Beyond the slopes: 10 Arctic adventures in Finnish Lapland
Lapland tugs at the imagination long before you ever set foot there. This is the winter wonderland of childhood dreams, with Christmas-card scenery, sleigh rides through forests, real-life reindeer and the one-and-only Santa.
Whether off-piste, downhill or cross-country, the skiing in Lapland is sensational, with low-key, crowd-free resorts such as Levi, Ylläs and Saariselkä offering superb conditions from December through to May. But this is just the tip of the Arctic iceberg — in Lapland, you can experience so much more. The howl of huskies as you dash across the frozen tundra, a post-sauna dip in an ice hole, Sámi stories told around a crackling campfire and the Northern Lights arcing and swaying in winter skies are all moments that will stay with you forever. Here are 10 of the best winter adventures to try.
1. Chase the Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis is the greatest natural show on earth; and Saariselkä, 155 miles north of the Arctic Circle, gives you a front-row ticket. The odds of seeing them here are astonishing, with displays up to 200 nights a year from September to April. Situated directly beneath the aurora oval, the magic wand flashes of green and, if you’re lucky, pink, red and blue, will leave you speechless — whether seen on snowshoes, a snowmobile or from the comfort of a glass-roofed igloo. Science speaks of solar storms colliding with the earth’s atmosphere, but there’s a pinch of sorcery, too. The Finnish call them revontulet, meaning ‘fox fires’, as myth says an Arctic fox running through the snow sent sparks flying into the night sky.
2. Head off on a dog-sledding adventure
Gliding through the frozen wilderness, pulled by a team of howling, run-hungry huskies is almost like flying. Place your trust in the dogs as you head into the great white wilderness on a tailor-made husky safari in Levi, Saariselkä or Ylläs. By day, a pale winter sun guides you, but the real enchantment comes in the pearl-white hush of a bitterly cold winter night — especially when the Northern Lights come out to play.
3. Visit a reindeer farm
Lapland is the heartland of the Sámi, Finland’s indigenous, formerly seminomadic, reindeer herders who have eked out a life in the harsh Arctic climate for more than a millennium. For a fascinating insight into their unique way of life and to witness their deep connection with reindeer, visit Ounaskivari reindeer farm, located just outside Levi. Here, you’ll listen to ancient stories, find out why these beautiful creatures are partial to the odd magic mushroom and learn the secret of the suopunkki (Sámi lasso). If you’re lucky, you may even be treated to a spontaneously sung joik, a rhythmic poem conjuring the spirit of the Sámi peoples’ ancestors. No visit is complete without a fairytale reindeer ride across the snowy landscape, cuddled up inside a blanket-laden sleigh.
4. Learn about indigenous Sámi culture
A tiny speck of a village on a flint-blue, forest-rimmed lake, Inari village has big wilderness right on its doorstep. Nature is sacred to the indigenous Sámi people and it’s here their spirit is felt most keenly. The Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida takes a deep dive into Sámi life past and present. Cleverly curated exhibitions lend insight into Lapland’s one-of-a-kind ecology, wildlife, traditions and the rhythm of the eight Sámi seasons, while the open-air museum takes you back 10,000 years with its collection of rustic dwellings and farm buildings scattered along a trail shaped like a reindeer herder’s lasso.
5. Motor out into the wilderness on a snowmobile
For a true sense of Lapland’s scope and beauty, book onto a guided snowmobile safari. In Levi, full thermal gear is included and tips from your guide will soon have you bouncing from side to side through gullies and leaning into the bends as you hurtle through snow-shrouded fells, pine forests and across rivers frozen solid in the winter chill. Switch off the engine and all you can hear is the crunch of ice underfoot, and when the Aurora Borealis dances overhead, perhaps muffled gasps of wonder.
6. Take part in an ice-karting competition
Like go-karting but with a frozen racing track and snow-blanketed backdrop, ice karting throws you in at the pulse-racing deep end of winter activities in Lapland. The illuminated track in Levi gives you a taste for life in the frozen fast lane, with ice karts equipped with studded tyres and silent four-cycle engines. Driving instructions, helmets, thermal suits, boots and gloves are provided — and there’s even a final with prizes. Go for an introductory whirl or, once you’ve picked up a little confidence, the full-on F1 Arctic experience.
7. Let off steam in a traditional Finnish sauna
Midnight sun or winter snow, the Finnish believe there’s no better way to relax, unwind and stay healthy than sweating it out in a pine-clad room heated to 80C. Dubbed the ‘poor man’s pharmacy’, the sauna holds a near-sacred place in Finnish hearts, where only the crackling wood in a smoke sauna or the hiss of water being tossed on to stones in a steam sauna can be heard. Afterwards, there’s ice swimming and self-administered beatings with a birch-branch whisk (known as the vasta or vihta) to boost circulation. Levi alone has 2,000 saunas, perfect for a post-ski steam, while Ylläs raises the bar higher with the world’s only cable-car sauna.
8. Try Arctic ice swimming
For every roasting hot sauna in Lapland, there’s a shockingly cold ice hole to plunge into afterwards. And there are many health benefits for those who dare to take the dip — boosted energy levels, a lowered heart rate and a strengthened immune system, to name but a few. Arrive warm, begin slowly and listen to your body — get out before you go numb and shiver uncontrollably. A neoprene cap, gloves and socks can protect the head, hands and feet. Ylläs and Levi have gone one step further with ice floating. Here, you slip into a rubber survival suit to drift in a hole bored into a frozen lake as the snowflakes flutter around you.
9. Stay overnight in an ice hotel
Built from truckloads of snow and chunks of metre-thick river ice by a team of artists each year, Lainio Snow Village is the igloo dream. Outside it’s bitterly cold, but inside your ethereally lit ice suite it’s surprisingly warm as you snuggle down into your expedition-grade sleeping bag. Mornings bring hot berry juice, breakfast in the log-built restaurant and the sheer joy of being the first to pad through fresh powder snow. If you can’t stay overnight, take a day trip from nearby Levi and Ylläs for a spin of the intricately carved ice rooms, bar, restaurant and chapel.
10. Meet Santa himself
Finnish Lapland is considered Santa central. Indeed, no visit north of the Arctic Circle is complete without paying him a visit, and you don’t need to go to Rovaniemi (the most renowned destination) to do it. Guests' can book three- and four-night Santa breaks in Levi and Ylläs wrapped up by half a day of festive fun: kids can visit the Elf Hideaway, meet Comet the reindeer and enjoy other festive experiences including gingerbread baking and Christmas tree decorating. Afterwards, there’s the chance to add on other excursions such as dogsledding and snowmobiling.
Inghams offer 3-for-2 on all Lapland excursions, including husky, snowmobile and reindeer safaris. For more information and to plan your trip, visit Inghams.co.uk
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