When I was a child, I remember being so excited to visit Southern Finland, because it would be dark in the summer nights. That’s because I lived my whole life here in Lapland. It has always been given for me that during the summer the sun will be up for 24 hours in day and that in the middle of the winter the only light that we get from the sky are the northern lights. Now after traveling, studying and working in tourism for couple of years, I have realised how my home region is truly a special place.
Imagine a place where it’s +30 degrees celsius, sun is shining, grass is green and people are going to the beach for a swim. Then imagine that six months later it’s -30 degrees, there is almost 1 meter of snow on the ground and the river is frozen. The same people who were swimming there few months earlier are now skiing on the ice. Now that’s pretty special.
Needles to say, nature is the biggest attraction here and there is no shortage of different outdoor activities that you can experience in Lapland. In winter time skiing (down-hill, cross-country, or back-country) is a big thing. How about hiking or fishing? You can do them all year round. Maybe you like biking? Lately off road bicycling with fat-bikes has become very popular. And who wouldn’t want to see the magical northern lights with their own eyes?
Maybe you’d like to take a reindeer-sledge ride? Or if you want more speed, it could be a good idea to go for the huskies or the snowmobiles. For children it would be a once in the life time experience to see the real Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.
Basically it doesn’t matter if you are looking for an adventure or a cozy holiday with family, there is something for everybody in Lapland. All four seasons are full of their own magic. However Lapland is not just a activity-park for tourists. Lots of people work, study and live here. Lapland is a unique place with its own culture and history, so the best way to experience it is to go with a local. That’s when you get the real experience.
Written by Matti Pajari
Experience Northern Lights with Matti.
