Visiting a Sami village, especially in winter, is a highlight of any Lapland holiday. Tours can be taken from most of the tourist towns, and it’s also possible to link up with a Sami who will take you into his home village and show you traditional life in one of the most inhospitable climates on earth.

Ranua Wildlife Park is set some 80kms from Rovaniemi and is home to over 60 northern and Arctic species, including polar bears, Arctic foxes, wolves, wolverines and lynx. It’s the perfect opportunity to see the wild occupants of the Arctic lands in as natural a setting as possible, and far safer than meeting up with members of the larger species in the wilderness!

The Amethyst Mine at Lampvarra Hill lies in the popular visitor centre of Luosto and introduces visitors to the ancient techniques used to mine the beautiful semi-precious stones. Legends and tales are part of the presentation, and visitors can comb a surface area where the stones are found for their own semi-precious souvenir.

The Arctic Snow Hotel on Lake Lehtoajarvi at Sinetta is world famous and unique as the only hotel in the world carved out of ice and snow, and renewed every year. Overnight visitors can sleep warmly in specially designed sleeping bags surrounded by walls of sparkling ice crystals.

Many visitors arrive in Lapland during the winter for one reason - to see the Aurora Borealis in all its splendour. Know as the Northern Lights, this fantastic natural phenomenon has fascinated humanity for millennia. North of the Arctic Circle is the best place to view the unending ribbons of unearthly green light as they weave across the sky.

To find out more about the amazing history and traditions of the Sami peoples, the Sami Museum and Nature Centre in Siida is the place. A meeting place for local Sami as well as a fascinating exhibition space for traditional artefacts and cultural information, the complex gives a glimpse into a way of life that has remained mostly unchanged for centuries.

Arktikum in Rovaniemi is both a science centre and museum dedicated to all aspects of the mysterious world of the Arctic. Its highlight is the Chronicles from Finnish Lapland, an exploration of man and nature in the land of the midnight sun that takes in the lives of moose, bears, birds and much more. The exhibition on the recent changes in the Arctic environment is thought-provoking.

As every child knows, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. But he has a second home in Lapland where he and his helpers prepare for their annual Christmas trek across the skies to reward good kids with presents. Santa, his reindeers, his elves, his workshops and the Santa Park are must-sees during family visits to Rovaniemi.

Lapland is home to a plethora of national parks, with the best known in Swedish Lapland. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Laponia holds two parks, the largely untouched Muddus National Park with its primeval forests, ravines and swamps, and the Padjelanta National Park, set above the tree line, are among the most visited protected areas.

The landscape around Kittila is the closest to mountainous in Lapland, and is stunning in the winter season. It’s also the home of Lapland’s famous Levi ski resort and a popular tourist destination for holidaymakers from the UK.

Nightlife in Lapland is concentrated mainly in the little towns of Rovaniemi and Kevi, and consists of cosy pubs and watering holes frequented by local and visitors alike. The best way to find what’s hot and what’s not in Rovaniemi is to wander to the main square and interact with the locals. Hanging out with your new friends for the rest of the night or even being invited to a house party is standard here and gives a glimpse into life in this remote, inhospitable land.

For a hot night in a cool climate, Rovaniemi’s Doris Disco comes recommended as friendly and fun, and features a great choice of beers. Pub Paha Kurki is a favourite pub in the town, set near the centre and offering domestic and international rock music. Beer is the traditional drink here, with Koff, Kahu, Olvi and Lapin Kulta the favourite brands.

Nightlife in the ski resort areas during the winter season may not be as lively as in the Alpine resorts, but it has its own charm. Laplanders adore karaoke, and the sight of female revellers arriving on snow-cats, stripping off their helmets and snowsuits to reveal black cocktail dresses and changing their boots for high heels is one of the delights of a night out here. 

Rovaniemi Theatre is the northernmost professional playhouse in Finland, set in the Lappa House and giving regular performances of works by Finnish playwrights. The Maxim movie theatre shows films in English with subtitles in Finnish and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra holds several concerts a year.

Lapland cuisine traditionally makes use of everything nature provides, and is based strongly on Sami gastronomy. Although Lapland isn’t a hub for fine dining, even the smallest towns have a few eateries serving warming, filling food. Rovaniemi and the winter ski villages have the best choice, with restaurants located in hotels as well as in the centres.

Fish, especially salmon, reindeer and other game meat, and a variety of berries form the base of Lapland cuisine, with the cloudberry highly valued and used in desserts and delicately-flavoured sauces. Rich, warming soups such as bierggojubttsa are made with root vegetables, potatoes and meat, and suovasbierggo is smoked meat, usually served fried. Birtggomales are chops and other meats, served as a five-course meal, with each meat accompanied by a rich broth.

Fish dishes include salmon―fresh, smoked or salted―and cod is also popular. Favourite desserts involve cloudberries, served either fresh or as warm jam with ice cream, and jabma uses the stewed leaves of the mountain sorrel, served with milk and sugar. To end a meal, coffee is served with the unique and delicious Lapland cheese.

Traditional restaurants are often set in wooden Lapp huts and offer entertainments such as Sami storytelling and traditional music and dance. The hotel eateries have a choice of international cuisine, including pastas and salads. Roadhouses outside the towns serve local foods and often have bars and petrol stations attached.