Tankavaara

Tankavaara is a village and a tourist attraction in the municipality of Sodankylä in Lapland, Finland.

It is located by the E75 highway 90 kilometres north of Sodankylä and 30 kilometers south of the Saariselkä ski resort.

Since 1950 the Tankavaara area was used for research work by the Geological Survey of Finland and the tourism finally started in 1970.

[2] The Battle of Tankavaara was fought during the Lapland War in 26–31 October 1944 between the retreating German troops and the Finnish Army.

The outdoor museum is housed within several historic buildings and the courtyard is decorated with a large bronze statue of a gold prospector, by the artist professor Ensio Seppänen.

"Gold village" in Tankavaara have built reproductions of buildings of the gold rush towns.
Interior of the Gold Museum.