Chilling Out in Finland

By Jeff Burdick

There is much to recommend making a vacation of King Winter, rather than from it, and for this, no country beats Finland in terms of the range, quantity and quality of winter-time vacation options.

Finns have become expert at driving away the winter blues and have created dozens of ways to enliven the months from October to April. To emphasize this, the Finnish Tourist Board has begun to call this period the "Lively Season," and travel activities range from winter sports to balmy saunas to encounters with Lapp reindeer herders.

Other special events include theater competitions, horse shows, city concerts, and even Irish festivals of music, dance and drama.

The Road to Lapland
For the ultimate immersion into Finland's wintry ways, every traveler should make at least one trip inside the Arctic Circle into Lapland. Attractions range from family fun (sleigh rides and Santa Claus' Village in Rovaniemi) to true arctic adventures (cross country ski outings and passage on the Sampo, the world's only tourist icebreaker). In Kemi, there is also the famous Snow Hotel, a 20-room three-story property made of snow and ice.

But the most unique experiences in the region revolve around the region's semi-nomadic community of Lapp reindeer herders. Though reindeer herding is a slowly fading industry, the Lapp continue to hold onto many of the old ways. This includes the fashions (reindeer skin boots and leggings) and cultural ways (crafts, reindeer races and portable teepee housing).

Travelers can enjoy packaged tours that combine outdoor overnights in traditional Lapp teepees (complete with indoor fires) with dog-sled and snowmobile excursions.