Places with a story
Kautokeino bygdetun
Kautokeino bygdetun, also called Guovdageainnu gilišillju, presents local Sámi life beside the river in Guovdageaidnu / Kautokeino. Historic buildings and museum collections connect everyday skills with inland fishing, reindeer husbandry and settlement.
The place1
The open-air museum presents a local settlement from roughly a century ago. Its buildings include protected structures, storehouses and examples of turf huts associated with reindeer husbandry and outlying settlements. The riverside location matters: the museum presents several ways of using the inland landscape, alongside the better-known history of reindeer herding.
History and local connections1
The land was cultivated from the early eighteenth century and served as a school area from 1883 to 1959. The museum building opened in 1987. Sámi artist Trygve Lund Guttormsen worked on the exhibition setting. These different uses make the museum grounds part of the settlement's own history, rather than simply a backdrop for buildings brought together later.
What to look for1
Inside, the basic exhibition includes Sámi handicrafts, equipment for traditional inland fishing and models made by Lars Jacobsen Hætta. Compare the objects with the outdoor structures to see the relationship between tools, materials and daily work. The museum also presents a reconstructed old log church hut, illustrating another type of building used in the local community.
Planning a visit2
The museum address is Boaronjárga 23. RiddoDuottarMuseat publishes the current seasonal opening schedule and ticket information for this specific museum. Check these before travelling, particularly outside summer. Contact the staff about guiding and access to the outdoor buildings. Moving through the grounds and visiting the indoor exhibitions may involve different surfaces and access requirements.
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