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Top winter activity holidays - how the Scandinavians do it by Dipika Patel
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Top winter activity holidays - how the Scandinavians do it |
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Travel & Tourism
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It’s mid November. It’s cold, it’s wet and it’s dark. Rather than running from the winter months, why not embrace them? Instead of planning a winter sun escape, you could head to the winter wonderland that is Scandinavia and embrace the best of what winter has to offer. Have you ever gone ice fishing? Cross country skiing? Dog-sledding? These are just some of the activities you could be doing this winter – not to mention the unmissable sights on offer like the Northern Lights. So instead of turning up the heating and fantasizing about next summer’s beach vacation, why not spend this winter holiday in a pristine landscape blanketed in snow? Wrap up warm, and get ready for the winter adventure of a lifetime… Finnish Lapland: Pay Santa a visit… A winter activity holiday designed with families in mind – the kids will love a getaway to Jeris in Lapland. Positioned on the shore of Lake Jerisjarvi and the edge of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, here you have cosy cottages, deep layers of snow and even a spa facility to sneak away to. Jeris is a beautiful, wild part of the world. Picture snow covered ground so pure that it doesn’t even have a footprint in it yet. Once you get used to stepping outside into sub-zero temperatures, (it takes a few days) you’ll be primed to enjoy the activities on offer. Snowmobile one day, snowshoe the other. Play husky safari and reindeer games, or have an old-fashioned snowball fight. And if the kids misbehave, remind them that Santa lives just around the corner. Sweden: The Northern Lights… For a truly magical alternative to the usual winter activities of skiing or snowboarding, you should consider heading to Sweden to witness the Northern Lights. How can we describe the wondrous beauty of this phenomenon? It’s difficult, but we’ll try. The Northern Lights – or the aurora borealis – can appear as slithers of light or curtains of colour. They can be lasting and extremely bright, or faint and fleeting (Therein lies their mystery). Sometimes they are pink, sometimes blue, but most often green. So where should you go to see them at their best? We suggest the Abisko Mountain Station in Abisko National Park. Just north of the Arctic Circle, this is an ideal spot to view the lights. You’ll have peace and quiet while you take in the spectacular landscape. You could even pop into the Ice Hotel to have a truly unique accommodation experience. A cocktail will soon warm you up… Norway: Cross country skiing It may look a bit silly, but don’t knock it till you try it! Surprisingly strenuous, cross-country skiing across Norway will give you a cardio workout whilst allowing you to take in beautiful landscape scenery. Build up an appetite for some Norwegian meat cakes as you work your way across the forest tracks. You have more than 80 kilometres to choose from, crossing lakes and open countryside. For those particularly confident about their cross country skills, seek out the downhill runs. Skiing devotees should follow the off-track runs that take you above the tree line. And for novices, Kvitavatn is the perfect place to visit. Sitting almost one thousand metres above the town of Rjukan, from here you’ll have views of Gausta, Southern Norway’s highest mountain. Also try to visit the vast plateau of the Hardangervidda in the north stretches. It’s here the scenery is at its most awe-inspiring. Iceland: a Spa Break Is getting a massage technically a winter activity? Why split hairs? And anyway, no one can question you if you reach the spa after trekking on horseback. After a long day in the saddle, you’ll be ready for a soak in one of Iceland’s hot springs. You could visit The Blue Lagoon – an expanse of naturally heated, powder-blue water, dramatically set against a jet black lavascape. This water is full of unique natural minerals, and stems from around 2000 metres underground. If you can’t wait to experience this, you’ll be happy to hear that this particular hot spring is just ten minutes by car from the international airport at Keflavik and around 30 minutes from Reykjavik. Oh, and we mentioned horse riding, didn’t we? You might not know that horse riding is a cherished tradition in Iceland. Vikings didn’t just sail ships, they also got around on horseback. You won’t have to be an expert equestrian to explore Iceland by horse – even riders with little experience could still spend a day immersed in nature. You’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time as you tour the volcanic island on horseback, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and breathing in the pure Icelandic air. If nothing else, you’ll work up a huge appetite! Greenland: Dog sledding You could explore the wildest corners of Iceland whilst having the ultimate dog-sledding experience. The beautiful Thule district situated in the north west of Greenland is a fantastic spot for dog-sledding. Not only is the landscape impressive, the area is alive with Polar Inuit – the Arctic’s final stronghold of truly traditional people. Inuit, a traditional hunting community, travel entirely by dog team during winter. Time spent here gives you an insight into a hunting culture that stretches back a thousand years. Not for the faint-hearted or easily exhausted, a dog sledding expedition in Greenland amongst the majestic icy landscape will be a winter activity you’ll never forget. Responsible Travel offers a specialised dog sledding trip to the Thule region. Start packing your woollen socks and thermal underwear, because now you have all the information you need to commence a winter of adventure in Scandinavia - one of the planet’s most fascinating places to experience an isolated winter wilderness. Don’t let the cold temperatures hold you back!
Related Articles -
Activity holidays, skiing holidays, snowboarding holidays,
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