During the last decade the sauna bath has spread south and west across Europe from Scandinavia. An Englishman teaching English in Finnish Lapland finds that the sauna north of the Arctic Circle is more a way of life than merely a method of getting clean.
Every nation has its particular point of joy, a time in the week and an activity to which it looks forward: in Finland this is the sauna, a kind of bath, and the time is usually Friday or Saturday evening. In Lapland the effect of the sauna is greatest, for surely only in Lapland is the human body expected to stand a change of temperature from the boiling point of water down to twenty degree Centigrade of frost or more.
The sauna exists throughout Finland in different forms, private and public, but it is at its most picturesque in the country areas. There are, in Finland, between 60,000 and 70,000 lakes. Many are lonely pools with no one living there; and others again, near the popular tourist centres, are thickly populated and have hotels within easy access.
One of the most typical sights in Finland, which could be seen at any of these places, is a tiny house built near the water’s edge. It looks, from the outside, as though it might contain one room, or possibly two small ones, and has a porch at the front with a long seat facing the lake. It is, of course, of wood, and from its door a long pier of the same material runs into the lake, with at the end some steps going down into the water.
This is a sauna, and if it is action its chimney will be smoking. If you open the door you enter first a neat, plainly-furnished room with a bench round the walls, a few clothes-hooks, a table, and a mirror. This is the dressing-room; here, if you are going to the sauna, you take your clothes off, and walk naked with bowl, soap and scrubbing-brush through the second door which leads into the heart of the building.
There is usually a thermometer in this room, and it will probably be standing at between eighty and a hundred degrees Centigrade. It is quite possible that it may be as high as 110, or well over boiling point. The effect of such tremendous heat is at first alarming: one feels it impossible to bear for more than a second or two. The first time, when you will go to a sauna you may feel that the hairs in your nostrils will be singed off.
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Itinerary
Day 1 – Fly into Oulu
Oulu is just over an hour away from Helsinki. The two cities are well connected through multiple flights a day. You will find a white landscape, laden with snow, when you land in Oulu. Once you’re in Oulu, you could stay there for the night or take the train to Kemi, a small Finnish city close to a deep harbour.
Days 2 and 3- Float with Icebergs in Kemi
This is when the fun begins in real ernest. On this day, you will witness a castle made entirely out of ice and hop aboard an ice-breaker cruise ship. Ice-breaker sampos are used to transport goods from one port to the other in this part of the world but Kemi’s ice-breaker sampo is one of the very few that allow tourists on board.
A free shuttle bus ferries passengers from Kemi’s train station to the Ice Breaker Sampo. A short drive later, you will see a ship looming large in the distance. Chunky boulders of ice surround it. This is the Gulf of Bothnia, Europe’s largest mass of frozen ice. You might have been on many a cruise but nothing like this one. A loud horn heralds the start of an unforgettable journey – the ship leaves the harbour, cutting through the frozen Baltic Sea.
It might be cold outside but it’s hard to tear yourself away from the surreal sight of a frozen sea stretching out in front of your eyes. A short pit-stop in the middle of the journey where passengers are given the opportunity to don bright floatation suits and plunge in ice-cold waters with a few other fellow crazies for company.
The free shuttle bus is waiting for passengers when the cruise ship gets back. It drops tourists at the snow castle of Kemi, which is straight out of the fairytales. You could wander around and walk back to the train station (a pleasant 20 minute walk) or spend the night at one of their unique ice-rooms. Did you ever think you would be sleeping on a bed of ice? Now is the chance to make that dream come true.
Day 4 – Settle into Rovaniemi / Similar
A short train ride will get you to Rovaniemi, the bustling capital of Lapland situated on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is also famous for being the home of Santa Claus.
Rovaniemi is the perfect base for exploring Lapland and all it has to offer. No wonder it features heavily on most itineraries of Lapland. The hotel’s location is perfect – it’s less than a five minute walk away from most of Rovaniemi’s supermarkets, restaurants, and excursion providers.
Days 5 and 6 – Experience the best of Lapland’s safaris
Once you’ve settled into Rovaniemi, it’s time for the adventures to begin. There are photo opportunities galore. You can spend your days snowmobiling on frozen rivers, driving through stunning Arctic forests, visiting husky dog farms and playing with furry creatures, or hunting for the mysterious Northern Lights. Northern Lights’ excursions in Rovaniemi involve driving out of town, spending hours listening to Sami folk tales and BBQing sausages in a tent in the Arctic Wilderness
Day 7 – Meet Santa Claus on a day trip
Did you know that Finnish folklore has it that the ‘real’ Santa Claus resides in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village with Mrs. Claus and an army of elves. No wonder it’s Christmas 365 days an year in Lapland
Santa Claus Village is a short bus ride away from the centre of Rovaniemi. You will hear Christmas carols and festive music as soon as you enter the hallowed gates of this dreamy village. Of course, there’s no better way to arrive at Mr. Claus’ house than on a reindeer sleigh. Now let me tell you something. This might not be your first skirmish with Arctic Safaris but one thing is for sure – it’ll be your favourite one. It belongs in a fairytale, nowhere else.
Day 8 – Devour a traditional Lappish meal and say bye to Rovaniemi
Sampling local food is the easiest way to acquaint oneself with a new culture. If you’re a regular reader of Bruised Passports, you’d know we never leave a new place without trying out all the local delicacies we can get our paws on. We had a fair few Finnish meals in Lapland but Restaurant Nili came out triumphant by a mile (and a half).
Day 9 – Sleep on a bed of ice at The Arctic Snow Hotel
After you’ve explored Rovaniemi to your heart’s content, it’s time to go to a snow haven 30 kms outside Rovaniemi. Arctic Snow Hotel is built from scratch in November every year. It’s nestled in Lappish wilderness and provides a fairytale experience.
The reception area, communal toilets, and breakfast rooms are heated. However the fun begins when you enter the main building made of ice. The corridors are full of ice-carvings and sculptures and bright LED lights lead visitors to the Ice Bar and Restaurant. Here drinks are served in glasses made of ice and food is served on intricately carved ice plates. Finnish specialities such as creamy soups and elk are on the menu. Stools and benches might be carved out of chunky blocks of ice but they’re covered with Finnish fur rugs that keep guests warm.
Don’t miss the outdoor jacuzzi for the world – there is nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub in the middle of an Arctic forest and feeling warm when it’s -20°C out. You can count stars and if you’re lucky, you can spot the mysterious Northern Lights. Bucket list or not, an open-air hot tub is one experience that NEEDS to feature on your itinerary of Lapland.
Days 10, 11, and 12 – Immerse yourself in Arctic Wilderness in Saariselka and spot the Northern Lights
It’s time to head north to delve deeper into the Arctic wilderness. Frozen slanting trees, ice-laden hills, and fields covered with untarnished snow – the scenery at the northern tip of Lapland is beyond your wildest imagination.
A 3 hour bus ride from Rovaniemi will get you to Saariselka. There is a variety of accommodation on offer in Saariselka – log cabins are a popular choice.
The bus will drop you at the gate of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. To say we had the time of our lives here would be the understatement of the decade.
Day 12 Take the flight back from Ivalo
Ivalo airport is close to Saariselka and Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort offers regular transfers to the airport. Take the flight back to Helsinki – and you’ll spend the flight thinking about all the surreal panoramas you saw on your trip to Lapland and counting the crazy experiences you had. One thing is for sure – it’ll be hard to pick favourites. After all, how often does one get to pick between petting a reindeer and sleeping in an igloo.
For assisted tour booking and customization according to your requirement, please call: +91 33 4046 4646
Inclusions
The Sampo Icebreaker Cruise costs €270 per person. This cost includes food, polar plunge experience, and the return journey on the cruise ship
There is a free shuttle bus that ferries tourists from Kemi train station to the Ice Breaker Sampo and the Snow Castle
Entry to Santa Claus Village is free. You can meet the ‘real’ Santa Claus for free too.
Exclusions
Entry to the Snow Castle costs €15. If you want to spend a night in the ice hotel, prices start at €155.
Lapland Safaris offer husky-dog safaris, snowmobiling, visits to reindeer farms, and Northern Lights excursions. Safaris start at €100/person.
Bus number 8 takes you from the Rovaniemi city centre to Santa Claus Village. Bus tickets cost €2.20/per person.
As suggested and to be customized as per request
Terms & Conditions Apllied
For assisted tour booking and customization according to your requirement, please call: +91 33 4046 4646
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