This small museum is the best place to understand why Salla feels different from many Lapland resort towns. It covers local life in the 20th century, the Winter War and Continuation War, the loss of Old Salla to the Soviet Union, and the practical work of rebuilding homes and villages farther west.
The subject is local, but the story is not minor. Border changes, evacuation, military roads, and resettlement shaped the whole municipality. Visit before driving around the area and the memorials, churches, and empty-looking forests begin to make more sense.