Disclaimer: this posting is no advertising. It's only personal experience and has no business intentions in any point.
Finnish Lapland in February – the most magical place I’ve ever visited. Walks in snowy landscapes, adrenaline kick on a husky sled or watching the impressive northern lights all night long.
Getting there: Rovaniemi is the hub of Lapland. Most trains arrive there, there is an international airport and good connections for travel by car. I went to Rovaniemi by train and then I rented a car. This was the most convenient way for me personally and on site I was very flexible. My tip: there is a night train from Helsinki, which is very comfortable and much cheaper than a domestic flight.
Rovaniemi: Rovaniemi is well known and therefore very popular for tourists. There are many tourist offers and all-inclusive packages. I don’t want to go into this further, because I am basically more interested in places and activities that are not too touristy overcrowded. In downtown Rovaniemi, you can still spend a day, have a coffee and go to the famous Arktikum. The museum is definitely worth a visit.
Santa Clause Village: the Santa Clause Village is a special place. It’s beautifully decorated, there are great attractions for young and old and you’re very quickly drawn into a Christmas magic – especially when there is snow. My tip: visit the Village before and after the official opening hours – then it is emptier and you can feel the Christmas atmosphere intensively.
Ranua: as I mentioned before, I like to spend my time outside of touristy urban areas. Therefore, I decided to stay in Ranua. Ranua is a small, tranquil place – about 85 km from Rovaniemi. We stayed in a family-run guesthouse, which was very lovingly and quaintly furnished. Husky sled rides, reindeer farm visits and beautiful, very special northern lights every night gave us a very special vacation. Each event was great on its own, but the Northern Lights were my personal highlight. You can read how I felt and the effect they had on me here. Overall, I would highly recommend Ranua to anyone to experience the beauty of Lapland in a very loving place with many family run businesses.
I am very grateful and still flashed from those days. If you want more detailed information about my experiences, feel free to write me privately.
