10 reasons to visit Lapland in the summer
1. The landscape is stunning
2.There’s a new direct flight route to Swedish Lapland
At a latitude of 64 degrees north, Skelleftea is a sleepy town not far from the Baltic Sea, and Ryanair have launched a new direct three-hour flight there from the UK.
3. The sun never really sets
As it’s so far north, the sun skims the horizon without setting properly.
4. There are a ton of very pretty lakes
5. It’s great for adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts
Take a quad bike ride through the boreal forest with its birch and pine trees reaching up to the sky.
6. It can be baking hot in the summer
You could find yourself wearing shorts and T-shirts just 300km south of the Arctic Circle.
7. You can stay in traditional lavvo tents lined with reindeer skins.
Really feel like you’re at one with the wild at The Batsuoj Sami camp.
8. You might spot bears, reindeer, owls, moose and elk in the wild.
The Svansele Wilderness Centre is a good place to start.
9. You can take a canoe safari
Take a boat with the Lapland Canoe Centre and glide slowly through the water to really appreciate the pristine landscape.
10. Learn about the Sami culture
Respect for the natural world is vital for survival in this environment, something the indigenous Sami people know only too well. Once nomads who would roam the high latitudes, they have since adapted to more modern lifestyles, but their knowledge and love of nature remains undiluted.
Reindeer herder Lotta Svensson and her husband Tom set up the Batsuoj Sami camp to educate people about the Sami way of life.
It’s a fascinating culture. Their belief system, shamanic drums and eventually even their own language were banned by the Swedish church.
For more information visit Destination Skellefrea, Visit Sweden and Swedish Lapland.
