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Lapland: the house of Santa Claus in the intense cold of a rainbow-coloured land

24/11/2016

Let’s discover the fascinating world of Lapland, between curiosities and travel advice for the hometown of Santa Claus.

Christmas is coming, and also vacation, and we cannot afford not to think about making a good travel.

People usually plan to run way to paradisiac and hot places, but this year they could make an exception and decide to choose the Nordic countries, and the region of Lapland could be one of the favourite destinations.

Lapland is a region located in the North Europe and extends to Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Finland. It is inhabited by the indigenous Sami people, who live, for the most part, in the area of Sweden.

 

Swedish Lapland

 

This part of Lapland (located on the north coast of the country) is also called “The 8 season country”, because in this area there are not the common 4 seasons, but the beginning of spring, spring, the beginning of summer, summer, late summer, autumn, late autumn and winter.

In this country anyone can admire the best things that nature can offer, such as the Northern Lights, an optical  phenomenon characterised by luminous bands which colour and illuminate the sky with tones from red to blue-green.

Anyone can observe the Northern Lights with all their amazing effects from the Aurora Sky Station in the city of Abisko.

Among the numerous natural phonemena, we cannot forget the midnight sun. In the height of summer, in the Polar regions, sun never sets.

 

Norwegian Lapland

 

Those who decide to visit this area of Lapland must go to the city of Tromsø, which is considered the capital of Lapland, even if it is not.

Also here, between September and April (as in all the areas near the North Pole) it is possible to admire the enchanting Northern Lights, even if the adverse weather do not allow such sight very often.

Those who travel to this country enjoy visiting also the North Cape, a rocky coast located in the north part of Norway, on Magerøya Island. Many people consider this island the most northerly point in Europe, even if it is actually not.

 

Finnish Lapland

 

Among the most popular destinations in Lapland, we find the entire area that belongs to Finland. Among its peculiarities, we underline that it is also known as the Country of Santa Claus.

In the city of Rovaniemi (the capital of Lapland) there is the Santa Claus Village, where children can meet Santa Claus, visit the post office to which the letters for Christmas gifts are delivered from all over the world, and have a tour around the toy factory of Santa Claus.

 

Places of interest

 

In addition to the Santa Claus Village and the natural wonders, Lapland boasts other sites of interest that satisfy the curiosities of all the family in the historical and cultural aspects of the Nordic population. Here are some.

  • Arktikum Science Museum

Museum and scientific centre, located in Rovaniemi, in Finland, which tells the history of the Arctic country in varied points of view. Suitable for all the family, it involves also the little ones thanks to the digital interactivity.

  • Ranua Wildlife Park

It is a zoo in the city of Ranua (in Finland), immersed in the Lappish forest, where anyone can find the typical animals of the Arctic Circle. It is around an hour far from the city of Rovaniemi and the characteristic that makes this zoo different from the others, is the fact that there are only the typical animals of the arctic area, a way to underline the fact the animals should not be distant from their natural habitat.

  • Siida

Siida is a museum located in the city of Inari (in Finland) and it is dedicated to the history, culture and traditions of the Indigenous people of Sami. In addition to the internal area, there is also an external area where a typical village of the Sami people is reproduced.

  •  Parco Nazionale di Pallas – Yllästunturi

This park is located in the city of Muonio (in Finland) where people can enjoy the outdoor life, escaping the comfortable life of the modern times. People can stay in some huts boasting a sauna stove. Unforgettable the strolls beside the lake, where people can enjoy a regenerating bath.

  • Urho Kekkoken National Park

This park is dedicated to the first Finnish minister Urho Kekkoken and is located in the city of Saariselka. Here people can do amazing excursions along paths in the woods. It is ideal also for snowshoe trekking, and suitable for the lovers of cross-country skiing, due to the presence of some of the best ski slopes in Europe.

 

Travel advice  

 

Don’t be afraid to go to Lapland, we know that the first thought goes to the terrible temperatures under zero, but, differently from our country, the cold weather is dry and there is no wind. As Lappish people say “there is no bad weather, you have not cover yourself enough”.

With regard to the activities outdoor, if you do not know how to organise yourselves, you can rely on many agencies, which plan everything in detail; some agencies even offer the right clothing to face any kind of situations.

Among the top activities, as we have already mentioned, you can enjoy the sight of the Northern Lights, ride a snowmobile in the snowy forests, meet the arctic animals with Safaris (that can be made driving a sleigh pulled by Husky dogs or reindeers), do ice fishing, sleep in an Igloo, do cross-country skiing and live the experience of seeing the Midnight Sun.

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