The old parish village at Mantojärvi is the cultural heart of Utsjoki. Fourteen timber church huts, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, stand near the stone church on the lake shore. Sami families used the huts during church visits and market gatherings, when the trip from remote settlements could take days.
The site is quiet and open, with the low church, weathered cabins, lake, and fell slopes all in one view. It is the best first stop in Utsjoki because it explains the village better than the modern roadside centre does.