The Best Places to See in Finnish Lapland

Overview

Lapland is a province of Finland, and is traditionally known as "Finnish Lapland." It is a winter wonderland inhabited by very, VERY few people. Although tourism has been growing ever so slightly in recent years due to the popularity of some ski/snowboard/snowmobile resorts, in general Lapland has great distances with no people and few established "tourist attractions." It is just a beautiful landscape, a case for wintry solitude. I was most interested in the Sami people, the indigenous inhabitants of this land (well, all of Scandinavia around the Arctic Circle). Subsistence reindeer herding is still a primary way of life.

Levi

Lev is the most popular of the Winter Resorts in Lapland. Honestly, it is the most popular place IN Lapland, and it entirely revolves around tourism. ASide from the snowboarding and skiing, Levi has an absoultely raging nightlife, due to its popularity with the younger crowd. People can get very drunk and very rowdy.

For a more serene experience, I recommend hiring a snowmobile (but NOT after you've been drinking, that is a good way to get yourself killed up here.) You can drive off into the dense Lapland forest. During the winter, it is a good place to see the aurora, and during the summer, this is the land of the Midnight Sun.... of course, that can be said for Lapland in general, not just Levi.

Inari

Inari (the town) is the main place in Finland to get Sami culture. Situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Inari, it makes an excellent winter resort retreat, despite the cold. Lake Inari is bizarre in its own right: more than half of the lake is not open water, but rather a maze of islands (over 3300, apparently!) When the lake isn't frozen over, you can rent a kayak or canoe and head out onto it to go fishing.... and the sense of solitude is nearly overwhelming. You can go out here for days and not meet anyone.

LumiLinna

Ok, the town of Kemi itself is pretty dull and dreary. It is old, industrial, and cold. But Kemi has not one, but 2 aces up its sleeve. For starters, Kemi is home to the LumiLinna SnowCastle, the largest snow fort in the world. it gets rebuilt every winter, and has been operating since 1996. It truly is spectacular: an entire huge building made with nothing but ice and snow. No support structures, no steel, just water. Although different every year, they always have a restaurant and a church. The church, especially, makes this a very popular destination for weddings from around the world.

Kemi's other main tourist attraction is the Sampo Arctic Icebreaker. This is the only cruise in the world where the destination is the open ice fields. I didn't get to do it (not time!) but hoep to one day.

Santa Claus Village

Yeah, it is really cheesy, but if you have kids, this is THE place to go. The city of Rovaniemi is directly on the Arctic Circle, and this is where Santa lives! There are plenty of other things to do in park after you've met the man. Indeed, it is a sprawling theme park with places to eat, sledding for children, and the like. Back in town, a bunch of arctic safari outfits operate that will take you dog-sledding. Another grand treat.

Saariselkä

Saariselkä is another of the winter resort towns in Finnish Lapland. People come here primarily for to see the Aurora Borealis. In season, the chances of seeing the Northern Lights are about 75%; however, people complain that the fog often obscures them. I was lucky enough to actually get to see the lights......after heading out onto the snow for a ways on a snowmobile! Highly recommended. This far above the Arctic Circle, the barren tundra makes for an excellent track on which to test your snowmobile.... and then relax being rewarded with the shimmering green mystery that is the Aurora.

Saariselkä is also home to the Kakslauttanen Igloo village, which is, quite possibly, the most awesome way to see the Northern Lights. Think 70's pimp igloos made of glass for transparency... pretty stunning.

Tornio

Tornio borders Sweden, and is a sister city to Haparanda (in Sweden.) There really isn't a whole lot to do here. The most notable thing about it is the ancient church here that was built in 1686, The city itself is the oldest one in Lapland, being established in the early 1600s. That's about it.....