Lapland: The complete guide

Where is Lapland?

A splodge at the top of Europe, roughly the size of Portugal, lying mainly within the Arctic Circle, above 66.5 degrees north. It stretches across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia's Kola Peninsula, with the biggest chunk being in Finland.

Sounds a bit chilly

Lapland has a sub-arctic climate, owing to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. However, it's certainly not the place to go in search of winter sun. During the long, dark winter months, romantically termed "the Blue Twilight", the sun hides its face. In the far north it refuses to surface at all during December and January, and temperatures can drop to a freezing -30C. So gloomy are these cold, dark periods that local inhabitants are prone to Sad (Seasonal Affective Disorder), depression attributed to lack of sunlight. But don't let that put you off, because in summer Lapland is "The Land of the Midnight Sun", when the sun shines both day and night for three months.

How do I get there?

Finnair (0870 241 4411, www.finnair.co.uk) flies to Rovaniemi via Helsinki from £232 if you book a flight to the Finnish capital and then ask for a separate flight to Rovaniemi. If you book a flight from London to Rovaniemi via Helsinki, it will currently cost over £100 more. SAS (0845 6072 7727, www.sas.se) flies to Kiruna via Stockholm for £312 and to Tromso via Oslo for £340. Braathens (0800 526 938, www.braathens.no) flies to Tromso in Norwegian Lapland from London via Oslo from £260. However, after 7 January the airline ceases to fly between London and Oslo.

Doesn't Santa live there?

Father Christmas is Lapland's most famous resident. Tourists flock here every winter for a glimpse, though this season there are fewer than usual – several tour operators have cancelled departures. But it's not only Santa and his elves who inhabit this snowy region.

Go on then, who else?

Lapland's indigenous people are the Sami, whose origins are pre-historic. Lapland has long been fought over by the countries that have a share of it. These semi-nomadic people (current population 70,000) have tried to protect their heritage against numerous incursions by their Scandinavian neighbours over the centuries. As far back as the ninth century, Norse ruler Ottar proudly boasted to Arthur the Great of his fur, feather and hide tax on the subjugated Sami. Border disputes between the Scandinavian countries and Russia have usually centred on Sami-inhabited areas. After the Second World War, part of the lands of the Skolt Sami were ceded to the Soviet Union, and many Skolt Sami emigrated to Finland. From around 1850-1956, aggressive Norwegianisation forced restrictions on land ownership and banned the Sami language in schools.

That doesn't sound very jolly

No, but since the 1950s, these laws have been relaxed and such treatment is now less tolerated. However, even as late as 1981, Norway was threatening to launch into armed conflict with the Sami in the town of Alta, over a proposed hydro-electric power plant. In 1988 the constitution was amended, and Norway promised to help the Sami "preserve and develop its language, culture and way of life". In 1989, the Sami were granted a parliament, the Sameting, in Karasjok, Norway, but they are still struggling, as a minority people, to defend disputed ownership rights. Although all four countries have granted the Sami full citizenship, Sweden still refuses to recognise them as an indigenous people. Strangely, given this turbulent history, the Sami language (closest to Finnish and Estonian) has no term for "war", but more than 90 for snow.

So it's not all reindeer and snowmen?

The Sami have herded reindeer since the 16th century and continue to do so, but reindeer herding is no longer Lapland's principal industry. However, there are over half a million reindeer left in Lapland, and you can still see them in the wild. The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 forced the Sami to diversify economically, because the reindeer meat became contaminated; some 73,000 reindeer had to be destroyed in Sweden alone. The export market collapsed and the Sami communities, with their livelihood under threat, turned to traditional crafts, or "duodji" (knives, jewellery, horn, tin, silver and woodcrafts), to supplement their income. These can be seen in the traditional market places in Lapp villages, such as the 18th-century market in Peräpohjola in Finland (00 358 16 432 658, www.tornio.fi) which is held once a month during the summer. The townspeople and musicians appear in period dress, and you can sample the region's carnivorous speciality – predictably enough, dried reindeer meat. You can also visit the Arctic Circle Reindeer Farm (00 358 16 384 150), 6km from Rovaniemi in Finland.

But where do i find Father Christmas?

That's a very good question. Both Sweden and Finland lay claim to St Nick. The rumour that the Finns put out is that this elusive figure resides near Rovaniemi, deep in Finnish Lapland. You can meet him on a four-day tour with Norvista (020-7409 7334, www.norvista.co.uk) which includes a husky sled-ride, a snowmobile safari, a reindeer ride and a special "Crossing the Arctic Circle" ceremony performed by a reindeer herder. Prices start at £865 per adult, £630 per child, which include return flights, transfers, full-board accommodation, special clothing and equipment and safari services. If you can't wait for Christmas, you can seek out Santa at the Santapark in Rovaniemi, where it's Christmas every day of the year. You can visit the shops, go on a sleigh ride and even become one of Santa's little helpers at the Elf school and learn the art of toy-making. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £12 for children (00 358 16 333 0000, www.santapark.com).

The Swedes claim to have proof that Santa Claus himself lives in Mora, south of Swedish Lapland. You can meet Father Christmas at Santaworld (00 46 250 212 00, www.santaworld.se). The entrance price is £7.50 per person or £30 for a family ticket (maximum two adults and three children). For further information contact the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council (020-7724 5872, www.visit-sweden.com).

Sounds fun, but what if i don't believe in Father Christmas?

Bah, humbug! Well, there's still plenty for the non-believers to do in winter. Lapland might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of skiing, but it boasts a number of great resorts. Levi is Finland's largest downhill skiing centre with 42 slopes (www.levi.fi). It also has a lot to offer cross-country skiers, with over 230km of cross-country trails. A night in the Crazy Reindeer Hotel at peak season will cost from £36 for a double room through Norvista (020-7409 7334, www.norvista.co.uk). Ski school prices start at about £65 per person for a one-day course, which includes a lift pass, or approximately £47 per person for a three-day snowboarding course. The central booking office in Levin Matkailu Oy can arrange a tailor-made break in the region. Call 00 358 16 639 3300 or e-mail levin.matkailu@levi.fi. Lapland also offers a number of other outdoor pursuits such as wilderness hiking, dog sledding, snowmobile and husky safaris. If you fancy recreating Amundsen's historic polar crossing, or even something a little less ambitious, check out Abercrombie and Kent's (0845 0700 610, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) Long Weekend in Levi. You can try snowmobile safaris and husky sledding across glistening Lapp fells from £1,225 per person in February. In Norway, Taber (01274 594656, www.taberhols.co.uk) is arranging a trip from 11-18 February including snowmobile safaris, dog-sledding and a trip to the Sami parliament from £1,239 per person including flights and accommodation. In Swedish Lapland Arctic Experience (01737 214 214, www.arctic-experience.co.uk) has a seven-day Lapland Husky Adventure on the edge of the Abisko National Park, where the Sami still live in traditional Lapp tents. You learn to drive a husky sleigh and stop overnight in cabins en route. Available from December-April, the tour costs approximately £1,200 per person.

That all sounds a bit tiring, what can I do to relax?

Why not stay in Sweden's world-famous Ice Hotel (00 46 980 66800, www.icehotel.com)? 3,000 tons of ice and 30,000 cubic metres of snow are used to build this giant 60-room igloo. Located in Jukkasjärvi on the River Torne, construction starts annually in November. The hotel is due to open to the public on 13 December. All the furniture is made of ice and the hotel has a foyer complete with an ice chandelier, a cinema with an ice screen and the famous Absolut ice bar. You can even get married in the hotel's ice chapel. Guests sleep on ice beds under reindeer skin with specially insulated sleeping bags. This year, two deluxe suites featuring original ice art are being created for the first time. Typical night temperatures in the hotel can fall as low as -4 to -9C. The ice hotel melts under the springtime sun (usually around May), but 30 modern cabins are available throughout the year. A double room is approximately £70 per person per night.

Can I see the northern lights?

Yes, in a word. The aurora borealis sightings have been described as "witnessing a host of angels". In 450BC the Greek Anaxagorus was banished for his blasphemy when he suggested that the heavenly light display was actually nothing more than the result of vaporous explosions. Mythical accounts range from the ethereal to the downright gruesome: Icelandic legend claims that the lights were dangerous spirits playing with the heads of children. Kristian Birkeland, a scientist, finally solved this enigma at the turn of the 20th century. He explained that streams of charged particles from the sun are drawn towards the earth by its magnetic poles. About 150km up, they react with atoms to produce energy and a fascinating display of light that is best seen between October and March. Taking the form of pale, undulating sheets, streaks or wisps, usually light green, yellow or pink, at its most vibrant it can become fiery red. Scantours (020-7839 2927, www.scantoursuk.com) offers a chance to see the lights in its Northern Experience package in the university town of Tromso in Norwegian Lapland. Prices start from £450pp, including flights and three nights' accommodation.

So what happens in summer?

From May to July the sun stays permanently above the horizon in the northern part of the region and the average summer temperature is a coolish 12-16C. While Santa's in hibernation, Lapland's main festivals take place. The Midnight Sun Festival during the summer solstice (1 June-13 August) is a spectacular series of events across the region, including the Jutajaiset Folklore Festival of Nightless Nights in Rovaniemi with traditional singing, music and dancing. And 2002 is the festival's 30th anniversary (00 358 16 313 549, 311 269, www.tornio.fi). You can also experience the unique Sami music composed of rhythmic sound poems, involving throat singing.

Throat singing?

Don't try to sing along. The unaccompanied singing subordinates the lyrics to the music and intersperses it with meaningless syllables. The joik is apparently an expression of spirituality; in the words of singer Nils-Aslak Valkepaä, "a joik is not about, it is". Supposed to resemble animal noises, it is said the Sami version was devised to soothe nervous reindeer. If throat singing's not your style, try the Kalott Jazz and Blues Festival, 27-30 June, in Tornio and Haaparanta in Finland. The main stage is on Pikisaari Island in the River Tornionjoki (00 358 16 432 424, www.kalottjazzblues.net).

What about something a bit more active?

Between November and May, the rivers are frozen, but during the summer months visitors can try white-water rafting, canoeing, and fishing. For a guided kayak tour in the Saimaa Lakeland in Finnish Lapland, call Punkaharju Outdoor (00 358 15 645 123, www.travel.fi/int/outdoor). There's mountain biking, hiking, and horse riding across surprisingly lush countryside. When 18th-century botanist Carl von Linné visited Lapland in summer, he claimed, "If not for the mosquitoes, this would be earth's paradise." If you can stand the insects, there is stunning mountain scenery throughout Lapland. Linné travelled through the valley of Lille Luleäven and the town of Jokkmok in Sweden. Seven kilometres from this spot, you can take the Inlandsbanan train which heralds the crossing into the Arctic Circle with a piercing whistle. However, if you want to be picky, the white rock circle that marks out this frontier is completely inaccurate. Due to the earth's tilt, the line is moving northwards all the time at a rate of 14-15m per year, and will continue to do so for another 10-20,000 years. So it's more of a symbolic landmark.

Where can i find out more?

Finnish Tourist Board (020-7365 2512, www.finland-tourism.com); Norwegian Tourist Board (020-7839, www.visit norway.com); Swedish Travel & Tourism Council (020-7724 5872, www.visit-sweden.com).

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