Torne River

The river forming the Swedish-Finnish border, famous for salmon fishing and midnight sun

The Torne River runs along the Swedish-Finnish border at Pajala, one of the longest undammed rivers in northern Europe and one of the best salmon rivers in Scandinavia. The river is wide and cold here — this far north it carries water from the fells of Finnish Lapland — and in summer the banks come alive with fishing activity, particularly during the salmon run.

Pajala sits on the Swedish side of the border; a short drive across the bridge brings you to the Finnish village of Juoksenki. The riverbanks are accessible from the town and make for good walking, especially at midsummer when the midnight sun means you can fish or walk at any hour. The river's salmon have been fished here for a thousand years, and guided fishing trips are available through local operators during the summer season.

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A story
The Torne River is one of the few major European rivers that has never been dammed for hydropower — an extraordinary fact for a waterway of its size. The agreement to protect it was driven partly by the need to preserve the salmon run, which has been a food source for the Tornedalen communities for centuries. In Mikael Niemi's novel Popular Music from Vittula, the river is almost a character in itself — the boundary that simultaneously separates and connects Sweden and Finland, where boys from both sides meet in the middle.