On to Finland: Lapland and the outdoor sports village of Ruka
On to Finland for those who love a wild adventure. Bear spotting, rafting, hiking, fat biking and more for an active holiday. In Finnish Lapland you will find breathtakingly beautiful nature, national parks, trail run and nice towns like Ruka in a perfect road trip setting. And who knows, you might even spot the Northern Lights, even in the summer! Whether you want to visit Finnish Lapland in winter with sleigh rides or during the summer by canoe, both are a completely different experience. And there is a chance that you will come back in another season.
It is also nice to stay in Southern Finland. The tips for a nice one summer holidays in southern Finland.
To start with, a bit of explanation: Lapland is a region divided between the north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and a small part of Russia. Although Finnish Lapland is the most touristy, it is wonderfully quiet. Finnish Lapland is more than twice the size of the Netherlands and has a population of 175.000.
It is a region with many options for your holiday, lots of nature and lots of peace. The best of everything. If you want a real winter experience, it is best to go from December to March. Everything is white, plenty of Northern Lights, and the huskies or snowmobiles are ready for a sleigh ride. Finnish Lapland is also enjoyable in the summer.
Finnish Lapland screams for a road trip. From one national park to another, on to a canoeing adventure in a beautiful lake, and discovering the villages in the meantime. To Lapland with your own car is a day and a half drive. If you have a trip of several weeks ahead, that is feasible.
You can also go to the North for a week. You then fly to the Finnish city of Rovaniemi and from there you drive around all the beautiful things in a rental car. Voigt Travel already has one fly-drive tour through Lapland in 8 days. So take your vacation days. You sleep in a traditional wooden lodge and can hike, SUP, tour and discover a lot every day.
Whether you have one or two weeks for an adventure around the Arctic Circle, Finnish Lapland is a large area and good guidance where you need to be is nice. Voigt Travel knows the way and has a legion of local entrepreneurs who can help you go hiking, fat biking, rafting, rowing, canoeing, SUPing, fishing, bear spotting or buggy driving. You can also visit a reindeer farm, go to the Finnish sauna, go plucking and cooking and go horse riding. Voigt Travel's trips start from the village of Ruka near Kuusamo.
In winter you can enjoy winter sports in Ruka with good ski slopes and a cozy village. And in the summer you can participate in all the above-mentioned outdoor activities. Do you want a quiet holiday with an overnight stay in a glass villa under the midnight sun? Or do you look for a different one every day? outdoor sports from a lodge on the lake?
Finland has one of the largest bear populations in Europe. About 1500 European brown bears live in Finland, the males of which can grow up to about 220 cm long and weigh 200 kg. Face to face – at a safe distance with binoculars of course – with one of these gigantic brown omnivores is definitely a bucket list item.
The best time to spot bears is from May to August, after which they go into hibernation. With Voigt Travel you can spot bears accompanied by a guide. You sit in a hidden cabin in the wilderness and peer with a camera or binoculars at bears, lynx or wolves. Hello wilderness dream.
You have to dare, white water rafting past untouched wilderness and charming villages via the wild waters around Ruka. The best time for rafting is when all the ice on the rivers has melted from June to September. You can go rafting as a beginner or expert under the guidance of a guide.
There is also a special rafting trip for children. Equipment and explanations are all arranged for you. You have to bring the courage yourself.
If you are on a special trip, you probably want to sleep in style. At Voigt Travel you can choose where you like to sleep. In Lapland there are accommodations at Iisakki Glass Village in a lodge with a glass roof or in an old priest's house. The red wooden lodge is typical of Finland and this 'Papin Talo' – with Finnish sauna and hot tub – is wonderfully secluded in the woods. If you want some fun or something to eat in a restaurant, you can be in Ruka within ten minutes.
Do you dream of the Northern Lights or the Midsummer Nights? Then take a look at the glass villas where you sleep under a glass roof and can stay all night long stargazing. The Glass Villas have a Green Key sustainability label and your stay also contributes to the preservation of the beautiful nature of Finnish Lapland. These glass villas can also be booked through Voigt Travel.
