Familiarisation trip to Lapland, Finland in Rovaniemi and Kittila
We arrived to the small and convenient airport in Rovaniemi, after a stop-over in Helsinki.
It is also possible to fly directly, but there are not daily departures from the UK. You can also fly to Kirkenes, Luleaa or Kiruna and catch a transfer across the border to Lapland. Rovaniemi is known for where reality and failytales meet.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner at restaurant Roka. The food was lovely, incorporating the style of Lapland Tapas, and was absolutely delightful.
After a late dinner we arrived to the first 5* hotel in Lapland: the Arctic Light Hotel in Rovaniemi. I can assure you the accommodation is wonderful, I slept so well. What a shame we needed to leave early – but with the top notch breakfast buffet created by the Finnish-American TV chef Sara La Fountain, we were well prepared to explore more of Lapland.
Departing Rovaniemi, who else were we going to visit than he himself? Yes you are right, it is Santa Claus in person. We also visited his main Post Office, where Santa receives more than half a million letters from all over the world. The top five countries are Italy, United Kingdom, China, Poland and Japan. All of the letters that Santa sends have the special Arctic Circle postmark. It is also an official Post Office which stocks different kinds of stamps, Finnish stamp collections and other philatelic items, for example dummies that children around the world have sent to Santa to look after.
Santa lives in the Arctic Circle, also called the Polar Circle – he was very friendly.
After visiting Santa Claus we continued on the snowy roads, surrounded by Reindeers in the forests. We arrived at the lovely Artist Family from Atelier & Home Kangasniemi, hosted by the very interesting couple Mrs. Irene Kangasniemi and Mr. Ari Kangasniemi. They showed us how they use everything from a Reindeer to cook stews, to making utensils for the kitchen. We also saw decorations like Reindeer Antlers, learnt how to make a knife using the Antlers, how the skin is used to make purses, belts, fur boots and much more. There is also a belief that Reindeer Antlers help Fertility.
There are approximately 5000 Reindeer owners in Lapland, of which approximately 1000 are Sami People.
If you want to know more about Reindeers please visit www.paliskunnat.fi
After visiting their Workshop we were invited to their Private home, of course in a Wooden Lodge. It was so delightful and cosy.
We were offered home-made cookies, blueberry cake, Finnish style Christmas cake, lovely tea and were stuffed when we left this lovely and hospitable family.
Thereafter we continued towards Harriniva Resort in Muonia that also own Jeris Hotel and Torassieppi, offering the Digital Detox tour (https://www.baltictravelcompany.com/packages/finland-lights-and-detox ) in the most amazing surroundings. The latest addition is the Glamping Style Domes to view the Northern Lights from the shore of a lake, in the middle of nowhere. I was delighted to be the very first client to sleep in this Dome. I had to get up to put more logs on the fire several times during the night, like in the olden days, when there were no staff to do so.
When I went to bed there was a tavu on the ice on the lake where guests were just enjoying a fire and watching out for the Northern Lights. The sky is amazingly dark, so you can watch the stars as they light it up. It was a pleasurable and peaceful experience!
The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at 10AM ( this is when it starts getting light in November) when the sky was full of colour. Thereafter, we went on a Snowmobile Safari, which was absolutely wonderful. We drove on the snow at approximately 30 km an hour, and you feel such freedom. You can choose to go on a Snowmobile Safari for maybe 5 days where you cover approximately 200 km a day. There are also Snow Mobiles that are suitable for children to drive. The nature around you is amazing and the sky changes colour all the time.
After the Snow mobiles we went onto the Reindeer Safari which was an interesting experience. As the guide said, it is not a pet, it has a life of its own. Sometimes they just stop for a wee or even more.
After such an eventful day, it was time to relax in the sauna. This is a very Finnish tradition that we had to try. We tried a Smoke Sauna and followed several times into the cold lake, which felt good and you quickly felt warm, and then back to the sauna. It is a wonderful part of the Finnish culture to go Sauna hopping. The guys then went ( naked ) into the snow to make snow angels, which is apparently also a Finnish custom.
After a lovely evening with amazing food and a busy day full of action, it was bedtime. This time I slept in a cabin and again had a lovely sleep; very peaceful.
The next morning was again an early start with a 10 am breakfast. It was time to visit the Husky Dog farm and try some Dog Sledding, and we were in for a treat. The sun was shining over the treetops and we set off. It was beautiful to be surrounded by trees covered in snow, peaceful nature and just the smell of the dogs. This is definitely a must try.
After the Dog Sledding it was time to relax in front of the fireplace ( and naturally the Reindeer Antlers were on the wall for decoration ).
Sadly it was then time to go to the Airport in Kittila. We had such a wonderful, relaxing, peaceful and adventurous trip, and I travelled with lovely people.
We would love to take you there. If you would like to travel over Christmas and New Year then we advise booking a year in advance. Please get in touch with us for more information on how to book a holiday in Finland!
Kiitos ( “thank you” in Finnish ).
Author Birthe Nielsen
Edited by Maria Ozols