Blue Highway (tourist route)

Blue Highway (, , , ) is an international tourist route from Norway via Sweden and Finland to Russia.

Sights The Blue Highway follows the ancient waterways from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Onega. There are numerous lakes and rivers by the road. Vast areas of taiga forest dominate the landscape, and a section of the Scandinavian Mountains in Norway and western Sweden.

There are rural villages as well as cities and towns by the Blue Highway.

Country Region Sight Norway NordlandAtlantic Ocean Mo i Rana, a town near the Arctic Circle Svartisen, the second largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland Sweden Västerbotten CountyStoruman, with ski resorts (Hemavan, Tärnaby), the Alpine Botanical Garden (in Hemavan), Vindelfjällen Nature Centre (in Hemavan), Stensele Church (the largest wooden church in Sweden) The Museum of Forestry, in LyckseleMunicipality of Lycksele: Forestry Museum Skogsmuseet (The Museum of Forestry) Lycksele Zoo, the northernmost zoological garden in Sweden Umeå, capital of Västerbotten County on the Ume River Finland OstrobothniaVaasa, capital of Ostrobothnia Kvarken, Unesco World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage List: High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago Replot Bridge, Finland's second longest bridge Finland Southern OstrobothniaAlajärvi, architect Alvar Aalto's first and last public buildings Finland Central FinlandHuopanankoski, one of the oldest fishing rapids in Finland with cultural heritage landscape, located in Huopana, Viitasaari Finland Northern SavoniaLakeland, networks of thousands of lakes separated by hilly forested countryside Lepikon torppa (Lepikko torp) in Pielavesi, a birthplace of Urho Kekkonen, a former President of FinlandLepikon torppa (in Finnish) Kolu Channel in Tervo, the longest inland water channel in FinlandMunicipality of Tervo Korkeakoski, the longest waterfall in Finland, located in Maaninka Kuopio, the capital of Northern Savonia by the Kallavesi Lake Puijo, recreation area, skijumping hill, tower Tahkovuori, tourist centre by the Lake Syväri Ohtaansalmi, Treaty of Teusina boundary mark by the Rikkavesi Lake Municipality of Tuusniemi: Boundary marks of the Peace Treaty of Teusina Finland North KareliaLakeland, networks of thousands of lakes separated by hilly forested countryside Outokumpu, mine museum with tunnel, train and towerAarrekaupunki Outokumpu: Outokummun kaivosmuseo (Outokumpu Mine Museum) Joensuu, capital of North Karelia on the Pielisjoki River Pyhäselkä Lake, the northernmost part of the Saimaa lake system Russia Republic of Karelia Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe Valaam, monastery in Valaam archipelago Petrozavodsk, capital of Republic of Karelia Kizhi, Unesco World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage List: Kizhi Pogost Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe Kondopoga, Martsialnye vody (Marcial Spa) - the oldest Russian spa, Kivach Nature Reserve Medvezhyegorsk, i.a. military history tourist attractions, Sandarmokh - the site of mass shootings and burials of victims of Soviet political repressions, White Sea – Baltic Sea Canal ("the Stalin Canal") Pudozh, Vodlozersky National Park and Onega petroglyphs (rock engravings)

The Development of the Blue Highway The idea of a road across Northern Europe was born in the 1950s The Blue Highway Association was formed in Sweden in 1963 Year-round ferry service between Umeå and Vaasa in 1972 The Blue Highway became a European Highway in 1973 A cross-border public bus route between Mo i Rana and Umeå was established in 1989 (service withdrawn in 2014 between Mo i Rana and Hemavan"Busslinjen till Mo i Rana läggs ned" SVT.se 12 December 2013 (in Swedish)) Border crossing (Niirala/Vyartsilya) with Russia was opened in 1990 The Blue Road Highway extended to Pudozh, Russia, in 2000 Sights in Västerbotten/Sweden, The Blue Highway, pdf, 2008, Västerbotten Local Folklore Society and The Museum of Västerbotten, January 9, 2015

Gallery

Blue Highway (tourist route)

Bron en licentie