Finland has a hundred or so "ski resorts" but only a few true international ski resorts. These resorts are supposely third kind of mythical places to a Finnish man to get laid along with Milliklubi and Baltic cruise ships.
GENERAL
The Finnish ski season starts at the end of October in Northern Finland and a month or so later in the South. It usually does not last past the May Day (when the picnic season starts in the Southern Finland). However you can still ski in some parts of Lapland until the end of June. The high season is between December and the beginning of March.
As I wrote in the introduction, most of the Finnish ski resorts are merely a small hill near a city or a town. They do not offer anything but basic equipment renting services and perhaps a cafe. I would not spend my time in them unless you are staying near them for some period of time. However, that said, some of the larger ones in Central Finland are hugely popular and may be worth visiting for a day or two.
FELL RESORTS
Some half a dozen of Finnish ski resorts are based on the top of a 300 - 400 meter high fell. They include huge log cabin villages, restaurants, a club, a skiing school, shops etc. These are were you want to go for a week's vacation.
The most popular ones are situated right next to international airports with direct flights from European capitals during the early and mid winter season. Fly there, take a bus ride and check into the resort's hotel or as I prefer, rent a log cabin. The most expensive and lavish cabins are situated on the foot and the slopes of these fells, but some cheaper ones can be found within ten or so kilometers around the ski resort. Cabins go for anything between 200 to 500 € for a week depending how large they are. However, remember to book them few months before the season starts!
The best ski resorts are Ruka at Kuusamo and Levi and Ylläs at Kittilä. Apart from downhill and tens of kilometers of cross-country skiing, they also offer dog-sleds, reindeer racing, concerts etc. I would estimate that in mid-February they are populated by a mixture 50 % Finns and 30 % of Russians and the rest being British, Germans etc. Kittilä itself is a small municipality of some 6 000 persons and Kuusamo holds around 16 000 people. However, both are huge when it comes to land area. This means long distances and a car is must if you want to move around other than between the airport and the ski resort.
HOTELS & CLUBS
Most, if not all, of the ski hotels located at the top of a fell have a gym, a sauna, bathing facilities and such.
The clubs in these larger places are to me comparable to ones in Baltic cruises except for much better view! You'll have your basic 10 meter long bar, a small dance floor and hugely expensive booze. Typical move could be the same as in the ships: few drinks at the bar and then walking few hundred meters to your place, i.e. a cabin or a room at the hotel. Do look logistics from the multiple cruise threads. Booze can be usually also purchased from the fell village.
Most Finns can ski quite well, so I would not expect that one should go to a skiing school to meet the locals. It could be a quite an opportunity to meet some Russians from e.g. St. Petersburg, I think.
Finally I recommend checking out the film "Lapland Odyssey" for general feeling what kind of crazy stuff is going on in these latitudes during the winter.
GENERAL
The Finnish ski season starts at the end of October in Northern Finland and a month or so later in the South. It usually does not last past the May Day (when the picnic season starts in the Southern Finland). However you can still ski in some parts of Lapland until the end of June. The high season is between December and the beginning of March.
As I wrote in the introduction, most of the Finnish ski resorts are merely a small hill near a city or a town. They do not offer anything but basic equipment renting services and perhaps a cafe. I would not spend my time in them unless you are staying near them for some period of time. However, that said, some of the larger ones in Central Finland are hugely popular and may be worth visiting for a day or two.
FELL RESORTS
Some half a dozen of Finnish ski resorts are based on the top of a 300 - 400 meter high fell. They include huge log cabin villages, restaurants, a club, a skiing school, shops etc. These are were you want to go for a week's vacation.
The most popular ones are situated right next to international airports with direct flights from European capitals during the early and mid winter season. Fly there, take a bus ride and check into the resort's hotel or as I prefer, rent a log cabin. The most expensive and lavish cabins are situated on the foot and the slopes of these fells, but some cheaper ones can be found within ten or so kilometers around the ski resort. Cabins go for anything between 200 to 500 € for a week depending how large they are. However, remember to book them few months before the season starts!
The best ski resorts are Ruka at Kuusamo and Levi and Ylläs at Kittilä. Apart from downhill and tens of kilometers of cross-country skiing, they also offer dog-sleds, reindeer racing, concerts etc. I would estimate that in mid-February they are populated by a mixture 50 % Finns and 30 % of Russians and the rest being British, Germans etc. Kittilä itself is a small municipality of some 6 000 persons and Kuusamo holds around 16 000 people. However, both are huge when it comes to land area. This means long distances and a car is must if you want to move around other than between the airport and the ski resort.
HOTELS & CLUBS
Most, if not all, of the ski hotels located at the top of a fell have a gym, a sauna, bathing facilities and such.
The clubs in these larger places are to me comparable to ones in Baltic cruises except for much better view! You'll have your basic 10 meter long bar, a small dance floor and hugely expensive booze. Typical move could be the same as in the ships: few drinks at the bar and then walking few hundred meters to your place, i.e. a cabin or a room at the hotel. Do look logistics from the multiple cruise threads. Booze can be usually also purchased from the fell village.
Most Finns can ski quite well, so I would not expect that one should go to a skiing school to meet the locals. It could be a quite an opportunity to meet some Russians from e.g. St. Petersburg, I think.
Finally I recommend checking out the film "Lapland Odyssey" for general feeling what kind of crazy stuff is going on in these latitudes during the winter.
