What made me curious about Lapland was not Santa Claus (sorry…). Legend has it that he is Finnish and the region’s tourism relies on that story to attract visitors. But my “calling” to Finland came from the urge to see these flat, frozen landscapes, covered in snow, whose extension spans across pure wilderness. As a southern European, the vision of a white earth is already quite unusual, let alone a place where this icy land extends itself beyond what the eyes can see.
So I took my first immersion into a glacial side of our planet, not sure if I would like it or how well I would adapt to breathe air that goes below 40 degrees Celsius. To not leave you wondering, let me answer this right away: the oxygen in Finland is as pure and clean as one can get (and so is the water), and you easily adapt to negative temperatures. Actually, Finnish people are the first ones to love the outdoors. They are also equipped with all the necessary clothing and gear to subsist the freezing days.
We flew from Paris to Ivalo in early March to stay at Muotka Wilderness Lodge. Before booking a room, make sure to take note: you must sleep under a glass ceiling to see the Northern Lights. Several hotels offer igloo rooms, which are more expensive but 100 percent worth it. To be sure you will see the green and violet skies no matter how late at night, ask for the alarm that will ring anytime during your sleep: so there’s no need for you to step outside in the cold, just open your eyes and look up. You will see the colorful mantas of fleeting-stars moving fast above you, in large, colorful visions, as if speaking to you in your dreams.
And if you miss these northern lights on your first night, lose no hope: the lodge offers many other star-chasing activities to ensure you spot them during your trip. One of them – my favorite – will have you hop on a sledge pulled by a snowmobile and drive across the forest until an open area where a hut is lit by a fireplace. You sit in the dark, drink that famous Finnish Hot Berry Juice, and check on the stars every few minutes. And don’t worry about the “but it must be freezing outside” because on your first day in the lodge the staff provides you with special snow-suits, boots and gloves that will keep you warm all the time.
I tried as many activities as possible, starting with an afternoon snow-shoe walk in the most quiet, white forest I’ve ever seen. There is something peaceful coming from the dense silence of this arctic nature: you don’t hear one bird, not one sound. I also took to cross-country skiing with a group of beginners, learning how to stay on the tracks, slide down the mini-slopes and frosty plains while trying not to fall. Needless to say, there is some physical exertion in this, which makes it a little sweaty, but all the more fun. And to add to my Finnish experience, I had my eyelashes covered with icy tears, as I gained speed against the cold air. Talk about a frozen-eye-make-up!
If your stay happens to be short here, I would advise you not to miss riding a snowmobile all day in the forest with a lunch break in the middle of the wilderness, and continue to a reindeer farm before driving back to the lodge. In Lapland, there are tracks for all types of users, including those for the snow bikes. We drove along them to the top hills of the forest where the snow is so white and thick you barely see any tree branches. And because the sun light is strong and clean, you are surrounded by golden shimmery particles of frosty air, coming from the ground up. It’s a beautiful experience, to speed across a golden, glittering light in an untouched glacial nature.
Last, but not least, go on a long huskie ride. Driving the sledge is not hard, the dogs have lots of energy and will gladly pull you across beautiful snowy landscapes. I recommend you take half a day with them – to stop for lunch in the forest – and enjoy some playtime after.
Days go by fast in Lapland: in early March you take advantage of long hours of daylight and still lots of fresh snow. So give yourself four nights in the Lappish nature, have your eyes open for sunrise and marvel at the violet pink skies falling into the bright white forests at sunset. This trip became one of the most beautiful journeys of my life. And I hope you will feel the same way too.
Images by @lovingjune
