Márkanbáiki Sámi open air museum

Márkanbáiki is an easily accessible day visit venue in Jukkasjärvi for visitors from near and far who want to engage their senses to experience Sápmi. Get up close with reindeer, stroll through the museum’s exhibition area and savour traditional Sámi flavours with a modern twist in charming restaurant Ovttas. As a reminder of your visit, you surely find some special item in the on-site handicraft shop.

The term márkanbáiki means assembly or marketplace in North Sámi language, and this historical site here is the origin of the village of Jukkasjärvi and a wonderful place for a day visit with wide open spaces. Bures boahtin Sápmái – Welcome to Sápmi! Explore the venue on your own and at you own pace by means of museum signs with easily readable information in Swedish and English.

In the outdoor exhibition area, you can learn about the culture, traditions, garments, different devices, nomadic lifestyle, and history of the reindeer herding Sámi people. Look at art works, walk along the short nature and culture trail and enjoy the scenery. Our most appreciated companions, the reindeer, are autumn grazing here at the shores of the Torne river and it is a special moment being able to meet and feed them. The reindeer is adapted to life in the Arctic environment, and there are a lot of facts and figures regarding this majestic animal that will astonish you.