Surrounded by the majestic landscapes of Northern Lapland, Saariselkä is the northernmost ski resort in Finland. It serves as the gateway for outdoor pursuits in Urho Kekkonen National Park and is a popular destination for seeing the Northern Lights.
If you’re visiting in the winter months, you can take advantage of the more than 200 kilometres of cross-country ski trails that wind through Saariselkä’s surrounding area. Want to learn to ski? The downhill ski slopes of Kaunispää and Iisakkipää are both ideal for beginners, with several of the trails illuminated during the short winter days.
A large network of hiking trails and wilderness huts can be found in the 253,800-hectare Urho Kekkonen National Park, which encompasses untouched forest, marshland and low fells along Finland’s border with Russia. Keep your eyes peeled for bears, wolverines and golden eagles soaring in the skies above, together with hundreds of free-roaming reindeer.
Getting there
Saariselkä is a 25-minute drive from Ivalo Airport, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. Trains travel from the Finnish capital to Rovaniemi, from where you can catch a bus or rent a car for the three-hour journey to Saariselkä.