Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland, is truly a wonderful and magical place. Its unique nature, diverse activities and fascinating attractions offer unique holiday experiences throughout the year. Here is our list of the Top 8 Things To Do In Lapland.
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Santa Claus Village
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The Santa Claus Village is an amusement park in Rovaniemi. This is Santa’s official home, and if you have kids, they will love it. Here you can get a picture with Santa and enjoy a mix of attractions. The authentic village has resident elves and a post office holding thousands of letters from children around the world. You can also enjoy a reindeer ride or shoot down an ice slide on inflatable tubes. Source: pommietravels
Snowmobile Safari
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Taking a snowmobile safari allows you to go to remote regions of Lapland and really appreciate the scale of the wilderness. You will enjoy breathtaking views of frozen lakes and snow-covered mountain peaks. Riding the snowmobiles is magical and there are few experiences in life which can compare to it. Source: thiswaytoparadise
Ranua Zoo
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Ranua Wildlife Park lays deep in an Arctic forest an hour drive away from Rovaniemi city. Ranua Zoo is an outdoor park where you navigate on a wooden path through a forest area hosting a home for approximately 50 different species and 200 arctic animals such as the Lappish grouse and grey owl, polar bears, lynxes, foxes, the reindeer, wild boar and wolverine, just to mention few. Source: safartica
Lainio Snow Village
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Set amongst magnificent scenery, nearly 200 km (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle, it’s no wonder Lainio Snow Village offers visitors such an authentic Lappish experience. Built entirely of snow and ice, the village features a wonderful ice hotel, one of the 11 Best Hotels in Lapland, a stylish ice bar and restaurant, stunningly lit snow and ice sculptures, as well as all kinds of snow slides for the delight of children. Source: travelaway
Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park
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Running from Hetta in the north to the Ylläs ski area in the south, Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is one of the oldest national parks and the third largest national park in Finland. Dominated by fells, forests and mires, there are plenty of breathtaking walks to choose from, and you might even see a reindeer or two.
Ice Fishing
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Try your hand at the traditional Sami art of ice fishing. Drill a hole in the ice of the lake in Saariselkä forest to see if you can catch a Lapland fish.
Finnish Sauna
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The sauna has been an integral part of Finnish culture for thousands of years and that may explain why there are more saunas than personal vehicles in Finland. For Finnish people the sauna is a way of life and a place to relax with friends.
Northern Lights
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Northern lights, or the Aurora Borealis, are one of the world’s most dazzling natural phenomenons and Lapland is a great place to experience it. Because of their nature it looks like the lights are moving around the sky, dancing if you will, and it’s a pretty spectacular sight.
Just So You Know…
- Lapland makes up about one-third of Finland’s total area.
- The biggest towns in Lapland are Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio.
- The indigenous Sami people have lived in Lapland for generations. They even have their own national television and radio stations to keep the population updated with Sami news.
- In the northernmost parts of Lapland, inside the Arctic circle, they experience two months of darkness and during the summer the situation turns upside down and the sun doesn’t set for two months, which is what we call the ‘Midnight Sun’ phenomenon.
- Lapland’s very sparsely-populated. Only 3.6% of the Finnish population lives in Lapland; around 184,000 people call the region home.
- Many people think that Lapland is the home to the polar bears. Actually it is not true. There are no polar bears in the area.
- Inari, Finland’s largest municipality, is home to the world’s only international gold panning museum. It’s interactive, meaning you can actually go panning for gold.
- Lapland is known for its igloo villages. We recommend our 11 Best Igloo Hotels In Lapland.
Get Some Culture:
- SIIDA Museum – home to the Sámi Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Center. Siida stores the spiritual and material culture of the Finnish Sámi in its collections and presents it to the public through its exhibitions and publications.
- Arktikum – A museum and science centre in Rovaniemi.
