The Best Winter Activities in Finland

With an abundance of beautiful forests and lakes as well as 37 national parks, the Republic of Finland offers a wealth of activities and sightseeing options all year round. However, during the long winter months Finland transforms into a country of snow-covered landscapes and thousands of visitors arrive to enjoy winter sports and to catch a glimpse of the famous Northern Lights.

Finland is one of the world’s most northern areas and the arrival of snow towards the end of October means the start of the winter sports season. In Finland the activities and fun don’t stop with the arrival of the -30C to -50C temperatures. Winter is the time for cross-country skiing, ice fishing, reindeer rides and snowmobile safaris. If you are one of the many visitors taking winter Lapland holidays in the north of Finland then prepare for exhilarating activities set in unimaginably beautiful scenery.

Winter sports in Levi

Levis is Finland’s largest ski resort and this is the place for exciting winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding on the 47 ski runs or for traversing the 18km of walking trails. If you’re not a skier then you can explore the wilderness on a snowmobile safari with guided tours as far as the Norwegian and Swedish borders. For a more traditional mode of transport take a reindeer sleigh ride through the snow-covered landscapes or spend the day on a husky ride. Levi’s beautiful little holiday village offers cafes, restaurants and bars with live music for après-ski entertainment.

The Northern Lights experience

One of the highlights of a holiday in Finland is the chance to view the spectacular night sky display known as the Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights begin to appear in Lapland from August and can be viewed as late as April, and this amazing phenomenon can last from a few minutes to several hours. A Northern Lights safari is one of the best ways to see the Artic sky displays and you can take guided tours on snowmobiles, husky-drawn sleighs or by foot. If you wish to view the lights from the comfort of your bed then why not book accommodation in a glass igloo in the Artic Igloo village near the Urho Kekkonen National Park.

Christmas in the city

Finland is not all about the snow-covered wildernesses of Lapland and this country boasts some beautiful cities. Helsinki is a popular Christmas and New Year holiday destination boasting festive markets and magical Christmas light displays from the end of November. The Christmas World market in the city centre is the place to visit Santa Claus in his log cabin and enjoy live Christmas music performances. Take a break from shopping with some hot mulled wine while enjoying the Christmas lights along the bustling Aleksanterinkatu shopping street.

Back to nature

Finland contains 37 national parks stretching over 8,150 square kilometres and these parks are truly a place of natural beauty. Visitors are pretty much allowed to wander freely wherever they like but it’s wise to sign up for one of the guided tours during the winter months. Ice fishing and ice skating are just some of the activities available or for something more adventurous why not try ice climbing on the stunning ice falls at Posio’s Korouoma canyon.

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