Dreaming of winter sports in the winter wonderland? Finnish Lapland has it all
The long and snowy winters of Finland ensure that you’ll have plenty of options to practise and try out different winter activities during your visit to Lapland. Our Senior Product Marketing Manager Venla Heiskanen is also a wilderness guide, and she now shares her best tips for everyone dreaming of snowy winter adventures in Lapland.
Winter is the longest season in most of Finland, lasting for close to impressive seven months in Finnish Lapland. This offers you endless opportunities to enjoy the fun winter activities and sports you have perhaps always wanted to try. From sledding to snowmobile safaris or snowshoeing, Venla knows all the best things to do in Lapland during winter.
Picture: Venla Heiskanen
Cross-country skiing
Traditional (and very trendy) cross-country skiing has been extremely popular during the past years in Finland. Put on your skis and get ready to sweat – or take it slow and enjoy the views and the cosy cafés on the way.
Inari-saariselkä, located in Ivalo in the very north, is known as a cross-country skier’s paradise, where different-length tracks are in top-notch condition. Other great cross-country skiing locations are Ylläs and Levi, near Kittilä, and Pyhä-Luosto, relatively near Rovaniemi.
If you are trying the sport for the very first time, you can book a professional ski instructor to help you get started safe and easy. Afterwards, warming up in the Finnish sauna is a must.
Venla shares her secret sauna tip and tells that one of the best smoke saunas in the world can be found at Kiilopää, Ivalo, The sauna is open to both guests staying at Kiilopää and the general public. You can even dip in the crisp mountain stream which is open for swimmers year-round – the water is guaranteed to be fresh! The cold baths and gentle steam relax you from tip to toe.
Traditional Finnish dishes such as reindeer roast in the Kiilopää restaurant are sure to be tasty after sauna and a day outdoors.
Skiing and snowboarding
Slide between the magical snow covered trees while experiencing a true winter wonderland.
Generally, the slopes in Finland aren’t very long, but there are still many great ski resorts for both beginners and more experienced skiers. Bring your own gear or grab some rentals and enjoy the speed before heading to your next hot chocolate break.
The longest slope of Finland (3,000 metres) you can find in Ylläs, near Kittilä. If you are looking to try more winter activities at once, another great skiing resort is Levi, where it’s also possible to stay in one of the incredible glass igloos.
Riding a snowmobile and spending the night outdoors
One of Venla’s favourite outdoor excursions is taking customers on a snowmobile safari. Watching the dark winter sky and admiring the bright stars from the top of the fells is something to remember. And if the odds are in your favour, you might even be lucky enough to see the beautiful northern lights!
Picture: Venla Heiskanen
If you are brave enough you can even spend the night outdoors in a tent. Camping in the snowy fells is one of the most authentic ways to experience the winter nature, but you have to prepare for harsh conditions. That’s why consulting a wilderness guide is a must unless you are a very experienced winter camper with all the proper gear suitable for extreme temperatures, Venla states.
Sledding and other family-friendly winter activities
Kids’ favourite winter activity is probably sledding. Parents like it as well as it’s easy on the wallet, Venla reminds.
In case you want to take sledding to another level, children can have fun in the Children’s land in Levi. You can find Finland’s longest sled hill in Saariselkä, and flying down the hill is sure to thrill adults, too.
Other great activities for kids include building a snowman or playing in a self-made snow fortress, for example. You can easily spend an afternoon building it and the kids will love it for days.
Take inspiration from Finnish families who venture out, find shelter at a campfire site and have a picnic break there. Firewood can be found onsite, but don’t forget to bring your own food to barbecue. And remember, setting up a fire is only allowed in designated spots.
Finnish Lapland is such a great experience in itself that you don’t need extreme or expensive activities to make the most of it. Venla remembers when she was out on a snowmobile safari with a group of foreigners and the greatest adventure for them was not the snowy riding but simply playing in the deep snow. In Lapland, you can easily find yourself in waist-deep snow!
A few other fun things to try in Finland are snowshoeing, ice swimming and ice fishing. The winter lover's must destination Finnish Lapland offers truly something for everyone!