The name Vittjärv comes from the nearby lake Vittjärvsträsket. The word is a multilingual construction consisting of Tornedalian Finnish vitta (rice), Finnish järvi (lake) and Swedish träsk (lake). Just to the west of the village there used to be a rapids which disappeared due to the hydroelectric plant completed in 1975 and still in operation today. The history of hydropower in the village dates back to the mid-19th century, when the villagers built a frame saw and mill. A so-called rafter was also added for the production of shingles. When electricity production was considered in the early 1900s, Vittjärv was an interesting site, but the plans were not realized until the 1970s. The construction – the power station was the last in the development of the river – wiped out the rapids of the Lule River, but saved the Vindel River from regulation. The construction of the power plant in Vittjärv was an important workplace, employing 250 people during the construction phase.
City center
6 Kilometer