Princess Victoria opens her own snowmobile route in Finnish Lapland

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"Unbelievable!" marvelled Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in Kilpisjärvi, situated in the northwest 'arm' of Finnish Lapland, after the pupils of the village school had welcomed her waving the flag of Sweden and a poster of their own making that said "Välkommen Victoria".
     
People in Kilpisjärvi were equally taken with Victoria, who charmed them with her openness. "I love the Princess", said Swedish schoolgirl Åsa Pounu, who together with Finnish girl Inga-Sofia Kalttopää handed over a bouquet to the Princess.
      Victoria visited Kilpisjärvi in order to inaugurate a snowmobile route that is to bear her name. At the end point of the route - the boundary mark of Finland, Sweden, and Norway - the Crown Princess and the Governor of the province of Lapland Hannele Pokka together cut the ribbons that carried the colours of Finland and Sweden.
     
The trip from the village of Kilpisjärvi to the border stone took Princess Victoria 30 minutes on a snowmobile, but on the return trip she was not content with riding pillion. She said she wanted to drive the snowmobile herself and enjoy the sensation of speed, and so she did.
      The Princess Victoria snowmobile route has been used already for a year. It runs for about 200 kilometres, from Muonio to Kilpisjärvi, following the border between Finland and Sweden.
      A total of 132 kilometres of the route runs on the Finnish side, and the remaining 88 kilometres is in Swedish territory.
     
The route is a part of the joint Arctic Trail network of the North Calotte Area - Sweden, Norway, and Finland - that runs for around 5,000 kilometres.
      It is a result of Finnish and Swedish cooperation, the aim being to direct all snowmobile traffic in the river valley and the fell areas along one well-marked and well-tended route.
      In her speech, Governor Pokka stressed the importance of safe and well-maintained snowmobile routes for both tourists and reindeer herders.


Links:
  The Arctic Trail

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