Winter Wonderland Lapland

Winters in Lapland are long, cold and dark. Not exactly an inviting combination at first glance. At second glance, however, this climate creates a magical atmosphere: the long winter bathes trees and lakes in a remarkable blanket of snow, the cold temperatures form ice and snow crystals everywhere and the seemingly endless sunrises and sunsets make the white landscape shimmer in pastel colors. A perfect setting to enjoy the benefits of winter on skis, sledges, in front of the fireplace or in one of the saunas in the house.

Fjells and Tunturi as travel destinations

In the very north of Scandinavia, bordered by Norway and Russia, lies the Finnish part of Lapland. The landscape is characterized by coniferous forests and lakes, from which a so-called fjell occasionally rises. In Scandinavia, mountains or plateaus above the tree line are referred to as fells. If these appear as round inselbergs, the Finns call them tunturi. Tourist centers have developed at these elevations in the extremely sparsely populated Lapland. Otherwise, there are only 2 people per square kilometer in Lapland (outside of the few towns, this figure is close to 0) and there is enough infrastructure to satisfy all the needs of a winter vacation.

Although there is sufficient public transport in the tourist centers, such as Levi or Saariselkä, to get from A to B, it is advisable to hire a car right at the airport. The beautiful landscape is ideal for short excursions (e.g. to the Siida museum in Inari) and day trips to ski resorts are also possible. The search for the Northern Lights is also much easier and more relaxed in your own car than on a guided tour. You also have more chance of catching an aurora with your own car! (...and with the money saved on the tours, the rental car is often almost paid for). You don't need to worry too much about extreme winter driving conditions either: The rental cars from renowned providers are usually equipped with very good winter tires and, surprisingly, even starting the car at temperatures below -20 °C always worked. After some initial caution, the dry and cold snowy roads are soon a delight and it is a good idea not to let your initial respect for the road conditions turn into overconfidence. In any case, you should watch out for the many free-roaming reindeer that often cross the roads seemingly out of nowhere.

The ski resorts: Levi and Saariselkä

On all sides of the region's signature Inselberg mountain, 27 modern lifts take people to impressive fun parks, wide pistes and off-piste runs. Due to the lack of daylight in winter, the majority of the slopes are floodlit and the opening hours from 09:30 to 19:00 will put your skiing condition to the test!

Saariselkä, which describes itself as the northernmost ski resort in Europe, is a small, family-friendly ski resort reminiscent of New Zealand club fields. The possibilities offered by the six lifts seem manageable at first glance, but the cold natural snow descents are thrilling after just a few turns and you are quickly caught in a "one more run" loop that can often only be broken by the icy cold or the lift closing time. It's a good thing that the ski resort's own bistro invites you to warm up with the filter coffee and home-baked goods that Finns love so much.

A little tip: after a day of skiing at temperatures below -20°, you should warm up a little before you try to take off your ski boots. Many a skier has failed to remove their ski boots in the parking lot.

Although the snow conditions are very inviting, the options for variations and tours are limited compared to the Alps or other mountain ranges. The shape of the elevations in Lapland with flat peaks above the tree line and steep slopes with dense forest simply offer comparatively less good freeride terrain. It is also important to know that ski touring in Lapland usually means hiking with a type of wide cross-country ski. However, if you are thinking about variations and tours, you should bring appropriate avalanche know-how with you, as the build-up of snow can lead to dangerous weak layers in these extreme temperatures.

Cross-country skiing and sledging paradise

Lapland is of course a mecca for cross-country skiers and 230 km of cross-country trails in Levi and 200 km in Saariselkä as well as a season from October to May should be incentive enough to swap your fat freeride skis for narrow cross-country skis. The trails usually run close to the settlements of the Mökkis, so you can put on your skis right on your doorstep and do your laps in the quiet cold. There are always small huts along the trails where you can warm up and fortify yourself by the campfire.

If you need a break from all the cozy silence, you can also go snowmobiling in Lapland. There are 886 km of maintained snowmobile trails around Levi alone. Operators such as Kinos Safaris in Levi offer a wide range of guided tours to destinations in the surrounding area, as well as snowmobile rental. The tours are a good introduction if you want to get used to the sledges and simply enjoy the area without worrying about the route. The sledges are not too difficult to handle and for the price of two seats on a guided tour, you can also hire a two-seater sledge for a whole day. A driving license for cars is sufficient and the traffic rules are straightforward (observe the speed limit and traffic signs). Regardless of which form you choose: once you have got used to the driving experience, the acceleration of the sledges quickly becomes addictive and when getting off, some people often dream of (illegally) playing with the sledges next to the tracks in the powder.

The other offers seem almost countless, ranging from tranquil sled dog tours to various more or less natural "safaris" to reindeer farms or traditional settlements to fun activities in the snow such as "tobogganing". Many of the activities are aimed at the many "snow tourists" from Asia, Italy and France and are correspondingly tourist-oriented. A dog sled ride, however, gives an impressive impression of the physical effort that the dogs make in this climate, even if the keeping of the many dogs by large providers can seem somewhat industrial. You can try tobogganing without thinking twice. Basically, this involves sledging with lift assistance. The sledges, which are more reminiscent of plastic bars, are used to race down a more or less prepared track. And it's a lot of fun.

Travel time:
December and January are the darkest months. Before Christmas, the region is often visited by Santa Claus tourists and both Christmas vacations and winter vacations in Scandinavia are traditionally well booked and therefore fuller and more expensive. We therefore recommend traveling in the second half of January until the start of the winter vacations in mid-February. Although the region is snow-sure long into spring, the winter wonderland seems a little less enchanted with the increasingly longer days and warmer temperatures.

Journey:
Lufthansa flies directly from Frankfurt to Ivalo in the very north of Lapland on Saturdays. With corresponding connecting flights, you can therefore reach Ivalo with one change from many German-speaking airports for around €300. Lufthansa flies directly from Munich to Kittilä, which is a little further south, every Saturday. From Ivalo you can reach the nearest ski resort, Saariselkä, in around 30 minutes by car. It takes the same time from Kittilä airport to the nearest ski resort, Levi.

Accommodation:
Mökkis (vacation homes) can be easily booked via various online platforms and cost around €600 for 4-6 people with nice furnishings in the low season. We found the cheapest prices directly via the booking platforms of the tourist information offices of the respective resorts.

Activities:

• Ski resort Levi

• Saarisekä ski resort

• Snowmobile tours and rentals: Kinos Safaris (Levi)

• Dog sledding, cross-country ski equipment rentals are offered in all major resorts

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