Ivalo Avveel – Avvil – Âˊvvel |
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Village | |
Location in Finland | |
Coordinates: 68°39′N 027°33′E / 68.650°N 27.550°ECoordinates: 68°39′N 027°33′E / 68.650°N 27.550°E | |
Country | Finland |
Region | Lapland |
Municipality | Inari |
Population (2003) | |
• Total | 3,998 |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Ivalo (Inari Sami: Avveel, Northern Sami: Avvil, Skolt Sami: Âˊvvel; Russian: Ивало) is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland, Finland, located on the Ivalo River 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lake Inari. It has a population of 3,998 as of 2003[update] and a small airport. 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ivalo is a very popular resort named Saariselkä. Many tourists visit this place every year for winter sports (downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, husky and reindeer sledge riding) and for summer activities (trekking and hiking in the Saariselkä fjells, canoeing in Lapland's rivers, mountain biking, panning for gold, fishing, etc.).
Ivalo was severely damaged during the Lapland War (1944–1945) by retreating German troops led by Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic; the village was subsequently extensively rebuilt.
The roundabout for Finnish national road 4 in downtown Ivalo
Ivalo in 1945, in the aftermath of the Lapland War