Best Ski Resorts in Finland
There are way more than a handful of ski resorts in Finland, which isn’t surprising due to the cold weather that the country gets. We’ve put together a quick list of the best ski resorts in Finland, and some stories to go along with this popular Finnish pastime.
Here is our quick summary list of the best ski resorts in Finland.
- Levi ski resort
- Kuusamo ski resort
- Laajis, Laajavuori ski resort
- Tahko ski resort
- Iso-Syöte ski resort
- Vuokatti ski resort
- Pyhä ski resort
- Ruka ski resort
- Saariselkä skit resort
- Messilä ski resort
- Ylläs ski resort
The unofficial slogan of Finland is “Hanging with stags”. This combines the traditional definition of the weather and the country’s situation in two words. It also hints at the country’s quality of life. One way that the Finns boost their quality of life is by skiing regularly, it is a great overall sport. You can also have some drinks once you’ve finished your daily ski.
For all its Nordic qualities, Finland is far more temperate than most places, and it has plenty of water and hills to keep skiers happy. As far as I can tell, the only continent-size country that isn’t part of the Alps or the southern hemisphere is the Baltic. Finland has plenty of winter mountains that allow you to live a private Alps existence without having to step out of your house in any clothes.
Plus, the country is likely to be several days ahead of the rest of the world. (Whether you can stay up for that long without work also is an open question.) And while you can ski all the seasons, you won’t get much sunshine in March. The country also has its share of extreme cold and snow; it’s Europe’s snowiest country on average, with 41cm of snow per year. Finland is one of the few places in the world where you can visit in November and have snow in the streets. But once again, you will probably have to wear a lot of clothes, unless you fancy ice swimming like the crazy Finns do!
The answer, of course, is to get to a resort, stay put, and try not to go home. It’s remarkable how resilient this can be. And it’s great news for Finland. Finnish summers are mild, but so are Finnish winters; they just happen to be completely different. There’s room for skiing on the wild, fun-loving Latvian winter, as well as in Finland in winter. And these days, as the country moves to an ecologically sound energy system, Finland is finding even more ways to develop year-round ski resorts. Not surprisingly, sunny but season-less lands with no snow can be a nightmare for skiers. Really bad snow conditions scare people away. But cold and dark are equalizing; people will simply turn to other sports, such as cross-country skiing, which is even easier on the body and requires less physical exertion than skiing.
If it’s absolutely necessary to go to a resort, then Finland is as great a place as any to do it. People there love skiing – or at least, they love going.
According to the country’s tourism promotion agency, there are 55 ski resorts in the country, and the number of skiers in Finland is roughly twice as big as it was in the 1970s. About one in five Finnish residents visits a ski resort at least once a year, and twice as many visit twice a year or more.
One reason that Finland is good at making its tourism economy work is that it has fewer tourist facilities. So on a holiday, I might decide to go for a quick family walk instead of spending hours in a noisy tourist shop. Because you’ll need two days to prepare yourself for skiing, there’s plenty of time to relax and unwind before hitting the slopes.
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