Pallas

When to visit?

If you don’t mind cold weather, I recommend visiting Lapland during the Winter Season, from December until March.

The winter offers many different activities, perfect if you want to spend your Christmas Holidays in a winter fairytale, under the northern lights.

Climate & Seasons

Pallas is located at 68° N, above the Arctic Circle — and has the coldest climate I’ve ever experienced in Scandinavia. It’s very common to have -30 °C, and locals seem to be used to it. I recommend wearing very good winter clothes — you will never feel over-dressed in Lapland. If you are going snowshoeing, try to take with you some warm tea, it can make a difference, after a long-cold day outside. Usually, if you are going on an organised tour, the guides always take some warm beverages with you.

What to wear in lapland?

Temperatures

The climate is cold-continental, with freezing winters and mild summers. The average temperature is -13.5 °C (7.7 °F) in December and January. The coldest record is -46.2 °C (-51.2 °F) and was set in January 1999. The warmest month is July, with a mid-temperature of 14.4 °C (57.8 °F). In summer, there can be short hot periods. The highest record is 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) and was set in July 2018.

Seasons

The midnight sun can be seen from May 28th to July 17th.
In winter, the polar nights are from December 10th to January 2nd, when the sun does not rise. Even though it’s extremely cold during the winter, the polar nights in Lapland, don’t get deep-dark, compared to Northern Norway. Finland has more stable weather, with a clear sky, which also increases the chances of seeing the northern lights. Also, in Finland, there are no tall mountains to cover the first rays of light.

Must do.

Dog sledding

Dog sledging is a unique experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. Whether you decide to do a half-day trip or a multi-day adventure.

Sledge dogs used to be the main form of transportation in the Arctic, connecting some of the most isolated places in the world.

Today, you can enjoy the Lappish wilderness, snuggled up in warm clothes and hides, guided by the Alaskan Huskies.

Snow mobile safari & northern lights hunting

Many tour companies offer snowmobile tours on frozen lakes while looking for northern lights. Lapland is one the best places for enjoying the Aurora Borealis and the Milky Way, thanks to its stable weather and vast landscape. You may also experience the natural phenomenon of the stratospheric clouds — high-altitude clouds, that form during the winter, when temperatures in the stratosphere (at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 m) — fall below the frost point, at very low temperatures. They are best observed during civil twilight when the sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon.

Experience the Sauna Culture

You can’t go to Lapland and not experience the real sauna culture. In the past, it was very common to give birth in saunas. Not when it was heated, of course, but it was a sterile place where hot water was available. There are two million saunas in Finland, for a population of 5.3 million, which means that they have more saunas than cars. Big companies and state institutions have their own saunas. The president has an official sauna, and so does the prime minister. Every house has a sauna and is considered a ‘must’ in Finland. Traditional saunas are heated by wood, burned either on a stove with a chimney or just by a stove. The latter – a smoke sauna – is the original sauna and is believed by most Finns to be the best.

The temperature in the hot room is a matter of preference, but the Finnish people recommend from 80 to 100 °C. There used to be an international sauna competition, where Finns and Russians were considered to be the best. They could stay hours in the sauna until they basically passed out. Unlike they teach in other countries, there is no precise timing to follow if you go to the sauna. Finns just go when they feel like it, most likely with a cold beer and always naked.

Basic etiquette in the sauna is quite simple. You first take all your clothes off – something you have to try not to be shy about. It’s considered polite to shower before going in. Other than that, just stay in as long as you feel comfortable, and return to the sauna several times if you wish. After the sauna, jump into a frozen lake, also called — ‘ice dipping’, or roll in the snow. Is very good for blood circulation and for the immune system.