Levi, Finland
If you fly into Kittila, 150 miles above the Arctic Circle, you’ll be surrounded by more opportunities for Nordic and Alpine skiing than you could possibly explore. The risk of traveling to ski nirvana is that you might actually wear yourself out and need to find other pursuits while your tired body recovers. [Read about our Finnish ski experience here.] Luckily, Finnish Lapland offers a variety of other activities to keep you active and enjoying the Arctic sunshine while still resting your ski muscles.
Explore Levi
Levi, a short drive from Kittila airport, is Finland’s largest ski area and a classic ski town with shopping, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. As we finished a long day on the trail, we saw an outdoor bar dance party with dozens of people hopping up and down to club beats at the base of the downhill slopes. And yes, there are multiple downhill ski areas around Levi too – if your Nordic ski legs are tired, consider a switch to downhill!
Nordic trails surround the town of Levi, acting as an active transportation corridor on the wide sidewalks of the town. We saw more people skiing than walking on the sidewalks. Every mode of transportation has its designated place. Separate lanes and tunnels for people skiing, walking, snowshoeing and riding snowmobiles allow everyone to enjoy their outdoor experiences and arrive at their destinations safely. This impressive infrastructure demonstrates a commitment that everyone’s access matters, regardless of their current mode of transport.
Drive a Husky Sled
One of the pleasures of visiting the Arctic Circle is riding a dogsled, powered by enthusiastic huskies. There are many options available for businesses that let you drive the sled (on a pre-plowed track) to experience the speed and spirit of these beautiful, hard-working dogs. We chose a small, family run operation, Rami’s Huskies.
Rami’s offered us coffee and hot blueberry juice in a fire-warmed hut as they outfitted us with tall boots, ensured we had warm enough clothing, and gave instructions on how to drive the sled. I felt nervous about the upcoming experience, watching some of the dogs leap several feet straight in the air and bark incessantly as they were hitched up to the sleds. They simply couldn’t wait to start running.
I needn’t have worried. The dogs knew where to run, with tracks plowed into the deep snow, offering snow banks on either side. And they were obedient, responding to gentle pulls of the reins or the foot brake we operated that sunk a wooden wedge into the snow when stepped on. We took turns driving while the other person sat on the sled. The dogs seemed to love running, and watching them was a joy.
After about an hour-long ride, stopping halfway to change drivers, we arrived back at the stable. Calmer now, the huskies laid around, leaned against us like house dogs, and happily accepted petting. Our fingers sunk up to the knuckles in their thick fur.
Husky Slideshow
Driving the husky sled, talking to the staff at Rami’s and petting the dogs – this experience was one of the highlights of our trip and offered an exhilarating way to give our weary ski legs a break.
Visit an Ice Hotel
Staying in an ice hotel has been a bucket list item for me since I first read about one in Quebec years ago.
Ice Hotels are common throughout the Nordics, and there’s one just outside of Kittila at Lapland Hotels Snow Village, so I was eager to check it out.
Each winter the hotel is built anew, with fresh ice and design theme. Each individual room and public areas such as wedding chapel, bar, and exhibit areas features elaborate, lighted ice sculptures built into the walls. The space theme when we visited meant 15 foot high sculptures of fantasy aliens, astronauts and dreamy alien plants and animals. The bar boasted booths and tables sculpted of ice, ice glasses to hold the shots of liqueur, and even a slide built of ice, which we repeatedly slid down while wearing our long, down jackets. After experiencing the cold rooms and seeing the beds topped with fur coverings, I took staying at an ice hotel off my bucket list. I would definitely visit again, but a tour is more our speed than trying to stay warm all night in a literal icebox.
Ice Sculpture Slideshow
Learn about the Indigenous Sami People
A visit to the Samiland Exhibit at the Levi Summit Congress Centre offers a warm educational break from skiing. The museum exhibit is reached from the center of Levi by a scenic ride up hill on the gondola that serves the downhill ski resort. The Samiland Exhibit offers compelling historical photos and details the culture of the native Sami people, part of the UNESCO Observatory Cultural Village Program. The culture of the Sami people spans thousands of years, and they are the modern day EU’s only indigenous people. As with many indigenous people around the world, establishing and solidifying national borders changed the Sami’s traditional way of life and forced assimilation into the dominant cultures. It’s a rare look at a culture we don’t learn about when planning a trip above the Arctic Circle.
See the Northern Lights
Finnish Lapland offers a variety of ways to witness the otherworldly spectacle of the Aurora Borealis. Staff at the Tourism Center can recommend the best locations for seeing the sometimes-elusive lights in Levi. And you can boost your chances with a variety of excursions, including a nighttime snowshoe or snowmobile adventure, an overnight camping adventure or, our favorite, a glass-walled cabin that offered a cushy bed with a glass ceiling above to spot the lights without leaving the room, at Northern Lights Ranch.
We made three attempts to see the Aurora, finally succeeding only on our last night in Levi. First, we drove to the highest point above Levi one night, freezing in the strong wind gusts even wearing our winter gear, and didn’t see anything but clouds. It did offer an opportunity for Brian to test out his camera gear, and taught us to add clothing layers for future attempts.
Another night, we took a snowshoe tour from Northern Lights Village, which was a gorgeous trip stomping in the snow across a frozen lake under a full moon, followed by hot drinks and snacks around a fire in a hut. No aurora that night either.
Our final night in Finish Lapland we treated ourselves to a stay at Northern Lights Ranch, where we enjoyed delicious gourmet food, fed baby reindeer from our hands, enjoyed a sauna plus hot and cold tubs, and at last, witnessed a glorious aurora show playing right above our heads. We highly recommend this experience – our only regret was that we couldn’t stay another night.
And Great Coffee
Even if you don’t ski, there’s enough to do in Levi to keep you busy. As you tour around town, please visit Campfire Barista for coffee, prepared for you on an outdoor fire as you wait. With freshly roasted coffee beans and homemade marshmallows for the hot chocolate, it’s a treat that keeps your hands and belly warm as you enjoy winter above the Arctic Circle.
Planning Resources
| Location | Levi, Finland Closest Airport is Kittila (KTT) – 20 minutes |
| Getting There | FinnAir flies direct from several U.S cities; FinnAir is a OneWorld Partner, so we used AlaskaAir Atmos Rewards miles to fly from Helsinki to Kittila (KTT). We found cheap flights to Helsinki on Going. |
| Visitor Resources | Levi Tourist Information https://www.levi.fi/en/ Finland Tourist Information https://www.visitfinland.com/en/ Finland’s National Parks https://www.luontoon.fi/en/articles/national-parks |
| Activities | Levi Snowshoe Tours: Link Levi Northern Light Tours: Link Levi Husky Tours: Link |
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