Russian Lapland

The Lapland Nature Reserve is a UNESCO-recognised natural heritage site on the Kola Peninsula. The territory of 2600 square km (1000 square miles) is filled with lakes, rivers, wetlands, mountains and forests; since the 1930's it has been a protected area under the Russian reserve system.

Despite this protection, the park has suffered greatly in the hands of the mines and power generating facilities that are were built here to exploit the mineral wealth of the region. In recent years, great strides have been made as significant compensation has been paid to the park for the pollution caused by these activities. This would have been unheard of even 10 years ago under the Soviet Union. The money is being used by the park to protect the thousands of species of plants, mammals and birds found within the region, and to resore areas that have been damaged by pollution.

The park is open to individuals and small groups for recreational purposes, but arrangements must be made in advance, and visitors must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that they leave the park as they found it. In the park you'll probably see some of the largest reindeer herds in Europe, as well as other signs of large mammals such as wolves. There are facilities for camping, and resting in winter, as this is a great place to go skiing.