History of Ylläksen Yöpuu
The story of “Ylläksen Yöpuu” starts from the year 1954, when my parents Markku and Senni Kaulanen built a house called “Purola” in the village of Äkäslompolo.
At that time it was usual to accommodate the few tourists coming to the village in the same house with local people. At the same time my parents had a farm as well, with cows. This “combination” was very common in the whole village. After the breakfast the tourists went skiing (cross country). The tourists did the skiing tracks themselves, no machines were available. In the late afternoon the tourists returned for enjoying the sauna and the dinner, cooked by my mother. There was no organized evening entertainment, the tourists invented it themselves.
During the period of 1970-1980 the infrastructure in the whole village started to change. Everybody – including my parents – gave up the farming and started to build cottages for tourists instead.
1981 my father Markku Kaulanen died on a lung cancer.
My mother Senni Kaulanen continued alone running the house and cottages, some of us children (eight in total!) were also still at home…
It was a very busy time; preparing breakfast and dinner for the tourists and cleaning of the cottages. Senni Kaulanen died in 1992, she worked until the end.
I, Vesa Kaulanen, arrived here in 1993. I changed the name from “Purola” to “Ylläksen Yöpuu”. At that time the situation in Finland was very critical, an economical recession – not an ideal start. But slowly things were getting better.
Naturally the guests have changed as well, they are more demanding than during the old days. I have done my best to fulfil the requirements.
As I love fishing, I have added this as one service, by offering fishing excursions and boats. The cottages have been renovated and we do our best to follow the requirements and wishes of our guests.
Here in Lappland spring time is our most busy season. Month of May is the most quiet time of the year. In the summer people come here for fishing, hiking and picking berries. In the autumn we have the wonderful colours of nature to admire. Afterwards the first cross country skiers arrive. Spending Christmas in Lappland has become very popular during the last years – thanks to Santa Claus (Father Christmas). There are especially a lot of foreign tourists, the village is like a “Christmas fairy land”, with many activities and an amazing winter nature.
Our most faithful clients have visited us already since over 40 years. Some guests have come even as far as from China, Australia and New Zealand.
I would like to thank all our faithful clients for the trust you have shown to us, as well as warmly welcome the new ones.
I hope you enjoy your stay with us.
Vesa Kaulanen
History of village Äkäslompolo
When the ice time was finished, the first people arrived to this area and settled down to the area of village Kolari and later on to the village of Äkäslompolo.
The first people living in this area were the Sami people. They lived from fishing and hunting wild deers. Around the end of 1800, they started to raise the reindeers.
The first Finnish people arrived here 1748, and the first house of the village was built. They started farming, with cultivating wheat etc. and growing cows. They were also fishing, hunting, picking berries and mushrooms. All food was taken from the nature. The animal furs were exchanged to salt and other goods needed.
At the time, there was no road to the village. The river was the way of transport. Also some roads were done through the forest by horse and reindeer carriages.
The first tourists arrived to the village in the beginning of 1930. The locals were quite surprised to see all these strange people climbing to the nearby hills without any good “reason”. At old times a stranger could sleep and eat free, when passing by a house in Lappland – nobody thought of taking money from that. But it did not go long time, before the locals noticed, that they can earn some extra income, by providing the tourists with food and accommodation.
First car arrived to village 1930, and the road construction started shortly after. But the proper road was ready only 1950. The first tourists used to sleep in the same house as the local people, very modestly; sometimes only on a matrasse on the floor and eating the same food.
The down hill skiing started in the 1957, the first ski lift was built to hill Varkaankuru. It worked with a Volkswagen motor, all equipment needed for running it (petrol etc) was brought there by men power and with a horse or a reindeer transport.
The first road to the slope Ylläs was built 1967, when the radio mast was installed. After that time the area started to develop to a known Finnish winter resort.
