Every design for Haparanda

To stand in Haparanda is to stand at the easternmost point of Sweden, right where the country ends and Finland begins. The Torne river flows past, and on the other side lies Tornio so close that the two towns almost breathe as one place. Two countries, two languages and a shared history that has left deep traces all meet here.

The border shows everywhere, from Rajapyykki nro 63 to the Tornedalen museum, which keeps the valley's stories alive. The Aine art museum and the many memorials around the town bear witness to a district where culture and war, everyday life and cross-border friendship have been woven together over generations.

Rajaleikkipatsas, the statue of the border game, catches something of what makes Haparanda special - the playfulness of living in the seam between two nations. The map of this easternmost corner suits anyone who knows that borders join as readily as they divide.