Boglands
Southern Lapland offers a vast selection of Arctic bog locations, including swamps and marshes, to choose from, with nearby services and easy accessibility.
It’s no wonder that Ranua is known for its vast and stunning bogs, as they make up for over 60% of the municipality’s land area. Consisting mostly of string bogs, the local boglands are generally large, open areas with some stunted pine trees growing here and there. The bogs are also home to unique flora, such as the picturesque cottongrass and the cloudberry. As the cloudberry only grows in a bog environment, it is a true Ranua delicacy that lures quite a few people–both Finnish and international—to the municipality during its peak season.
There are many bog locations to choose from in Ranua. For example, the boglands along the roads Simontie (Koskela-Pahkapalo) and Pekkalantie (Kaitasuo, Pitkäsuo) are easy to access, as is the beautiful bog along the route to the Takajärvi Observation Tower right by the town center. You can find a great listing of the Ranua bogs on Google Maps. (Suo is Finnish for bog.)
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Accommodation
Ranua offers a range of accommodation across the municipality, including luxury cabins, holiday villages, hotels and glass igloos.
Restaurants in Ranua
You’ll find cafes and restaurants in Ranua, including lunch buffets and a la carte restaurants. Most are open year-round, but a few are summer-based. You can order catering and food delivery from some local businesses.
Other Services
Some additional local services that may be useful when filming in the bogs of Ranua include:
- Northern animals (Ranua Wildlife Park)
- Guide services
- Transportation services
For more details on support services available, Visit Ranua.
With five airports and a system of well-maintained roads and highways, getting to and around Lapland is always easy.
By Plane
The Rovaniemi International Airport (1 h by car) connects daily to Helsinki and other European cities all year-round. In the winter season, there are also flights to Asia. The second-nearest airports are in Kemi (1 h 30 min) and Oulu (1 h 45 min).
By Train
Ranua’s nearest railway stations are Rovaniemi (1 h), Kemi (1 h 30 min) and Oulu (1 h 45 min). For train tickets and more info, visit VR.
By Bus
Getting to Ranua, for example via Rovaniemi or Oulu, is a breeze. For bus routes and tickets, check out Matkahuolto.
By Car
As all of Lapland, Ranua is easy to reach by car.
Filming Equipment & Crew
You can find quality production services from companies that work across Lapland. Contact us today, and we’ll help you find the right ones for your production.
Permits
With Everyone’s Right, you often don’t need to worry about film permits for Lapland’s wilderness. If your production is on the smaller side, that means you can film in Ranua’s bogs and marshes without worry about permits. If you’re uncertain, however, drop us a line.
Some of the boglands in Ranua are maintained by Metsähallitus (Finnish Forest Administration), which requires permits activities like off-road traffic and erecting temporary structures and buildings. You can apply directly to Metsähallitus for these permits.
The Finnish Lapland Film Commission does not directly grant permits, but we can help you figure out if you need one and how to get it. Get in touch and let’s talk!
