2019-10-01 Wanderlust

24 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019

Amysticalsettingwithachanceofseeingthenorthernlights,FinnishLapland’schanging

landscapesareacalltothewildthat’sfinallybeingheard.It’salsothejollyhomeofSanta

Freedom to roam

Nature is not only

wild in Finland, it’s

free for everyone to

enjoy – respectfully

Alamy; Dreamstime; Getty Images

B

efore the silver lakes
frost over and snow
dusts the forests
and fells of Finnish
Lapland, the
short-lived season of ruska takes
hold of the land. Fall colours set
the arboreal landscape ablaze,
with the leaves of birches and
mountain ash trees rusting into
amber, gold and scarlet.
This, however, won’t be the only
spectacle to catch your eye this
season, as the northern lights
make a comeback, swinging
a curtain of pale green light over

a sleepy land settling down for

a long peaceful snooze.

It’s a time of year that attracts

all sorts of visitors to the region, all

in the hope of capturing both

experiences. The hiking trails at

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

offer a fitting introduction to the

changing colours, before winter

makes the routes treacherous by

around mid-October. Trek the

55km-long Hetta-Pallas Hiking

Trail and you’ll find fells, ravines

and panoramic views across

the park. On your way, you’ll

discover open wilderness huts,

where you can rest up for a night

and take advantage of the Finn’s

‘right to roam’ law.

Heading south, not far from

Lapland’s capital Rovaniemi – aka

Santa’s HQ – you can hang out

with blue-eyed huskies on

therapeutic retreats, join them on

bumpy cart rides as they train for

the upcoming winter season, or

canoe your way up to a (non-

flying) reindeer farm.

Continue north to Lake Inari

however, and you’ll come across

the Sámi – indigenous semi-

nomads who herd vast numbers

of reindeer through Scandinavian

forests. Guided tours at the Siida

museum offer an insight into

their culture, while boating trips

along the River Lemmenjoki lead

you into their ancient homelands.

Inari is also where you’re likely

to have your best encounter with

the aurora borealis, known here

as ‘fox fire’. Tales of an Arctic fox

sparking snow with his tail may

be popular folklore, but if you

gaze upwards, you can almost

hear the real story, the whisper of

distant solar storms happening

well beyond our reach.

Go

Now

for an autumnal adventure

THE DESTINATION:

FINNISH LAPLAND