Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church

Inari, Finland

Pielpajärvi is the old centre of Inari. In former times, there was a winter village of Inari by the shore of this wilderness lake where people gathered to stay for the winter months. The church, built in the winter village in 1760, is one of the oldest buildings in northern Lapland. The reddish church stands on a stone field lined by a beautiful birch wood. A natural-state meadow now grows on the church grounds.

The wooden wilderness church of Pielpajärvi is the second church in this very spot. All the remains of the first church, which was completed in 1646, have disappeared, and only the decaying foundations of a few buildings are left from the winter village. The Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church and the nearby areas form a nationally valuable cultural heritage area. It has also been classified as a regionally valuable landscape area.

The Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church can be visited throughout the year. Information on directions is available on the Inari Hiking Area's webpages.

Reference: Outdoors.fi

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Address

Luosmantie 317-679, Inari, Finland
See all sites in Inari

Details

Founded: 1760
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: The Age of Enlightenment (Finland)

More Information

www.outdoors.fi
www.saariselka.fi
www.360cities.net

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Siida (6,1 km)
Ukonkivi (7,2 km)

User Reviews

BB_upnorth Lapland (5 months ago)
Beautiful hike through ancient wilderness with ponds and marshes. The hike itself is easy but takes time because of the rocks and stumps. Carefully pick your season for this hike. Children and dogs can come along if they are used to these kind of hikes. Day cabin and fire pit just before the church. Church itself is of historic value and in very good shape.
Sara Martinez (9 months ago)
This was part of the tour and is very spooky m, but it worth it
Hylko Oosterloo (15 months ago)
Beautiful hike to the church.
Xbe Aston (16 months ago)
Cute and worth the hike.
pstolarz (17 months ago)
As completely areligious person it's probably the only church I visited twice of my own free will ;) I recommend not only for the object itself but also for 5km long stroll leading to it through stone-marked forest at the Inarijärvi wilderness.
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With 8,000 pipes, the organ is reputed to be the largest pipe organ in France, surpassing the organs of Saint Sulpice and Notre Dame de Paris. The organ originally constructed by P.-A. Ducroquet was powerful enough for the premiere of Hector Berlioz" titanic Te Deum to be performed at St-Eustache in 1855.

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