Forest Land

The majority of the Nellim area consists of forest dotted with ponds and small lakes. The area also boasts wooded hills but there are no fells in the area except for Kontostunturi, which is located in the frontier zone.

Sceenerys of the Piilola Trail. Photo: Pasi Nivasalo

The most common vegetation type is the fairly dry pine heath. As much as 90 per cent of the forests are pure pine forests. The birch is the most common deciduous tree. The undergrowth mostly consists of sparse shrubs. Due to the poor soil, the number of plant species is rather low and there are no real specialities.

The industrial utilisation of the extensive forest areas of Nellim started in the 1920s, which is why the age of the trees varies greatly. The entire area belongs to a commercial forest site and there are no protected forest areas.
 

River Paatsjoki

The mighty River Paatsjoki has its origins at the base of Paatsvuono Fjord, through which Lake Inarijärvi carries its waters into the Arctic Ocean. This border river between Norway and Russia only flows for a couple of kilometres in Finnish territory. The easiest spot from which to admire the wide River Paatsjoki is the Virtaniemi Bridge. The River Paatsjoki was a historically important travelling route to the Arctic Ocean, and the river valley became a meeting place for different cultures.

Bears

The area surrounding the Paatsjoki river valley is home to a fairly vital bear population. Bears ignore state borders, so they move about in Finland, Norway and Russia as they wish. The bears in the Nellim area belong to the population that roams the territory of these three countries. In the past few years, bears have been monitored and researched by using DNA methods, for example, in the international nature conservation project for the Inari – Paatsjoki area (www.pasvik-inari.net).

It is very rare to meet a bear in nature as it avoids man as best it can.