Christmas with Santa Claus in Lapland sounds appealing, but it is often cold and dark at this time of the year; if travelling tourists should entrust their needs to a specialist This an exceptionally good time to see the aurora borealis and Lapland is renowned for its visits to Joulupukki (Santa Claus).
By the end of February both the weather and the light improve, with temperatures on the better side of -10�C and nearly 12 hours of light a day, although the sun is low and it still feels like perpetual dusk! But the Finns only start to pack in at Easter, when things really start to heat up and it's possible to ski in bright sunshine wearing only a T-shirt. It takes quite some time for the accumulated snow (as much as 2 meters) to melt off, and skiing may be possible as late as May.
In late spring and early summer, the landscape turns muddy as the snow melts, bringing on the curse of the Lappish mosquito (hyttynen), and if you think this sounds like a trivial nuisance you have never had to face up to the hordes that inhabit Lapland ? don't venture out without industrial-strength insect repellent. Mosquitoes are far less present in the centers of the cities but it's virtually impossible to avoid the bite. Even though the mosquitoes' bites are itchy and their noise is irritating, they are completely harmless and contain no diseases.
On the upside, the famous midnight sun is visible almost everywhere in Lapland. Special events and film festivals are held to celebrate the midnight sun.and equinox At Rovaniemi the sun doesn't set at all between the beginning of June and the beginning of July, with this period growing longer as one travels farther north. Some foreigners have difficulty sleeping during these nightless periods, though a simple sleep mask should go a long way.
By late July the mosquitoes start to die out and they're usually gone by late August. Hiking in the middle of ruska, the colourful time of autumn, is a worthwhile experience. Other activities are held in Summer, such as quad biking, river boating and fishing. Another key event in August is Luosto Classic, an open air classical music festival in Luosto.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Finnish Lapland
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Finnish Lapland - updated May 2024
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Finnish Lapland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
