Lapland Holidays

Lakes & Reindeers

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:47:27 +0000

Two well-known trademarks of Finland and especially Lapland are numerous lakes and reindeers. Finland is often called the Land of the Thousand Lakes, and there is a good reason for that. Indeed there are thousands of beautiful lakes in Finland and you can see a lot of these lakes also in Lapland. The view from the lakeside is certainly one of the most photographed views in Finland.

Actually in Finland there are almost 200 000 lakes which are larger than 5 hectares and just over 300 lakes with an area more than 10 square kilometers. The five largest lakes are Saimaa, Suur-Saimaa, Paijanne, Inari and Pielinen. Inari is located in Northern Lapland near Ivalo and Saariselka.

Around those amazingly beautiful lakes live estimate of two hundred thousand reindeers. So maybe Finland could be also called The Land of Hundred Thousand Reindeers.

One of the best ways to see the nature of Lapland is no doubt an exciting reindeer or husky safari. Or you could always grab your backpack and experience the nature by trekking around Lapland. Especially in Lapland there is a great hut network in the wilderness. So trekking around Lapland is made easy and comfortable.

Yllas

admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:51:49 +0000

Yllas in Lapland, Finland, is a 718 meter high fell. It’s situated in the municipality of Kolari in western Lapland. There are two villages near Yllas: Akaslompolo on the north side and Yllasjarvi in the south. They are connected by an 11km road, around the side of the fell.

Yllas area’s marketing slogan “Yllas is number one!” is well known all over Finland. No doubt Yllas is one of the best holiday resorts in Finland. Together with Levi it’s also fastest growing tourist attractions in Finland.

Holiday in Yllas

The longest ski slopes in Finland, excellent cross-country trails and superb choice of accommodation guarantee that Yllas is certainly one of the best ski resorts in Lapland.

Yllas is very popular cross-country and downhill skiing centre. In Yllas area there are 330km cross-country skiing tracks, 38km of which are lit. Yllas fell has fantastic downhill and snowboarding possibilities with 61 well-managed slopes together with 29 lifts. The longest slope is 3km.

Are looking for a quiet holiday or holiday full of action? Yllas can offer you both and much more. In addition Yllas has a handful of local bars and good restaurants.

Travelling to Yllas

The closest airport is in Kittila, 50km away. There is also an airport at Pajala, Sweden, about 75km from Yllas.

Hotels in Yllas

Akas Hotel
Yllaskaltio Hotel
Hotel Yllas Saaga
Hotel Yllasrinne
Hotel On-Piste
Apartment Hotel Yllastokka

Official website of Yllas

www.yllas.fi

Flights to Lapland

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:46:20 +0000

It’s easy to travel to Finland and Lapland. There are several airports and many flights. Especially in Christmas time the flight selection is very good.

If there are no direct flights to Lapland to suite your needs, you can always fly to Helsinki airport and easily change the plane there. There are daily flights from Helsinki airport to Rovaniemi airport.

Domestic Flights

Helsinki - Rovaniemi 1h 20min
Helsinki - Ivalo 1h 40min
Helsinki - Kittila 1h 30min
Helsinki - Enontekio 2h 20min
Helsinki - Kuusamo 1h 20min

Airports in Lapland

Rovaniemi airport is the gateway to Lapland. Its located eight kilometers north from the city center, and is the largest airport in Lapland, Finland. To get from the flight to the Rovaniemi center you have to take a bus or a taxi. From the Rovaniemi airport it easy to get to any of the holiday resorts in Lapland. There are good options to get to your destination.

There are also smaller airports at Kittila (near Levi), Kemi, Ivalo, Enontekio and Kuusamo, which actually is not in Lapland but close enough. These airports offer you a good choice of flights especially in holiday seasons.

Lapland can be reached easily by airplane from Helsinki in about one hour. During the high season there are over 20 daily flights to Lapland.

Facts about Lapland

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 07:42:53 +0000

Here we have collected a list about some interesting facts about Lapland.

Did you know that Lapland makes up about one third of Finland.
Did you know that Finnish Lapland is as big as Belgium, Holland and Switzerland put together.
Did you know that in Lapland sun is visible around the clock 73 days in the summer.
Did you know that the only real Santa Claus lives in Finnish Lapland.
Some might think that there are polar bears in Lapland. Well, that’s not true.
Did you know that only 3.6% of the Finnish population lives in Lapland.
Did you know that there lives under 200 000 people in Lapland.
Did you know that there are 21 municipalities in Lapland.
The biggest towns in Lapland are Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio.

Lapland Hotels

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:11:13 +0000

Holiday resorts in Lapland have numerous excellent hotels and spa hotels which both offer a high quality accommodation so you can have a full relaxation on your holiday. There are tens of hotels in Lapland and thousands of high quality hotel rooms.

All of the hotels in Lapland offer excellent accommodation and allow you to focus on your well deserved holiday. At the nights you could enjoy a few drinks in the hotel’s restaurant and maybe even learn some traditional Finnish dances. Not a bad idea, eh?

Most of the hotels offer different kind of packages for honeymooners, singles, and seniors and of course families with children. Wedding in Lapland is a very popular way to get married nowadays and there are some great packages available at many of the hotels.

Note that on the resort pages you can see hotels listed in that given resort. You should also keep in mind that there are new hotels build all the time all over Lapland. To keep track on these new hotels and their opening dates you should check the official sites of the resorts. Website addresses for the resorts are also listed at the bottom of each resort page.

Nature in Lapland

admin — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:52:32 +0000

Lapland is well known for its amazing nature and wilderness. The nature of Lapland is unique and you can’t experience anything like that anywhere else. One of the best ways to relax is of course in the nature and in Lapland it’s easily possible.

There lives only 2,1 people per square kilometer in Lapland, so there are plenty of space for everyone to see and feel the magic of the Nature in Lapland.

For example midnight sun, northern lights, reindeers and hundreds of lakes are something that gives Lapland a unique nature.

Experience the nature

Some of best ways to experience the nature of Lapland are hiking, trekking, downhill skiing or snowboarding and cross-country skiing.

All the four seasons offer different aspect to the nature of Lapland. Long-lasting winter shows the rudeness and the uniqueness of the nature at the same time. In the summer you should definitely stay up late because of the midnight sun.

In the autumn (aka fall) the magical colors of Ruska will amaze you. Ruska is a Finnish word and in English the best description for the phenomenon is probably Autumn leaf colors. Ruska is time when the summer is over and leaves of the trees get a new color. The colors varies beautifully from shades of orange and yellow to green and brown.

Everyman’s Right

In Lapland and Finland in general it’s possible to camp freely in the woods and in the mountains. The laws which make it possible are often called “Everyman’s Rights”. Everyman’s Rights allow you to freely pick up for example mushrooms, blueberries and lingonberries. You can as well hike, ski or bicycle freely in the nature.

Keep in mind that it’s nevertheless your responsibility to leave no trace of your actions. Don’t leave any garbage behind and when you leave the camp site make sure it looks as good as (if not even better) when you arrived there. Remember also that you are not allowed to break off any trees in the nature. Enjoy the nature of Lapland with Everyman’s rights but also respect the rules and the nature.

Kuusamo Ruka

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:55:35 +0000

Ruka, one of the biggest ski centers in Finland is situated in the municipality of Kuusamo. Kuusamo Ruka is one of the main tourist attractions in Finland. Kuusamo is not actually situated in Lapland but is considered to be natural part of Lapland. Every now and then there are discussions whether Kuusamo should be made also officially part of Lapland.

Kuusamo Ruka is a major center for winter sports and receives as much as a million tourists every year. Ruka is also the host of many international competitions in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.

Holiday in Ruka

In Kuusamo Ruka area there are no less than 500km cross-country skiing tracks, of which 40 km are illuminated. In Kuusamo Ruka there are also 29 excellent ski slopes and 19 ski lifts.

Karhunkierros (The trail of the bear), is the most popular hiking trail in Finland. The 80 km long trail leads through two beautiful national parks. There are also several shorter variations of the trail. The huts tend to get full during peak season (end of June to beginning of August), so you should consider bringing your own tent. Is there a better way to see the nature of Lapland than hiking?

Want to have a more peaceful family holiday? Well of course that’s possible in Ruka too. Just rent for example a log cabin and spend your holiday in environment you can’t find anywhere else than Lapland.

Travelling

The closest airport is in Kuusamo, about 25km from Ruka. Rovaniemi airport offers a better selection of flights and it’s about 200km from Rovaniemi to Ruka.

Accommodation and Hotels

Ruka has 4 hotels and a total of 1400 beds and also 1800 cottages in a 5km range. Entire Kuusamo area has 7 hotels with total of 3300 beds and as much as over 6000 cottages.

Hotels

Rantasipi Rukahovi
Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki Spa
Sokos Hotel Kuusamo
Hotel Royal Ruka
Chalet Ruka Peak
Holiday Club Holiday Apartments

Midnight Sun & Northern Lights

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:11:28 +0000

Midnight Sun and Northern Lights are something very special only a few places in the world can offer and Finnish Lapland is naturally one of those areas. Midnight sun is an amazing phenomenon which occurs near the Arctic Circle. In Finland the Arctic Circle goes about through the middle of Lapland and the city of Rovaniemi.

Midnight Sun means time when the sun stays up at the local midnight. At Finland’s northernmost areas the sun stays visible for unbelievable 73 days in a row during the mid-summer. That time in the summer you can have sunshine all the 24 hours of whole day. No matter if it’s two at night the Lapland’s sun just won’t set. Lapland is one of the few places in the world to see this phenomenon.

Northern Lights

Another amazing nature’s phenomenon which also occurs in Lapland is the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis or Polar Lights. Northern Lights are a colorful phenomenon seen in the sky mostly at nights. The phenomenon of the Northern Lights is born at the height of about 100 kilometers. The shape and colors of the Northern Lights varies beautifully. One of the best ways to see this natures own art of Northern Lights is perhaps from a Glass Igloo at the Igloo Village.

Want to see Midnight Sun and Northern Lights? Come to Lapland, Finland!

Holidays in Lapland 2009

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:32:04 +0000

Is 2009 the year when you finally make the right decision to spend your holidays in Lapland? Well it should be. Resorts are investing in new services in year 2009 like never before and there will be more and more ways to spend your holiday.

For example in Saariselka there are new glass igloos where you can sleep and experience the beautiful northern lights and the thousands of stars in the sky. Additionally resorts like Levi and Yllas are building new hotels to fulfill the dreams of all time growing amount of tourists. Not to mention all the other resorts and their new attractions. These are just a few examples of what Lapland will offer to you on your holiday in year 2009!

Pyha-Luosto

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:52:55 +0000

Pyha-Luosto is situated in central Lapland, near Sodankyla and Pelkosenniemi. It’s not the biggest resort in Lapland but certainly not the smallest too.

Pyha-Luosto is only about 120km from Rovaniemi airport, so it’s very easy to get there. It takes only 90 minutes to drive from Rovaniemi to Pyha-Luosto.

What to do in Pyha-Luosto? Of course there’s all the traditional ways to spend your holiday but also some other interesting ways. Or what does Amethyst Mine sound like. In addition the mine is actually the only one in Europe which welcomes visitors.

Holiday in Pyha-Luosto

Pyha-Luosto offers great surroundings for active holiday. In Pyha-Luosto area there are 170km of cross-country skiing tracks, of which 40 km are illuminated. In Pyha-Luosto there are also a total of 17 excellent ski slopes for downhill skiing and snowboarding.

Husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris are also available. As well as ice climbing, ice swimming etc. exciting activities.

In the summer you may want to hike in the amazing wilderness of Lapland or maybe try some rock climbing. There are also many other activities like hiking, canoeing, fishing and bicycling.

Travelling

The closest airport is in Rovaniemi, about 120km away. From the airport you can take a bus or a taxi to Pyha-Luosto.

Hotels

Hotel Pyhatunturi
PyhaSuites
HolySuite
Hotel Luostotunturi
Scandic Luosto

Christmas & Santa Claus

admin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:01:44 +0000

How about Christmas in Lapland, 2008? Lapland is naturally the best place to spend your Christmas.

Surely you must already be aware that Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, is originally from Korvatunturi, Finland. Korvatunturi is 483m high fell and it’s situated in Eastern Lapland. So do you believe in Santa Claus now?

Meeting Santa Claus

If you want to see the real Santa Claus and his reindeers, you must visit the Santa Claus Village at Rovaniemi. It’s only 2km from the international airport of Rovaniemi and only 8km from the city centre of Rovaniemi. Santa Claus Village is situated right on the Arctic Circle.

In Christmas time there are many flights to Lapland. Christmas is also by far the busiest holiday season in Lapland.

Can you imagine a better place to spend your Christmas holiday in 2008 than Lapland, Finland?

Resorts in Lapland

admin — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:17:53 +0000

Holiday resorts in Lapland are known for their enormous hospitality and are perfect holiday destinations for you. Here you can read some further information about the most popular holiday resorts in Lapland.

Rovaniemi, Levi, Yllas, Saariselka, Kuusamo Ruka, Olos and Pyha-Luosto are all absolutely amazing holiday resorts to spend your holiday in Lapland.

Here you can read some further information about the most popular holiday resorts in Lapland.

Further Information

Every resort offers you great possibilities for example skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding. Lapland, Finland is the only place in Europe where you are guaranteed 6 months of excellent skiing conditions per year. The first snow usually falls in October-November and the skiing season continues until mid-May. But Lapland is not all about skiing although Lapland is the best place in the world to do that.

Rovaniemi is a larger city with great facilities, like malls Sampokeskus and Revontuli. There is also a great selection of clubs and discos at Rovaniemi, and the nightlife is indeed very lively. Other resorts are more traditional holiday resorts, which offer quality accommodation and interesting activities, surrounded by the unique nature of Lapland. Anyway no matter what resort you choose, you just can’t go wrong!

Saariselka

admin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:51:49 +0000

Saariselka is a largish holiday center and ski resort high up in eastern Lapland. Saariselka is about 250km north of the Arctic Circle and nearly 1000 kilometers away from the capital of Finland, Helsinki.

Saariselka is a compact village focused fully on providing great facilities for holidays. Saariselka has many great hotels and restaurants, and it’s easy to get around on foot. It’s located only 30km away from the town of Ivalo and its airport.

The ski resort of Saariselka is situated between two fells, Kaunispaa and Iisakkipaa. The fell of Kaunispaa, equipped with ski lifts is the primary center for winter sports.

Holiday in Saariselka

Many tourists come to Saariselka to see the nature’s very own light show, Northern Lights. The probability for those is as high as 75% every night in season (about from November to March).

But there are many activities during the day as well, from husky and reindeer safaris to snowmobile and snowshoe treks through the beautiful countryside.

In Saariselka area there are 250km cross-country skiing tracks and 11 ski slopes (with 4 lifts) located in Kaunispaa and Iisakkipaa fells. The longest slope is 1300m long. For snowboarders Saariselka offers the longest street in Finland (1200m).

Travelling

The closest airport is in Ivalo, about 30km away. From the airport of Helsinki it’s only 1.5 hours flight to Ivalo. From the Ivalo airport is good bus connection to Saariselka.

Hotels

Holiday Club Saariselka
Hotel Riekonlinna
Hotel Ivalo
Hotel Riekonkieppi
Tunturi Hotel Saariselka

Rovaniemi

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:50:01 +0000

The centre of Lapland, Finland, is no doubt the city of Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is by far the biggest city in Lapland and it actually lies in the centre of Lapland.

The city center of Rovaniemi itself is very small with a radius of about one kilometer, and everything inside it is within an easy walking distance. The bridge called Jatkankynttila is something you should see at your visit in Rovaniemi. Especially at the night the bridge looks astounding with its amazing lights.

One of the noticeable features in Rovaniemi is river Kemijoki, the longest river in Finland, which runs next to the centre. On the west side of the river there is large hill Ounasvaara where you can go active with some winter sports.

Holiday in Rovaniemi

At the Santa Claus Village, 8 km north of Rovaniemi and right on the Arctic Circle you have a chance to meet Santa himself. Santapark is an underground amusement park.

Arktikum is one of the best museums and science centers in Finland, focusing on life in Lapland through the ages. Lordi’s Square is a square in the centre of Rovaniemi which is named after Mr. Lordi, the winner of Eurovision Song Contest.

Ounasvaara offers you great possibilities for cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding. There is also a great selection of hotels in Rovaniemi. In the summer there’s a popular camping area in Rovaniemi which is just in the side of Kemijoki and only a short walk away from the city centre.

Travelling

Rovaniemi Airport, located 8km north from the city center, is the largest airport in Lapland, Finland. To get to the Rovaniemi center you have to take a bus or a taxi. It’s also possible to travel to the city of Rovaniemi by train from the southern parts of Finland.

Hotels in Rovaniemi

Cumulus Rovaniemi
Scandic Rovaniemi
Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Rovaniemi
City Hotel Rovaniemi
Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara
Clarion Hotel Santa Claus
Rantasipi Pohjanhovi

Ice Hotel

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:55:26 +0000

The original Ice Hotel may be at Sweden, the neighbor country of Finland. In every case Finnish Lapland has its own Ice Hotel and a whole ice and snow village between two well-known ski resorts Yllas and Levi. The massive complex made of ice is called Snow Village which is located in a small village called Lainio.

Snow Hotel has a hotel with over 20 rooms and ice suites. In addition there is sauna, a large fireplace room and restaurant. Having a hot (or even cold if you dare) drink at Snow Village’s great Ice Bar is an experience you really want to tell to your friends many times afterwards. Snow Village is surrounded by amazing ice and snow sculptures.

Snow Village in Lainio was introduced in year 2000. It takes hundreds truck loads of snow to build it every year. Total area of the Snow Village is about 7500 squaremeters. Lainio Snow Village is located about 150 km north from Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle. The village can be easily reached from Kittila airport which is only a short drive away.

SnowCastle in Kemi

Don’t forget that there is also a real castle made of snow and ice, called SnowCastle. The castle is located at the city of Kemi near the Gulf of Bothnia. The first SnowCastle was built in year 1996. SnowCastle has a SnowHotel with 20 rooms including a honeymoon suite. There is also a SnowChapel and a SnowRestaurant in the SnowCastle in Kemi.

Cheap Holidays To Lapland

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:02:56 +0000

There is always a possibility to have an enjoyable cheap holiday in Lapland.

Nowadays there are great cheap options to come and enjoy a holiday in Lapland without losing all your money.

Contact your local travel company and spend your cheap holiday in one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world. So get away from the traffic jams and spend your holiday in Lapland where winter wonderland is not a term it is a way of life.

Igloo Village

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:11:03 +0000

Imagine sky full of stars and amazingly colorful northern lights. Would you like if you could sleep in an igloo where you could stare at the sky all night long? Well that’s now possible in Lapland. Little place called Kakslauttanen just near Ivalo and Saariselka has build a new Igloo Village where this kind of dream night is made possible. Spending a night in one of the Igloo Villages’ igloos is something you really should experience at least once in you life.

Night in the Igloo

At first a night in one of the Igloo Villages’ igloos may sound like a very cold night. That’s not true because inside the glass igloos the temperature stays at normal room temperature levels. In the igloos made of snow the temperatures are at about -5 Celsius, but in those you have a cosy sleeping bag to warm you.

Igloo Village at Kakslauttanen has four great restaurants: Snow Restaurant, Kota Restaurant, Savusauna and the restaurant in the main building. At Kakslauttanen you can do all winter activities. In addition the Northern Lights can be seen at Kakslauttanen about from August to April.

Kakslauttanen is located about 250 kilometers north from the Arctic Circle. At these latitudes the midnight sun is visible for even two months so the days and nights are bright from the end of May to about August.

Accommodation in Lapland

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:09:53 +0000

Lapland offers you a wide selection of accommodation possibilities. Whatever your needs are, you will find a suitable and a high quality accommodation which makes it possible for you to enjoy your holiday with full enjoyment.

All of the resorts in Lapland have naturally traditional hotels and spa hotels. Well calling the hotels traditional is not the best description, because they are everything else. Watching out of the hotel room’s window or just walking out the hotel and you’re in the amazing surroundings which only Lapland can offer.

Accommodation options

If you prefer you can always rent a cosy Log Cabin or perhaps even a luxurious villa, which perhaps give you a more natural accommodation. Talking about natural how would a night in glass igloo in the Igloo Village or in a hotel room in the Ice Hotel sound?

If you really want to experience the nature of Lapland take your own tent and make your own home anywhere in the wilderness of Lapland. That could be just for one night or whatever you want. Accommodation possibilities are limitless in Lapland.

Your holiday accommodation will be unforgettable because Lapland offers many different accommodation options. You can spend your holiday in a quality hotel near the lively nightlife or in a cosy Log Cabin surrounded by the Lapland’s beautiful nature. If you are after a very special accommodation, Igloo Village and Ice Hotel surely guarantee you that side.

Letter from Santa Claus

admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:30:29 +0000

One of the most exciting Christmas traditions is getting a letter from the Santa Claus himself. As you already might know the one and only Santa Claus lives in Lapland. Original Santa Claus Greeting Letters are delivered worldwide to over 160 countries.

If you really want to make your children’s and whole family’s Christmas special - Get the Original Greeting Letter from the real Santa Claus!

Log Cabins

admin — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:11:24 +0000

Perhaps the most traditional accommodation in Lapland is Log Cabins. From the little cosy cabins in the wilderness to unbelievably large luxury villas in the centre of the resorts, Lapland has both and everything between.

Log Cabins offer a peaceful and natural accommodation. Think about sitting in front of the fireplace after a long day for example cross-country skiing. Take a hot drink and relax at one of the best atmospheres you can imagine.

As mentioned before there are many types of Log Cabins in Lapland. Whether you like to have full privacy and own space, you can hire a cabin in the wilderness. If you are looking for a cabin closer to the slopes etc, well of course that’s possible.