november-2011

WINTER FUN
a stage, venue and even instruments all
constructed out of snow and ice.
Best digs: Possibly Norway’s most
famous resort is Dr Holms Hotel
(neilson.co.uk), whose elegant,
romantic rooms are kitted out with
original art and antique furnishings.
Best eats: Hallingstuene (56 Geilovegen,
+47 32 09 12 50), decorated in the style
of a traditional local cottage, is Geilo’s
most upmarket restaurant. Traditional
meets modern here – reindeer carpaccio
and marinated mountain trout, anyone?
Best souvenir: A kicksled – they’re
typically Norwegian, and Geilo hosts
the Kicksled World Championship.
Rovaniemi, Finland
Where: A few miles south of the Arctic
Circle in Finnish Lapland.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Rovaniemi.
Best for: Skiers who also want a shot
of nomadic Sámi culture – and anyone
who cares to tee off on the ice of the
Kemijoki river (arcticgolf.fi).
Who goes: Young couples with a sense of
adventure; Finnish alpine skier Tanja
Poutiainen trained here and it’s also a
favourite with F1 driver Mika Häkkinen.
Don’t miss: Walk down the Arktikum
museum’s 172m-long central corridor
to explore exhibits on Sámi crafts and
costumes (4 Pohjoisranta, arktikum.fi).
Best digs: The city’s poshest stay is the
recently renovated Santa Claus Hotel
(thomascook.com), whose divine Santa
suite has its own sauna and Jacuzzi.
Best eats: Nili (20 Valtakatu, +358
400 369 669) is great for sampling
Arctic specialties. Sink your teeth into
sautéed reindeer, bear tenderloin,
breast of snowgrouse and chargrilled
Lapland trout.
Best souvenir: A multipurpose knife
from the Marttiini Old Knife Factory
(32 Vartiokatu, marttiini.fi), Finland’s
top blade-makers, in the business
since 1928.
98 Thomas Cook Travel
WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, DON’T MISS
THE CHANCE TO:
GO TO SANTA
CLAUS’S VILLAGE
Just north of the Arctic
Circle at Rovaniemi,
visit Santa’s log cabin
(santaclausvillage.info), for
photos with Father Christmas
and sleigh rides, and learn
to bake gingerbread men at
the nearby theme park.
GO ON A HUSKY
SLEIGH RIDE
Experience the call of the
wild with Siberian huskies on
a safari through a tundra
landscape that’s home to
brown bears, lynx and elk.
The northern latitudes of
Kittilä and Rovaniemi are
ideal (huskypoint.fi).
GO SNOWSHOEING
Clump your way across a
starkly beautiful landscape
and let the cobalt-blue
light put you in a dreamlike
state with a hike in Geilo
(hovestott.no) or Kittilä
(harriniva.fi).
Kittilä, Finland
Where: Smack in the middle of Finnish
Lapland, nearly a hundred miles north
of the Arctic Circle.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport: Kittilä.
Best for: More than 60 ski slopes and
330km of cross-country trails make
the Levi ski centre (levi.fi) perfect for
challenging workouts.
Who goes: Snowboarding fanatics, who
can often be found hitting Ylläs resort
(yllas.fi) as early as October.
Don’t miss: A snowmobile trip through
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park or out
to Lainio Snow Village (snowvillage.fi)
for its snow sculptures and snow hotel.
Best digs: The buzzing Sokos Levi’s 200
rooms are the last word in local luxury,
tastefully decorated in a range of cosy
colours from autumn russets to summer
blues (thomascook.com).
Best eats: Cosy Árran (3 Hissitie, +358
16 64 18 88) serves traditional Sámi
dishes such as creamy smoked reindeer
soup with chanterelle mushrooms.
Best souvenir: Hand-woven, traditional
wool mittens or a cap made from goatskin
and reindeer fur, made by local Sámi.
Vemdalen, Sweden
Where: North east of central Sweden’s
Sånfjället National Park.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Åre-Östersund.
Best for: A ski centre featuring four
areas for kids, plus an award-winning
ski school, making it one of
Scandinavia’s best places for a
family-friendly holiday.
Who goes: Families and couples looking
to take it easy.
Don’t miss: Specialist ski classes that
cover carving, moguls, telemark
skiing and how to survive off-piste;
the newly opened six-seater Grizzly
Express, Scandinavia’s fastest chairlift.
Best digs: Neilson Chalet Backengarden
(neilson.co.uk) is a modern two-storey
PHOTOGRAPHY PER ERIKSSON / TRIGGER AB