Finland’s first fell hotel

The Finnish Tourists’ Association (Suomen Matkailijayhdistys ry) had this fine functionalist-styled hotel built in 1938.  Finland’s first fell hotel, it was designed by Aulis Hämäläinen and the furniture by Alvar Aalto.  In winter the guests were taken to the hotel by reindeer.

The war years

During the war years of 1941-44, the wonderful Pallas hotel was used as a holiday resort for German soldiers until they blew it up in 1944 when they retreated. In the spring of 1948 a new Pallas Hotel was opened, designed this time by the architect Jouko Ylihannu.

Lighting of the Olympic flame

From the Hotel Pallas it is a four kilometre climb up to the most beautiful summit of the area, Taivaskerro (807 metres).  Here, at the summit, on the 6th of July 1952, in the light of the midnight sun, the symbolic Olympic torch was lit.  It was carried from Pallas to Helsinki by a total of 1,680 couriers  -  the sheer number alone testifies to the distance covered.  13 days later the torch was used to light the Olympic flame at the Helsinki Olympic stadium by Paavo Nurmi.