Things To Do in Lapland

Yllas’s small size and lack of light pollution makes it one of the better places for watching the Aurora Borealis, AKA the Northern Lights. This mysterious display sees the night sky glow in fluoro greens, whites and reds. Of course it’s a natural phenomenon, so there are no guarantees you’ll see anything, but your chances are pretty good during autumn and winter.

At this traditional-style pub, the atmosphere is very laid-back – though the owners have been known to hold bar-stool races on the mountain outside. Drinks wise, you’ll find speciality beers, alongside draft ales and ciders. There’s also a little stage, where you can catch the occasional acoustic gig.

This cosy Lappish restaurant is considered the heart of Yllas. You won’t find any trendy food fads here – it’s all about the local classics. So this could be your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try smoked reindeer liver, elk or bear meat. For those feeling a tad less experimental, fish and burgers are more mainstream options.

Unsurprisingly, December in Lapland is all about Christmas festivities. You can expect a slightly different set-up to home, though. Christmas Eve is fairly quiet, and locals usually spend time indoors with their families. It means you may find that some places aren’t open, like Rovaniemi’s Santa Park. Everything opens again up again on Christmas Day and, on Boxing Day, everyone gets into the party spirit.

Part of the Arctice Winter Wonderland complex, this igloo-style bar does chilled-out drinking in a very real sense. Everything here is carved out of ice – from the seats right down to the glasses filled with Ice Princess cocktails. While you sip, you can check out the fabulous animal ice sculptures all around you. Arctice has indoor skating and snowtube slides and is open ’til 7pm.

Yllas has a clutch of restaurants, where classic European dishes sit alongside local Lappish delicacies. Menus will usually feature reindeer meat, which is often served sautéed with mash and loganberry jam. Fish is also a firm favourite, particularly herring, wild salmon and trout.

Just outside Yllas is this one-of-a-kind complex, made entirely from ice. Here, you can have dinner in the ice bar then dance in the igloo disco, before crashing out at the ice hotel. Indoor temperatures might hover below zero, but top-quality thermal sleeping bags, together with saunas and special clothing, keep you toasty.

When it comes to an authentic Lappish eating experience, this cosy restaurant is the real deal. It’s not just the staff dressed in traditional costume that does it. On the menu, there are treats like bear salami, reindeer rillettes and Arctic Ocean salmon. You can try a range of house dishes with a sharing platter for two. And the cloudberry cheesecake is sublime...

There are a few bars in the hotels and dotted around the resort, but roaring nightlife isn’t a high priority here. A roaring fire is, though, so cosy up in front of the flickering flames with a glass of glögi – mulled wine laced with spices. You might also like to try the local lakka, a cloudberry liqueur.

If you’re not around to catch the Northern Lights, you can watch the colourful spectacle at a special multi-vision show at Arktikum. This science centre and museum, just outside the resort centre, is very popular for its 3D screenings – you can lie back and see the Aurora Borealis projected onto the ceiling. It’s also great for finding out more about the people and culture of Lapland.

In the evenings, there’s nothing nicer than cosying up in front of a log fire with a groggi – mulled wine spiced with brandy – at one of the hotel bars. If you feel like something livelier, though, head to the drinking places in the Sampokeskus area, where the locals hang out. You’ll also find clubs round here dispensing everything from Finnish pop to house and Seventies classics.

Salmon, trout and herring are popular fish in Rovaniemi, and you’ll come across them steamed, cured, smoked and sushi-style. Another speciality of the area is poronkaristys – that’s sautéed reindeer, with mashed potato and lingonberry jam. And talking of berries, the Lappish make them into pickles, pop them in desserts and serve them up as a liqueur – try lakka, made from cloudberries.

Yllas is making a name for itself thanks to its cultural calendar, which includes this jazz and blues festival. The event attracts names from all over the world, with artists performing everywhere from hotels to off-radar cafés in the wilderness. You can buy a pass to cover all events, or simply show up at the one you fancy.

Between November and May, Yllas is a sought-after ski resort. Round here you’ve got some 300 kilometres of downhill and cross-country trails, many of which are floodlit into the evening. Pistes are wide and quiet, with the cold weather making for powder-perfect conditions. It’s generally better for beginners and intermediates, with a ski school available in case you need a confidence booster.

Rovaniemi has two shopping malls, Revontuli and Sampokeskus, where you can browse for berry-infused soaps, cutting-edge fashions and, of course, hand-knitted sweaters. And over in Santa Claus Village, it’s not just about baubles and bobble hats – shops here also do a good line in Finnish handicrafts and jewellery made from the local spectrolite gemstone.

Your credit card won’t see much action here, but Yllas has a couple of supermarkets and shops that will see you right for essentials. And there are gift shops where you can pick up hand-carved wooden toys and children’s presents. Grown-ups, meanwhile, can take home local knitwear, along with jars of cloudberry jam.