ARCTIC SUMMER

The Davvi Arctic Lodge
‘RUSKA’: COLOURS OF AUTUMN
Summer in Northern Finland ends with
a spectacular explosion of colour in the
forests. This is the season known as ‘ruska’,
when the first frosts turn the landscape’s
myriad leaves into a rich blaze of colour
that rivals the renowned beauty of New
England’s fall.
This phenomenon of spectacular
autumnal heath and birch colours occurs for
a couple of weeks around mid September
every year and the autumnal reds, browns
and yellows are especially beautiful on the
fells of Northern Finland.
The colours have to be witnessed to be
believed - in every direction you can see red
bearberries, purple billberries, orange dwarf
birches and yellow mountain birch trees. A
truly amazing sight. Ruska is a popular time
Ruska begins when chlorophyll, which
provides plants with their green colour,
is transported from a tree or bush’s leaves
to the trunk and roots for storage, leaving
behind a kaleidoscope of other pigments.
for trekking in Northern Finland, when the
landscape puts on it its last unforgettable
display before the snows once more return.
The air is full of falling leaves and the
smell of wood smoke, while the woods
are filled with ripe berries and wild edible
mushrooms, such as yellow chanterelles and
brown porcini.
Why not time your break to hopefully
coincide with ruska’s spectacular scenery
The timing of the autumn colours varies
from year to year, depending on climatic
conditions. However, the last two weeks of
September are most likely to coincide with
the vivid autumn colours.
THE DAVVI ARCTIC LODGE
A simple but attractive wilderness retreat,
set on a secluded hillside on the edge of
Karesuando, close to the Finland/Sweden
border. The hotel’s centrepiece is its distinctive
restaurant, which provides spectacular
panoramic views across the hillside towards
Swedish Karesuando. The circular design of
the restaurant is inspired by the shape of the
Sámi reindeer corral. Hotel rooms, cabins and
premium accommodation are all available.
n Why we chose it: Unpretentious and set
in the heart of the summer fells, with a host of
activities available close by.
29