Lapland! It is best known as the home of Santa Claus and his faithful helpers – the elves. However, Lapland is a charming fairytale place that has much more to offer. In summer, the sun does not set, and in autumn, winter and spring, the night sky is illuminated by the Northern Lights. The nature here is wild and untouched, covered by dense forests and numerous lakes. The region itself covers the northernmost parts of the Scandinavian peninsula, extending over the territory of 4 countries – Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

Now, let me tell you more about what we saw, the delicious things we were able to eat and immerse you even just a little in the atmosphere of this magical place.

How did we get to Lapland?

Although flying is not one of my favorite measn of transportation, it was the only realistic option when it came to our trip to Finland. One of the airlines operating in our country, Norwegian Air Shuttle, offers direct flights to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which is Finland’s main airport, located about 20 kilometers from Helsinki.

However, getting to the capital is easy. It is carried out by train. Helsinki Airport bus stop is located below the terminal. There is a direct elevator and escalator connection from the departure and arrival hall. Local trains I and P operate to and from Helsinki Airport. The train ride to the center takes about 30 minutes. Train tickets can be purchased from the HSL mobile app or from the train platform ticket machine. Timetables, tickets and fares for local trains can be found at the website of HSL. During our trip, the ticket for ABC zones covering the distance was priced at EUR 4.10.

Description: Santa Express;

After arriving in Helsinki we had no intention of flying to Lapland again. We had settled on a more adventurous way – to travel on the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, also known as the Santa Express. Our journey took 12 hours. The train has sleeping quarters with private bathrooms, a restaurant car and even has the option of transporting cars. Tickets can be purchased at the website of the state railway company VR. Prices vary depending on how early they are purchased. The sooner the better.

Where did we stay in Lalpand?

We had planned to stay 4 nights in Lapland. We had a Northern Lights chase hunt aherad of us and more nights increased our chances.

We decided to spend the first two in Rovaniemi. When choosing a hotel in the capital of Lapland – Rovaniemi, we wanted it to meet several requirements, the main ones being a good location and private parking, as we intended to rent a car. After a quick research, we chose the Artic City Hotel. It is located in the city center, in close proximity to shops, restaurants and tourist offices. Note, however, that it is far from the railway. the station and in case you don’t rent a car you will have to use public transport or taxi. The price was good, we took advantage of an autumn promotion announced on the hotel’s official website. It’s no secret that it’s expensive in Scandinavia, but here we found a pretty good balance between price and quality of service. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk and friendly staff who speaks fluent English. The rooms are not particularly big, but they are clean and warm. The price included a good breakfast and private parking for which no extra charge was required.

How did we get around Lapland?

What to see in Lapland?

Santa Claus Village

Santa’s Village is a truly magical place! Kids love it, adults love it, and if nothing else, you’ll feel the real Christmas spirit. Or if you’re very lucky like we were, you might even see the Northern Lights. Santa’s Village is 8 km away. from Rovaniemi, in the Finnish part of Lapland. It is a rather remote place in the northern part of the country, right on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is over 833 kilometers north from the capital Helsinki.

This is also the right place to visit the white-bearded old man himself. Isn’t that what we all go there for? You can meet Santa in one of the main buildings in the settlement. He is there waiting for you every day from 9 am to 6 pm. The hallway leading to Santa’s office has a lot to look at. It has decorations, gifts and little holes in the walls for kids. Meeting Santa Claus in his office is free, but if you want to immortalize your acquaintance with him, you will have to pay for it – photos and video are paid. Meeting with Santa Claus was very pleasant. He obviously knew where Bulgaria was and when he heard where we were from he simply asked “Varna, Sofia?”. We parted with a smile and a promise of a gift. Now we are just waiting for him to visit us!

There is a Post Office in the village where you can send cards and get them stamped with a special Arctic Circle postmark. This is a great way to surprise your family and friends at home.

After meeting Santa and stopping by the Post Office, you can head to the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is a circle of latitude that runs 66°33′45.9″ north of the equator. It marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can remain continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours – these phenomena are known as the midnight sun in summer and the polar night in winter. Santa’s Village in Lapland is a popular place to cross the Arctic Circle. Here the line is marked and you can even get a certificate confirming the feat.

Continue your walk to Santa’s Reindeer Village. In the Elf Farm there are many animals such as reindeer, alpacas, sheep, goats and rabbits. You can pet reindeer as well as book a forest walk with them. Or the kids can go pony riding. The Santa Claus Reindeer Resort is also a great place to see reindeer and is located right behind Santa’s office. For a small fee, you can also pet and take photos with deer if you’re not interested in sleigh rides.

Reindeer are quite calm and docile animals that often allow people to pet them. While driving around Finnish Lapland, you can sometimes see hundreds of reindeer grazing freely in the northern parts of Finland. We came across a dozen in just one day, but the one below is our favorite.

In the village of Santa Claus, you can immerse yourself in a real husky paradise by visiting the Husky park. There are over 100 real Siberian Huskies here! The park is open every day throughout the year, offering unique experiences in the Lapland environment. At Husky Park, you can see how the dogs live, from feeding to taking off their leashes. It is a family company that tries to pay special attention to the well-being and natural needs of dogs. Sustainability and ethical values ​​are important to them.

Detailed and up-to-date information about Santa’s Village, the various attractions, activities, shops, etc. can be obtained at official website.

The Northern lights

Imagine you are standing on a frozen lake somewhere around the Arctic Circle. The only sound you hear is the wind playing with the pine trees in the forest behind you. Ahead is a vast and flat space covered with snow and ice that stretches forward, where it meets a dark, random barrier, which is actually the forest on the opposite bank. The sky above this forest is a dark, black-black sky, studded with more stars than you ever thought possible. Suddenly, somewhere in the northern sky, a green patch of light began to materialize and slowly manifest into dancing pillars of shimmering green light. At that moment, you realize that the Aurora Borealis appears before you. The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, offer a veritable light show that mesmerizes anyone lucky enough to witness it.

Aurora Borealis is derived from the Greek words “Aurora” meaning “sunrise” and “Boreas” meaning “wind”. For the ancient Greeks to have been able to see the lights, there must have been extremely strong solar activity, because sightings to the south are virtually unheard of. The Greeks believed that Aurora was the sister of Helios and Selene, the sun and moon respectively, and that she raced across the early morning sky in her multicolored chariot to warn her brother and sister of the dawn of the new day.

The Romans also associated the Northern Lights with a new day, believing the glow to be Aurora, the goddess of the dawn.

Description: The Norther lights witnessed near Rvaniemi (pictures source: Nordic Odyssey: Guided Tours & Holiday Trips in Lapland);

In Finland, the lights were thought to be caused by the tails of arctic foxes, which were created when they ran quickly through the snow. Their tails sent sparks into the night sky, creating the Aurora. In fact, the Finnish word for Northern Lights – “revontulet”, literally translates as “fire fox”. Another belief of the Sámi people is that the lights were created from the water thrown up by the whales.

Elves Village – Tonttula

In the village of the Elves, you find yourself in a fairy tale (I may be repeating myself here, but the facts are the facts). The place is idyllically located on the banks of the Ounasjoki River. Here you can feel the captivating magic of Lapland and breathe the cleanest air in Europe.

The settlement is an attractive tourist destination based on stories and mythology, full of fun activities and open all year round. Its appeal is based on fairy tales, culture and fantasy. It is a kind of amusement park in nature. The destination combines two strong tourism trends: natural and cultural tourism.

A forest path takes you to the most secret place in the elven world – the Elven Hideout. The elves do their thing in their hideouts in the Forest of Experiences. A strong aroma of ginger leads visitors to the Gingerbread House.

Not far away is the Elven School. Have you ever wondered how to become an elf? The elves of the elf village have their own theory of how they came to be, but becoming an elf also requires a lot of learning, training and hard work. The Elven School opening ceremony takes place on the seventh day of the year. On the seventh day, the headmaster of the elven school, Headmaster Aiki, rings the bell in the clock tower of the elven school twelve times. The beginning of the new school year is always celebrated beautifully with fireworks, dancing and loud songs in the lands of the Elven Village. The opening ceremony attracts so much interest that it is streamed live online for elves and other creatures in every corner of the earth.

The most beautiful house in the Elven Hideout is the Lodge of Knowledge, which is adorned with a huge crystal containing healing powers found in the tunnels of the Seita Stone. The ruler of the Lodge of Knowledge is the Wise Elf, Ammi. Ammi is the wisest elf in the elf village and possesses the power of the Third Eye. Ammi’s third eye is a mystical scepter adorned with powerful crystals. The scepter allows Ammi to sense things that cannot normally be seen or heard.

The Lodge of Lore contains all the knowledge that elves and dwarves have kept for centuries. This knowledge is recorded in the Book of Elven Wisdom. The Lodge of Knowledge protects all the most important treasures of the village, such as the Book of Wisdom, the statue honoring the greatest magical potato of all time, the scepter of Ammi’s Third Eye, potion recipes, spells, the most powerful stones and crystals, as well as a huge collection of poems and songs.

Quiet, walk ever so quietly along the paths of the Elven Village and you may hear a wonderfully soothing sound. It comes from the secret kingdom of the goblins. You will see a large rock. A giant fir tree has been growing on it for a long time. In the stump, all that is now left of the fir, there is a crow’s nest. This is the abode of the Great Avariti, who watches over anyone who approaches the stone. The roots of the fir tree have been twisting in the cracks of the stone for hundreds of years.

You have arrived at the Seita Stone.

Its giant door creaks open. Come in, don’t be afraid. You will see something unexpected and exciting. For the first time, you are in the underground kingdom of goblins, where elves, goblins, humans and other creatures of the forest live in peace and harmony, respecting and helping each other.

The tranquility of the forest captivates your heart and as you continue your journey, your mind becomes lighter. There is a hotel in the village suitable for accommodation, special events and meetings. On the other hand, the yard offers unlimited opportunities for a variety of activities. This is an excellent place for groups, families or just for you when you want to experience something a little different. It is located 180 km. north of the Arctic Circle, near the town of Kitila, in the village of Kyongas, only 8 km. from the Levi ski resort.

Enter the living fairy tale of Lapland! No one is too old for a story.

Ranua Wildlife Park

Ranua Wildlife Park was opened in 1983 in the Finnish Lapland municipality of Ranua. This is the northernmost zoo in Finland and, according to some data, in the world. It is located 80 km. from Rovaniemi. The park specializes in arctic and northern animal species with over 40 years of history. The spacious enclosures of the animals are located in the middle of a coniferous forest, which is also the natural environment for most of the species living in the park.

It is open every day of the year. The changing seasons add an extra dimension to a visit to the wildlife park. The park is home to Finland’s only polar bear and 50 other arctic and northern animal species, totaling about 150 individual animals. The walk through it takes place along a wooden path with a length of about 3 km.

Animal welfare is one of the central values ​​of the park. Most of the animals were born there or in other zoos and are used to the presence of humans. However, it is necessary for visitors to respect the tranquility of the animals in their own home and to behave calmly in the vicinity of the enclosures.

The main prerequisites for the welfare of the animals in the park are a sufficiently large enclosure and related facilities designed with the needs of the species in mind, as well as competent breeders who know the characteristics of the animal species and our own individuals. In addition, animals naturally require food and health care that is naturally appropriate for them.

Up-to-date information on opening hours and entrance, as well as a map of the park, can be found at the official website.

Levi ski resort

Although we did not see Levi in ​​winter, but in autumn, the information we read presents the resort as a very attractive destination for winter sports lovers. During the winter months Levi is used as a ski resort. With a total of 44 slopes served by 28 lifts, it is one of the largest snowboard and ski resorts in Finland.

Its location within the Arctic Circle guarantees a good amount of snow to be enjoyed throughout the very long season. The location also means that the temperature is very cold, sometimes down to -40°C and daylight is short. It is important to be aware that extreme temperatures require appropriate thermal layering and face covering to protect yourself while outside.

Fortunately, Levi Ski Resort is well organized to serve its guests regardless of the extremes they face. There are open fires at the bottom of many of the ski runs. They allow skiers and snowboarders to warm up for free. There are also various cafes strategically located around the resort offering for any hot drinks or snacks.

There is an excellent level of floodlighting throughout the Levi ski resort, which allows the slopes to remain open even after sunset. The lifts are open from 10am until around 6pm, with the front slope often open later until around 8pm.

But let us return to what we saw, namely Levi in ​​autumn, bathed in sunshine and surrounded by woods in green and yellow. The view from the top is magnificent. We reached it via one of the gondolas – Gondola2000. The scenic Gondola2000 and Express cable cars take you to the top in minutes. On the way you can enjoy the beautiful Lapland landscape.

Levi’s most iconic photo location is known from the movie A Christmas Story – Santa’s Cabin. The lodge is easily accessible all year round. You can see the stunning landscapes of Lapland from the cabin and its terrace.

Explore the many hiking trails available in the area, such as the Levi Summit Trail – Peak – suitable for both strollers and wheelchairs. The 600-meter trail goes around the summit of Levi and opens up to the wonderful landscape with views of the Pallas-Ylläs National Park, the Kumputunturi waterfall and reaches neighboring Sweden. The theme of this short but beautiful trail is the Northern Lights phenomenon.

Amethyst mine on top of Lampivaara

Lampivaara amethyst, located in Püha-Luosto Park, Finland, was formed about 2,000 million years ago in the bowels of ancient mountains. There is now a special gem mine on top of the hill that will support hundreds of years. A unique experience awaits you here!

Dig your very own Lapland gemstone, purple amethyst, during your visit to the amethyst mine. At the top of the Lampivaara hill you can enjoy perhaps the most beautiful landscape in the area. During the telling moment, you will learn about this fascinating stone. Everyone can then search for and dig up their own amethyst stone and take it with them as a keepsake. Tickets can be purchased online or on the spot at the Lampivaara café. You can find up-to-date information about opening hours and entrance on the official website.

Auttiköngäs waterfall

80 kilometers from Rovaniemi to the southeast on the highway to Kuusamo is one of the main natural attractions of Lapland – the 16-meter Auttiköngäs waterfall. As part of the wild rapids of the Auttijoki River, which flows into the Kemijoki further north, it was used for log rafting until a century and a half ago. Even today you can see a trench laid on the edge of the stream.

It is better to set aside a separate day to travel here, as there is an eco-trail for hikers along the banks of Auttijoki, which starts and ends not far from the falls. Along the way, you will come across bridges, stairs, observation platforms, and in specially designated places you can stop and rest by the fire.

Special stay rules will need to be observed as the trail is laid through the territory of the Auttikengäs National Park. The forest it passes through is considered virgin: the trees are centuries old. You can come here at any time of the year, as the wildlife is always picturesque, and park officials make sure that the trail is comfortable and safe in both summer and winter.

The town of Tornio and the rapids near the town of Kukkola

Tornio is a small town located on the river of the same name, right next to the border with Sweden. It is a good starting point for the rapids near the town of Kukola. Tornio itself, although not impressive with many sights, turned out to be quite a pleasant place for a walk and a coffee. We sat on the bench directly above the river. appearing as a dividing line between Finland and Sweden. We also saw one of the other symbols of the city – a massive salmon statue made of iron.

We stopped at the rapids near the town of Kukkola to admire the view and the work of the traditional fishermen (dipping net) and enjoyed a cup of coffee and pastries at the cafe by the rapids. Sweden could be seen across the river. With a length of 3.5 km. (and 14 m. slope), the rapids are the largest in Finland and the area is recognized as a significant cultural heritage site.

If you want to eat freshly caught fish, we recommend that you do so at the Kukkolan Koski-Catering restaurant. We recommend the smoked salmon with mashed potatoes. There is a sun deck overlooking the rapids.