Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church

Built in 1760 and enlarged in 1800, Pielpajärvi is Finland's oldest surviving church in Lapland — and one of the most isolated. It stands on a narrow isthmus between Lake Pielpajärvi and a smaller unnamed lake, surrounded by birch forest, about 10 km from the nearest road. The church served the Sami and Finnish settlers of the Inari region for over a century before a new church was built in Inari village. Today it functions as a protected monument and is accessible via a 3-hour hike or a 6 km ski trail in winter. The building is small, severe, and entirely unadorned — the landscape does all the work. A short walk from the church leads to a traditional Sami cemetery. Services are still occasionally held here in summer.