The wild north of Finland

Outdoor life plays a big part in Finnish culture, and hiking trails are clearly marked and maintained. The rivers are clean and the water good enough to drink. We walked in the park around Vaattunki. At regular intervals along the way you'll find huts stocked with firewood and a stone circle in which to light your fire. There are even toasting forks and grills, so make sure you pack a kettle and some snacks with you as nothing tastes quite so delicious as coffee and cakes around a camp fire.

Another Finnish tradition that's well worth investigating is the sauna. I've always thought it masochistic to beat yourself with birch sticks, but it turns out that they use the tender young shoots, complete with leaves! Luckily for me, these were not available at the sauna we tried (a simple hut with views overlooking the river), nor was it cold enough for snow so I didn't have to think of an excuse as to why I couldn't run out of the sauna and roll in the snow! But after a quick rinse under a shower I did manage to brave the huge outdoor barrel-shaped hot tub which our kind hosts had thoughtfully heated by burning logs in a furnace to one side. Wallowing there, with a glass of champagne in one hand, while watching the sun set over the river, it's easy to forget your stresses and just kick back and relax.

Meeting Father Christmas

No visit to the Arctic Circle would be complete without meeting Father Christmas and luckily for us, he's hard at work all year round. All Finnish kids know that Father Christmas lives on Ear Mountain near the border with Russia, so it's just his workshop you can visit, but he makes time to greet visitors whenever they drop by. Some 310,000 tourists visit Santa's office each year and even though I'm a hardened cynic, I was impressed by the care and detail at the Santa Claus Village. There's no charge to meet Santa, but you do have to pay if you have your photo taken with him. There are plenty of souvenir shops nearby to pick up trinkets and mememtoes. Alternatively, if you travel with Canterbury Travel, you can meet him at Vaattunki, where he also works in his post office.

Need to know
We travelled with Wild North who arrange wilderness holidays and packages to help you explore the area.
Phone: +358 203 44122
www.wildnorth.net

If you're travelling to see Father Christmas or planning to visit in mid-summer, in time for the midnight sun, contact Canterbury Travel (London) Ltd.

Christmas charters
www.santa-holidays.com

Midnight Sun charter flight programme
www.midnight-sun-lapland.com

For bookings, contact:
Canterbury Travel (London) Ltd
42 High Street
Northwood
Middlesex HA6 1BL
By phone: 01923 822 388

By email: info@midnight-sun-lapland.com

Our flights were with Finnair, who fly to Helsinki. You can then get a connecting flight to Rovaniemi.

Finnair: www.finnair.com, bookings online.