Introduction

The mystical, exotic Lapland where reindeers roam on mountains and in vast forests, where the Northern Lights shed light on pure white snow during the dark winter, and where the sun never sets in summer is a land of Sami people. Lapland and the Sami welcome travelers who love the great outdoors, untouched nature, and peaceful life in small villages.

Except for a few small towns and villages, practically the whole vast area of Lapland is wilderness where fells, rivers, lakes, marshland, and forests provide a vast playground for the wildlife. Reindeer herders may not be thrilled find traces of bears, wolves, or wolverines nearby, whereas tourists would be excited to spot a predator in the wild (it is extremely unlikely to encounter them).

Hiking on fells, along river canyons or across marshlands is a fabulous way to enjoy Lapland. Mountainbikers have also discovered Lapland’s trails. In winter, skiing and dogsledding bring visitors to ski resorts and cottages. Fishing in rivers, lakes and the sea is a popular activity in summer among locals and visitors alike.

A popular method for tourists to absorb the landscapes and sceneries of Lapland is road travel. Roads maybe few, distances long and services infrequent, but very few destinations in the world has the same variety, wildlife and rough beauty as Lapland. Nordkapp (North Cape) is the modern pilgrimage destination located at the end of the world; it is the northernmost point of Europe. In Nordkapp, the road ends into the Arctic Ocean.

Touring Lapland by car, motorbike or bicycle rarely presents a dull moment. Majestic, often lush, inland fell sceneries change to rough and scarce Arctic landscape in the north as the Arctic Ocean gets closer. Following fell rivers that flow west introduces yet another scenery as the landscape transforms from fells to steep mountains and gorges, and picture-perfect fjords provide shelter for residents from the Atlantic Ocean.

Lapland is all about nature and respect for the environment. People who live in Lapland say they have eight seasons: first snow, Christmas, frosty winter, crusty snow, departure of ice, midnight sun, harvest season and colorful autumn. The traditional life and livelihood has been tightly coupled with seasons that have determined how reindeers have behaved, and how hunting and fishing have been conducted.

For visitors, the peak seasons are summer, colorful autumn, Christmas and crusty snow (spring).

Lapland covers a vast area in northern Scandinavia. The northernmost parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden make up the region that is referred to as Lapland in this book. Geographically, the area north of the Arctic Circle is regarded as Lapland, which included the north-west corner of Russia as well. The Russian Lapland is not covered in this book. The focus is on the Scandinavian Lapland alone.

This book is organized by key places, national parks, sights, and activities. As a large and diverse region, there are so many attractive destinations, pretty sights, and activities to experience that it may feel overwhelming when you start planning your trip. Top 5 lists help you in the planning process because they rank the most popular and spectacular places, sights, activities, and touring routes.

All the names of places have been written in local languages in this book, because that’s what you will see in each country. Sometimes, you may spot road signs and other texts in Sami language as well, but the second language on the signs is always the national language.

The focus of this book is on the sights, nature, attractions, landscape, activities, Sami culture, touring, and managing travel in this large region. Lapland is all about the great outdoors, and less about shopping, Michelin-star restaurants, urban life or luxury hotels. That’s why the book addresses wildlife, national parks, everyman’s rights, fells and fjords rather than malls, hotel gyms or restaurant reviews.

A journey to Lapland is an adventure you will remember for the rest of your life. Plan your own tour to the North and let this guidebook help you on your way.

Photo by Dmitry Chulov.