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
It’s small and quiet, but Vemdalen in Sweden is also a mecca for specialist skiers Off-the-beaten-track Vemdalen is north of central Sweden’s Sånfjället National Park
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