LIVING TRADITION
What is dipnet fishing?
Dipnet fishing is a traditional form of fishing in which fish is caught with a long bag-shaped fishing gear, a dipnet. At the Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski rapids of the Torne River on both sides of the Finnish-Swedish border, mainly whitefish and salmon are catched by this fishing method. Dipnet fishing is currently being applied for inclusion on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Read moreAnnual calendar
Get to know what happens in the dipnet villages at different times of the year around dipnet fishing and the traditions related to it. You will find information about the year’s cycle, important events and the life of the Dipnet fishing villages from the perspective of practicing traditions.
Annual calendar
Small talks
Find interesting facts about dipnet fishing and dipnet areas – about how the Kukkolankoski rapids roar, what is the length of the dipnet shaft, and what is the secret of traditional grilled whitefish. Click and get to know the fascinating details of the tradition!
Small talks
Rapid areas
Get to know the Tornio River dipnet areas and their history. The streams of Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski hide stories of fishing, life and community. Click yourself into the world of touches!
Area by the rapids
Come and visit us
Welcome to visit the Dipnet fishing villages! Here you can get to know the services, location and special features of the different villages – everything that makes them special destinations along the Torne River. Click and find your own route to the dipnet villages!
Learn moreExhibitions
In this section, you will get information about exhibitions related to dipnet fishing. The Torne Valley Museum – Tornedalens museum, the Fishing Museum at Kukkolaforsen and the mobile exhibition open windows to the past and present of dipnet fishing. Click and see how the tradition lives on in the exhibitions!
Museum of Torne Valley
The Torne Valley Museum – Tornedalens museum is a museum focusing on the history and culture of the border region, located in the centre of Tornio, on the border between Finland and Sweden. As far as is known, the museum is the only museum in the world that is shared by two countries. The museum is a museum with regional responsibility, operating in the areas of the cities of Tornio, Haparanda and Kemi, as well as in the municipalities of Simo, Tervola, Keminmaa, Ylitornio, Pello, Kolari and Muonio.
Museum of Torne Valley
Fishing Museum
The Torne Valley Fishing Museum is located at Kukkolaforsen in Haparanda Sweden, in a cultural village surrounded by historical buildings managed by the city of Haparanda. The exhibition tells the story of fish and people along the Tornio River. The museum is open during the summer season. In winter, the museum is closed for spontaneous visits but can be opened for prebooked groups. Admission is free.
Fishing Museum
Dipnet Mobile
The mobile exhibition “Dipnet Mobile” brings the dipnet tradition and its safeguarding to people – to markets, schools and events. It can be used to present the dipnet tradition in an experiential and accessible way to different audiences locally, nationally and internationally. In addition, the mobile exhibition provides general information about UNESCO, waterways, migratory fish, and traditional fishing. The mobile exhibition is planned to be completed in 2026 as part of the EU’s Interreg Aurora-funded Torne Valley Dipnet project.
Dipnet Mobile
Stories
When dipnetting, everything else fades away. You enter a world shaped by the flowing water and the fish.
When dipnetting, everything else fades away. You enter a world shaped by the flowing water and the fish.
