Hey all,
This post I decided to write in English as the destination at hand might be of an international interest. However, anyone regardless of their nationality is welcome to read. And if English is not your strength, please feel free to enjoy the pictures.
The reason for me to write about Levi is that on our latest trip there I finally discovered the magic of Lapland.
I'll begin with a few introductory words, Levi is a skiing destination situated in the northern Finland in vicinity of the arctic circle. Levi is one the best known skiing centers in Finland as it is the spot where the alpine skiing slalom world cup starts yearly. From my hometown the distance to Levi is around 900 kilometers so on our latest trip instead of driving there by car we took a nighttrain with a car carriage. I would recommend it as it was less straining than driving for 12 hours in a row yourself. Downside is that it is more expensive, but I think it's hard to put a pricetag on comfort. Also, travelling by airplane is an option but it too is more costly especially when travelling with a large entourage. However, if you're travelling from abroad airplane is the best and stress-free choice. There is a full service airport near Levi from which transportation to Levi operates around the clock (taxes and buses).
The most visible thing in Levi that strikes you on your arrival is the amount of snow. There can be over one meter of natural snow on the ground! Everything looks like it's thickly coated with sugar. It's a true winter wonderland.
There are small villages around the Levi mountain to accomodate the most popular being the Levi Center, which is also my favourite as it is surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars, and also skiing tracks and slopes are easily accessed from there by foot. Still, the southern slopes of Levi are the favourites of many skiers due to their pleasant profile (easy and long). Also, on a clear day the south slopes bathe in sunshine from dawn until dusk, however on these days the south slopes in particular can be a little crowded. It's great fun to move around the mountain and ski down different slopes. I think there is a nice variation of easy and hard hills in Levi. Gentle profile transition slopes allow even the beginners to alpine ski all the way from Levi center to south slopes with one ascend with a gondola.
Levi is brilliantly suited for children. There are several carpet lifts for beginners and platterlifts for more advanced beginners around the mountain. At the Levi Center there is a specific part with small slopes called "children's land" where all sorts of activities for kids are arranged weekly. Huts can be found all around Levi, some of them even have free hot drinks available for everyone, like in the hut at the children's land. All the huts have fireplces on which sausages or marshmallows can be grilled (bring your own). Most of the huts can be accessed by foot as well if there are non-skiers in the entourage they don't have to miss out all the fun.
I have been to Levi for over dozen times but most trips have included taking part in competitions or training camps (now I've retired from that). For the last two times in Levi I've been merely on a vacation so I've had the change to relax and truly get the best out of the holiday and embrace the magic of Lapland. I would argue that Lapland's specialties are pure nature, quiet athmosphere and all activities associating with snow. You will fall in love with it when in the morning you put your cross country skis on (or in this case under) and follow the skiing track into the forest and as you have skied deep enough into the woods stop and listen... Guess what you'll hear? Nothing at all. Only silence. No engine sounds, no human voices, nothing but the beating of your heart. When do you ever have time to listen to the silence? Where do you even find a place with absolute purity and silence? As you catch your breathe the surrounding silence virtually starts to feel funny in the ears. Lose yourself in the silence and one minute can fit an eternity, that's what it feels like. I think people are so accustomed to environmental noise that silence has become a very strange thing. Environmental noise is actually listed as a health risk as it increases the body's stress levels and heart rate, and affects detrimentally body's fat metabolism. Therefore, for ultimate mental and physical relaxation Lapland is the right destination. It has to be experienced to discover the magic, and once you have you'll remember it for the rest of your life.
There are other things to do in Levi in addition to cross country and alpine skiing. For example, there are hundreds of kilometers of snowmobile tracks, and renting a snowmobile is tremendously easy as they give you all the equipment needed from boots to helmets. Usually, one snowmobile fits two adults so if you're not keen on driving but for example you're husband is (like in our case) there is no problem. You can enjoy the ride and views and your mate gets a kick out of driving.
An extraordinary attraction we visited was an icehotel (Snow Village) situated in between of Levi and Ylläs . It was like nothing I have ever seen as there were actual beds made out of snow and ice (matresses were comfy though), and anyone staying the night received a sleeping bag at the reception to sleep in. I have heard that sleeping in cold air guarantees a good night's sleep, but i have yet to try it myself. In addition, there was an ice restaurant, bar and even an altar to get married in!
Levi spa, located at the Levi Center in connection with the Levi Hotel, is also pretty nice inspite of it's minor size. There are some specialities such as an outdoor hottub from which you can jump off and roll on the snow. We tried it and I can assure you it was a refreshing experience. It felt nice to plop back into the hottub after romping about in the snow.
Last time in Levi we even went to see a movie (The Revenant). The Levi cinema is situated on the top of the front slope in Levi Center and you actually have to take the gondola to reach the cinema (with car you can go too). At the top there is also brand new hotel (Panorama) which is pretty posh and luxorious. I gotta say that I think "Lapland desing" is practically it's own brand since it's unique in the way it often combines the elements of old, dried tree logs that are found here in Lapland with modern design, resulting in extraordinary yet modern desings.
There are a lot of services available in Levi, some activities I didn't mention yet include for example a trip with reindeers or husky dogs, snowshoeing, glow bowling, and all kinds of outdoor safaris. Levi is quite expensive but I think on a vacation you can't only look at the prices because some the activities are so unique they can only be experienced in Lapland. Still, also a lot of activities are free of charge, for example cross country skiing, sledding hill, enjoying packed lunch in a hut in the light of a fireplace and much more. The main thing is to enjoy the nature, the purity of the air and amazing views. It will relax your soul.
P.S. All questions and comments are welcome!
Until next time,
MWind