Have you ever looked at the snow globe and wished you could find a winter scene in real-life as perfect? Living in New England my whole life, I thought that winter here could be magical. Unfortunately with the less than picturesque winters in recent years, I had wondered where all the winter magic had gone. Apparently, it can all be found in Finland. If you are sorely missing magical winter settings or if you have never experienced a beautiful snowy landscape, here is why you need to visit Saariselkä, Finland’s Winter Wonderland.
Heading to a Winter Wonderland
Santa’s Hotel Tunturi Has It All
Aerial View of Santa’s Hotel Tunturi
Saariselkä is a beautiful resort village located in Northern Finland. We were fortunate enough to be staying at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi, which had it all, including a blanket of snow glittering in the sunlight to make the resort look even more magical.
A huge bonus we found for staying at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi was the convenience of having so much to do right at the resort. With shuttle buses arriving regularly, there wasn’t ever the need to rent a car. If you have never driven in snowy wintery conditions, I would highly recommend avoiding learning while traveling. Instead, stay in a place that you never have to leave. Santa’s Hotel had it all.
Comfort, Style, and Extras!
Stylish Room
Comfortable Bedroom
Bathroom with Sauna
Our hotel room at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi was very appealing. It had that fresh modern European look that was stylish and comfortable. Little design features like a mountain range headboard for the bed and accent lighting in the living room were nice touches. An even nicer touch was our own private sauna!
Best Cross Country Skiing
World Class Cross Country Skiing
Among the many things you can do right from the resort is one of our favorite winter activities, cross country skiing! Saariselkä is home to one of the oldest ski areas in Finland. We never miss an opportunity to go cross country skiing and Santa’s Hotel Tunturi has the best skiing conditions and most well-maintained trails we have ever seen. On-site outfitters Luontoloma Pro-Safaris got us the ski gear and we were off in minutes.
Ready for Skiing
Enjoying the Trails
Cathy couldn’t resist playing in the deep snow
The trails were so pristine, well-marked, and even illuminated for skiing after the sun starts to go down. Since this resort in Saariselkä is situated so far north in Lapland, you can expect great conditions through May!
Explore the Arctic Circle on Ski Mobiles
Riding in the Arctic
One of the best ways to take in all of Saariselkä’s vast arctic landscape is by ski mobiles. Once again going on this adventure couldn’t be easier. The same on-site tour group Luontoloma Pro-Safaris had us set up to ride in no time with everything we needed including cold-weather gear to keep us comfortable.
Sunset Riding
I love riding ski mobiles, so this was a fantastic time for me. Our tour led us through miles of trails.
Cabin We Stopped at for Snacks
We stopped for a break at a beautiful little cabin for a snack and to warm ourselves, then we were off again to reach a summit in time for perfect #SundaySunsets shots. It was an amazing adventure and not to be missed.
Great Food to End a Great Day
After a long day riding over rugged terrain, a good meal is just what you need. Santa’s Hotel Tunturi offers a range of dining options in 5 on-site restaurants that have everything from casual fare to more upscale dining. They even have their own labeled brand beer, which of course I had to try.
Amazing Food
Santa’s Own Beer
Fish Buffet
My personal favorite dining was at the Restaurant Kaltio. If you love seafood as I do, definitely try the Fish buffet á la Kaltio. It was so good. The salmon dishes were some of the best I have ever had.
Experience the Brilliance of the Northern Lights
Northern Lights from the Aurora Hut
The end of the day marks an excitement in Saariselkä, Lapland. One of mother nature’s best shows known as the Northern Lights is about to begin. Saariselkä is a superb location to watch nature’s light show and Santa’s Hotel Tunturi has the absolute best viewing area.
Spiraling Lights
Aurora Borealis – nature’s Light Show
Venture out to the hiking trails and you will see a trail marked Aurora Trail which leads to a heated hut with tables and chairs and long wooden benches with curved arched backs. It is a wonderful spot to escape the cold while waiting for the Northern Lights to begin.
Clouds Lit by Northern Lights
RoarLoud Packing List for viewing the Northern Lights
- Tripod
- Good DSLR camera or smartphone with manual pro mode (I used Samsung Note 10+)
- Extra camera battery or power bank for your smartphone
- Wide angle lens
- Headlamp with red light option (less intrusive to fellow photographers)
- Backpack to carry it all
- Borrow a sled (not only to carry stuff but to use to slide down the trail after the show)
It took some trial and error with settings to get the pictures decent. If you set the Samsung to Night mode and set it on a tripod, you will get a pretty decent image. I had a Canon Rebel T3i for my DSLR. I found that a 3200 ISO with a 3.5 Fstop for 15 seconds was a good starting point. The biggest problem with the Canon was setting the focus right. I realized that setting the correct focus in the dark proved impossible and gave up with it the first night. The next day I found the correct infinity focus (2 clicks before the infinity symbol on my lens) and made a note of that so I could come back at night and just set that setting at night and know it was in focus. Being able to experience the Northern Lights was definitely the biggest thrill of the trip for me. If you want more help with Northern Lights, you can book a Northern Lights safari tour with Luontoloma Pro-Safaris. They will show you what you need to know and even take pictures for you if needed.
Extra Special Lappish Breakfast
Interior of Hut
We had the chance to be part of a special new experience being offered at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi. It is a traditional Lappish breakfast served in the Kota Lappish Hut. Groups of 15 to 50 get a breakfast consisting of reindeer sausages, salmon, eggs, potatoes and more prepared over a wood fire. It is a breakfast to remember.
Wood Grilled Reindeer Sausages
Lots of Food to Enjoy
Bonus Activity Not to Miss
Top of the Toboggan Run
Perfect Tobogganing Conditions
In snowy Saariselkä, you can imagine that tobogganing is quite popular. Kids of all ages love it and while we were staying at the Santa’s Hotel Tunturi we tried out the awesome tobogganing on Kaunispää hill that is a short distance from the resort. Depending on the trails you take you can go on the longest toboggan trail in Finland. We slid down perfectly groomed trails that will make you feel like a kid again!
Turn Your Speakers on for This Ride
Why Saariselkä is Special
Our trip to Finland was very special for several reasons. Saariselkä was our first stop but it left a lasting impression. There is a purity in everything in Saariselkä. The air, the water, the snow, it is so fresh and perfect. Combine this with seeing the Northern Lights for the first time and you have yourself an experience you will not soon forget.
Thank you to Santa’s Hotels who provided our lodging and tours. As always our opinions are honest and our own.
Special offer for our readers- use discount code SANTAS15 when booking with Santa’s Hotels for 15% off, offer valid until 11/30/2020
About
Frank is the creator of the RoarLoud website, go to guy for gear reviews and Cathy’s IT guy. I know that stands for information technology but Cathy calls him her “IT” guy because he is everything! A lover of nature and a curious soul he tries new adventures eagerly. Fortunately he is also the voice of reason to level out Cathy’s wildcat side.
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