Winter Sports in Finland
Europe
The Most Beautiful winter sports in Finland
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In winter, we look forward to truckloads of powdery snow, endless slopes and cosy, warm accommodation. Due to its location, Finland is absolutely snow-sure - high up in the north, the winter season starts as early as November and lasts until May. Because the winter here lasts half a year, the Finns are well-equipped and absolute professionals when it comes to winter sports.
No matter how you prefer to move through the vast snowy landscape, here you will find the right routes.
Photo: Juho Kuva, Visit Finland
Photo: Mikko Nikkinen, Visit Finland
Cross-country skiing is a national sport in Finland, and as soon as the children can walk, they already put their cross-country skis on. In the past, the sport was the primary way of transport in winter.
Nowadays, cross-country skiing is practised for various reasons: to explore the countryside, burn off energy, to relax or to spend time together.
From Helsinki to remote places, Finland has beautifully maintained cross-country ski trails, many of which are floodlit to enjoy the peace and quiet at night.
But there is nothing to stop you from having an adventure in the wilderness. The archipelagos freeze in winter, so you can also explore them on cross-country skis. Use the knowledge of a guide to get to the most beautiful and remote places.
Photo: Harri Tarvainen, Visit Finland
In Lapland, the slopes on the fells become steeper and numerous winter ski resorts are waiting for your visit.
Ski resorts like Ruka, Levi, Ylläs, Pyhä, Luosto, Saariselkä, and Salla offer excellent skiing in the middle of beautiful arctic landscapes. Combine skiing and other arctic activities for a perfect winter holiday experience.
Also, ski tourers, snowshoe hikers, freeriders and snowboarders get their money's worth.
Photo: Julia Kivela, Visit Finland
The dog sledge tours are an absolute highlight, where you can experience the winter landscape in a completely different way.
The huskies that take you through the snow are at least as excited to finally get going. After a joyful and loud hello, the dogs are in their element and peace returns so that you can relax and enjoy the tour in the fresh, crisp air.
If you want more action, you can go on a snowmobile safari with a guide or ride with a fat bike over the frozen archipelago.
Among the dancing firefoxes
The glowing bands, which paint the landscape in a strange green light on cold winter evenings, have fascinated humanity from the very beginning. The northern lights shine particularly brightly in Finland during the winter months. They are a spectacle that makes a holiday unforgettable. You can chase the lights on a night tour or make yourself comfortable in one of the many unique northern lights accommodation and enjoy the atmosphere cuddled up in blankets together with your loved ones.
But what are northern lights anyway? Research has long since clarified this question: the so-called solar winds, a stream of electronic particles, penetrate the earth's magnetic field, attracted by the north and south poles. The reaction between the particles and the molecules in our atmosphere creates the lights that travel across the sky in long bands. This is a truly fantastic phenomenon that has existed since olden times.
So generations of our ancestors have seen these lights and have been looking for an explanation. As scientific knowledge is comparatively recent, our ancestors created numerous cosmological myths to explain the world.
Among the Nordic peoples, a wide variety of attempts to explain the situation were made - some eerily, others heroically.
The Finnish term "revontulet", literally "firefox", has its origins in a beautiful myth: Arctic foxes ran so fast across the sky and when their rods touched the mountains, fire sparks were created which left their mark in the form of glowing bands.
Photo: Markus Kiili, Outdooractive Editors
Ice Fishing - Finnish winter meditation
Photo: Vastavalo Eemeli Peltonen, Visit Finland
Apart from the fun and action, you should not forget to pause for a moment. The world is covered in snow and nature comes to rest. To draw new strength from the calm, the Finns turn to ice fishing.
However, fishing is secondary; it is a kind of meditation that is suitable for everyone - because of the everymen's right, you don't need a fishing licence. It is important to layer your warmest clothes and have enough hot drinks with you.
The most wonderful memories are made in a cosy atmosphere, in familiar surroundings and with local expertise. You can find suitable waters everywhere in Finland, the ice cover only needs to be 5 cm thick to carry a person, and here they are usually much thicker.