The Story
It didn’t start with us. It won’t end with us.
It was supposed to be six months.
Mia arrived in Kilpisjärvi in 2006 with a six-month contract.
Twenty years later, she is still here.
Life had already taken her across Finland and Norway — from restaurants and tourism to cruise ships, aviation and hospitality. Kilpisjärvi was supposed to be just another stop along the way.
It wasn’t.
Not long after arriving in Kilpisjärvi, Mia met Niti. What began as a six-month contract became a new life in the far north.
Growing up on a farm, life close to nature had always felt familiar. Here, it felt like home.
Niti’s story began here. Born into a Sámi reindeer herding family, he has lived with the reindeer, the seasons and the landscapes of the far north all his life.
Mia arrived. Niti never left.
Today, together, they continue the story and share it with guests from around the world.
He never left.
For Niti, this was never somewhere to leave behind. It was always home.
Born into a Sámi reindeer herding family, he inherited a way of life shaped by generations before him. His family’s roots in this region stretch back hundreds of years.
Reindeer herding is more than a livelihood. It is a heritage passed from one generation to the next.
The landscape has changed. The world has changed. The reindeer still move. Someone still follows.
One step at a time.
Some stories begin with a business plan. Ours didn’t.
In 2014, life took an unexpected turn when Mia took over Kilpisjärven Tunturimajat.
A few years later, it became clear that something new was needed.
In 2018, the first Glass Igloos were built at the Ranch by Lake Peerajärvi. The first guests arrived on 26 December that same year.
What began with four Glass Igloos continued one step at a time.
In 2025, Villa Vasara was renovated for guests and a new restaurant kitchen was completed at the Ranch.
The work continues. One season at a time.
