serving Arctic char
and grilled chicken for around €15 and a half-litre of beer
for €4; it's always packed but don't expect people to speak
much English.
Finnish time: Mon-Fri 3-9.30pm, Sat
1-9.30pm, Sun 1-8pm.
Köpmansgatan
15
T
0922
107
17.
TWO COUNTRIES: ONE TOWN
Given that Haparanda and Tornio are so closely related, it seems only right that they should
share a
tourist office.
. Not only does it hold information about both places but it can also
help with general queries about Finland. Indeed, there are two phone lines in the o
ce, one
for calls from Sweden, the other with enquiries from Finland; staff switch effortlessly from
one language to another depending on which line is ringing. To get here from the bus
station head towards the “Finland” signs on the nearby bridge; there are no border
formalities, and so you can simply walk over the bridge to Finland and wander back
whenever you like. It's worth remembering that
Finnish time
is one hour ahead of Swedish
time and that Haparanda and Tornio have different names in Swedish (Haparanda and
Torneå) and Finnish (Haaparanta and Tornio).
