All about the historic Three-Country Cairn

Imagine visiting three countries in less than 30 seconds… it can be done! On our Snowmobile Voyager holiday, you can zip around the northernmost international tripoint in the world.

A cairn sits in a river feeding lake Goldajärvi, which freezes over in winter. It marks the convergence of the borders of Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Here are some other things you should know about this iconic landmark that make visiting it even more memorable.

What is its name?

In English the tripoint is known simply as the ‘Three-Country Cairn’. The northern Sámi, who are the indigenous people of Lapland, call it ‘Golmma Rikka Urna’. In Finland the cairn is named ‘Kolmen Valtakunnan Rajapyykki’, while in Sweden it goes by ‘Treiksröset’, and in Norway it’s ‘Treriksrøysa’.

The history of the cairn 

The Strömstad Treaty of 1751 laid down the border between Sweden and Norway. Cairns were raised in the years that followed to mark it, with #294 situated on a hill near Goldajärvi. 

Sweden essentially controlled Finland until 1809, when it became an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. For most of the 1800s the tripoint had no marker, but in 1897 Norway and Russia erected a monument of stones along one of the rivers that crossed the Norwegian border. 

In 1901, Sweden came to an agreement with Norway and placed a stone which identified it as the country’s most northerly point.

The making a marker

Although cement was added to the rockpile shortly after the three-country tripoint was agreed upon, weather quickly wore away at it. 

In 1926, a dome-shaped cairn made of concrete was poured on a bit of land jutting out into lake Goldajärvi. Located at 489 metres above sea level, the Three-Country Cairn has a diameter of approximately 4 metres. The upper part above water was painted yellow and ‘Suomi 1926’ was engraved on the top stone. ‘Suomi’ is the Finnish name for Finland.

The famous photo of the cairn

In the final days of the Second World War, when the Nazis retreated and the last German troops were gone, a historic photo was snapped of the Three-Country Cairn.

Captain Valkonen led a ski patrol of 60 soldiers on a reconnaissance to see if Finnish Lapland was free from Wehrmacht forces. They were assembled at Infantry Regiment 1 and set off on 25 April 1946 from the village of Kilpisjärvi. While advancing towards Norway, they split in two near the Saana Fell. A small group approached the border along the road, while Captain Valkonen and the others continued to the Three-Country Cairn.

Upon arrival in the wee hours of 26 April, a small flag of Finland was raised and the group shot a three-gun salute that startled a nearby Swedish border battalion. Later that day, the Swedish battalion’s commander arrived at the tripoint along with a German unit still departing the area. All groups met, discussed the war, shook hands and parted ways.

The following day, on 27 April, Colonel Väinö Oinonen of Infantry Regiment 1 arrived with a larger war flag. After inspecting the situation, the flag was ceremoniously raised by Finnish soldiers.

A photo of that moment with Norway’s Golddabakti Fell in the background was taken by Colonel Oinonen and widely circulated throughout Finland. It is often compared to other important World War II photos of flags being raised, including those by the Americans at Iwo Jima and the Soviets over Reichstag.

Come see it for yourself!

Lots of people visit the Three-Country Cairn annually in all seasons. However, we believe there’s nothing like venturing out in winter to view it by snowmobile.

Located just over 10 kilometres west of Kilpisjärvi, our Snowmobile Voyager holidays offer the chance to experience this special corner where Norway, Finland and Sweden meet while circling around the cairn.

Imagine an icy wind on your face and snow churning beneath you, as you zoom through all three countries in a mere matter of seconds. It’s an adrenaline rush like no other!

Find details & book Snowmobile Voyager here