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Apukka Resort Blog & News
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Our blog introduces life in the Arctic to you one topic at a time. From our daily lives here in the North to the old beliefs built around the Northern Lights and the history of Lapland, our blog familiarizes Finland and the Finns to you on a new level.
Please have a look at our blog, hope you find it interesting!
When to Visit Lapland
The changing seasons are among the best things about Rovaniemi, Lapland, and Apukka Resort. But how do you know when to visit Lapland when it is a magical destination all year round? Each season brings unique experiences, and depending on your preferences, some seasons can suit you better than others. Let’s look at the five …
Why You Should Visit Rovaniemi in November
Rovaniemi in November, what is it all about, what should you expect, and why you should visit? In November, as Rovaniemi is preparing for the busy Christmas season, nature is preparing itself for the winter. Meanwhile, days are getting even shorter as we get closer to polar night. Check out the reasons why you should …
8+ Reasons to Spend Your Easter Holiday in Lapland
A long holiday around Easter is the perfect reason to travel, and what would be a better way to spend it than by heading to Lapland? We gathered eight reasons why you should spend your Easter Holiday in Lapland. And as a cherry on top, there’s a DISCOUNT CODE at the end of the article. …
Day and Evening Trips to Apukka Resort
We warmly welcome all guests in Rovaniemi to visit Apukka Resort! Take the Apukka Shuttle Bus from Rovaniemi City or Santa Claus Village; our winter wonderland is waiting for you! For the evening visit, fill your appetite in Restaurant Aitta or Pizzeria Kota. Our cozy Lobby Bar Riihi invites you for beverages and our open …
Free Uber Sleigh Rides in Apukka Resort Rovaniemi on 12th-18th Dec 2022
Uber brings the world’s first on-demand Uber reindeer sleigh rides available at Apukka Resort Rovaniemi in the middle of the Christmas season. ‘Uber Sleigh’ will be available to book on the Uber app between 12-18 December 2022, free of charge. The first-of-its-kind Uber Sleigh ride will depart from us at Apukka Resort Rovaniemi. It will …
What Clothes to Pack for a Winter Vacation in Lapland?
During the coldest months in Lapland, the temperatures can drop even as low as –30 degrees Celsius, which means that packing proper clothing is vital to having an enjoyable vacation in Lapland. Even the warmer temperatures may start feeling cold in activities like husky rides and reindeer sleigh rides. We Finns have been learning how to …
Best Winter Activities for Families in Rovaniemi
There are so many exciting winter activities in Rovaniemi but how can you experience everything with your family? We gathered all the best winter activities for families and tips on how to experience them on your family vacation in Lapland and create amazing, unforgettable memories as a family. Snowmobiling with Children The best way to …
6 Must-do Things When Traveling to Lapland in Winter – The Ultimate Lapland Bucket List
There are so many iconic things to do in the Arctic Circle during the winter, but what are the ones you shouldn’t miss out on? Look no further; we’ve gathered the ultimate Lapland bucket list of things that are totally worth your time. So experience the best of Finnish Lapland and Rovaniemi through active days …
6 Reasons to Travel to Lapland in Autumn
We gathered six reasons to travel to Rovaniemi in Autumn time because one might argue that autumn is one of the most beautiful times in Lapland. Although we love all seasons here in Rovaniemi, after the Midnight Sun, we are happy to welcome the dark nights again. The cool autumn nights are filled with lights …
FINNISH CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
What are the Finnish Christmas traditions? Christmas is getting closer and people are getting into the holiday mood. In Apukka, this time of the year is usually the busiest and Apukka is filled with happy faces. Christmas songs, Christmas tree and the warm from the fireplace of Apukka would invite you to sit down and relax. Next year, dear friends, the dream is true. But …
The Magic of Christmas time
Through this blog you’ve had a chance to take a sneak peak into daily lives here in Lapland, the history of the region and the peculiar manners of the Finns. However, we just recently realised that there is one important aspect that we’ve never told you about in the blog. A well-kept secret that not …
The Spark of a Flint
Bonfires have always had a special place in the hearts of a Finn. There is something magical in the atmosphere an open fire creates around it. When a fire is lit, it’s almost as if time would stop and the shadows casted to the surrounding forest by its hypnotizing flames became the only reality you know. The peace …
The Time of the Taverns
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a new story to this blog and a lot has happened on the premises of Apukka meanwhile. As you may remember from our previous blog posts, back in the old days there used to be a tavern on the very location Apukka Resort stands today. Well, as we treasure our …
The First Pages of Apukka Resorts Story
We all have a story to tell. A story that begins from the dawn of our time and is altered by all the small encounters and details met along the path. A story full of enchanting memories, unique moments and brave individuals. As any story when told, this story will open our soul and heart …
The Story of a Certain Dogmusher
Apukka Resort is a wilderness resort on the edge of the Lappish outback. It is old log walls and fireplaces, laavus hidden deep in the surrounding forests and a location for endless possibilities of spotting the mythical Northern Lights. But beyond all this, Apukka Resort is the people. We have an amazing team of brave souls with limitless …
In the Land of Untouched Snow
Although summer is getting closer in Rovaniemi day by day, we still have piles of snow everywhere in Apukka Resort. As you might know, us Finns, we like the snow. The way it sparkles on the coldest of days when the thermometer might drop down to -40 C, making the world outside look like it …
There Shall be a New Day – thoughts from Apukka on the edge of spring
For the past weeks the world we know has been different. The global borders that we’ve all gotten used to welcoming us for yet again new adventures have partially closed and the freedom previously so familiar to us has taken a different form. From mountains to valleys and from farming fields to big cities a cloud of uncertainty has …
The First Snow of the Winter
As you are reading this, the first proper snow of the winter has just landed to the ground at Apukka Resort. And there is a lot of it, enough for us to start running many of our winter activities. The thermometer is showing -16 C, and because of the quick drop in the temperature we …
Marvelous Adventures of a Husky
So, let’s talk about huskies. Because, who wouldn’t love dogs? At Apukka Resort we are currently building a brand new, spacious dog yard, with the main focus on the well being of the dogs. When you step inside the dog yard, your heart simply melts. Dozens of beautiful eyes of different colors are focused on …
Where the red fox runs
Earlier on in this blog we’ve told you about the science behind the Northern Lights. However, in the history of mankind, the scientific explanation for the Auroras has been available only for a fraction of a time. Before that, people had to rely on their instincts and imagination. Living in the modern day, with all …
The song of the Siberian Jay
Summer has officially turned into autumn now in Finnish Lapland. You can feel it in the air as you step outside in the morning and feel the fresh, cool air diving through your lungs. As the temperature has dropped for the night, the early mornings here are often met by a mystical fog covering the …
As the sun turns the lights on
It always catches us by surprise to notice how fast the seasons change here. At this time of the year the change is unbelievably rapid and in such a short time the nightless night turns into dark nights, allowing the thousands of stars on the sky to escort our way. It’s not only the starry …
The Finns – the exceptional nation of the far up North
If you have been planning a trip to Finland, you must have come across some of the characteristics of the Finnish culture. Maybe you’ve heard that we have more saunas in this country than there are cars? Or that the number of reindeer in Lapland is higher than the amount of people inhabiting the northern …
High hopes for the heights
As the day turns into evening in wintry Apukka, the starry, clear sky gives us hints of something to look forward to for the night. The anticipation starts to grow and throughout the evening people walk on the premises with their eyes pointed upwards. We are all waiting anxiously, maybe this’ll be one of those …
The four seasons of Apukka Resort
We here in Apukka Resort have had an amazing summer underneath the Midnight Sun and have enjoyed every single moment of the sunshine and warm days it has presented to us. Yet still, one of the reasons we love Finland so much is the fact that we have four beautiful seasons here, all of them …
Snow Fact #6 – Words of Snow
Have you ever heard of “pyry”, “tuisku” or “loska”? Man called Franz Boas is well known for his Handbook of American Indian Languages, published in 1911. In this little book he commented on Inuit words for snow, and his writings have fueled a century long debate ever since. The Inuits are commonly referred as Eskimos and …
Snow Fact #5 – The Year Without Summer
Have you heard of the chilly summer in the 1816? We’ve had couple of cold summers here in Finland recently and the whole Europe’s been kind of chilly in the summertime. Even if it’s cold and it feels bad to have freezing sensations during your summer holidays, luckily that’s all for us. Things were a bit different …
Snow Fact #4 – Snow Albedo
Did you know that in the autumn time we get less sunlight every day, but suddenly snow makes it a lot lighter? Before the first snow falls in the November it is usually quite dark here in the North. Feels like all the little amounts of light we get is sucked to the rainy roads …
Snow Fact #3 – The Biggest Snowball Fight, like ever
Do you know about “the war of snowballs” that took place two years ago? Snowball fights are fun. Especially when you have many fighters at the same time. You know, the more the merrier. We’ve had plenty of world records here at our list of Snow Facts, like the biggest snowflake or the first identical …
Snow Fact #2 – Snowflakes alike
Stop the press! Did you know two snowflakes can be the same? You may have heard people saying that two snowflakes cannot possibly be identical. Well, it is actually a myth which was busted already 40 years ago! No scientist ever said that two snowflakes cannot be the same. This idea was made popular by …
Snow Fact #1 – The World Largest Snowflake
Have you heard of the biggest snowflake ever? Last year we were uncovering interesting Northern Light Facts. This year we have something new: snow. This is the first fact in our Snow Fact -series covering interesting facts about snow and winter.This first fact will be about the biggest snowflake ever. Individual snowflakes are quite small, …
The shortest day of the year!
The shortest day of the year arrived 21st of December 2017, the day is also known as the Winter Solstice. From now on the Lapland is getting towards the spring. Here is a brief introduction to the Polar Night, equipped with some really useful links, if you want to know more! In Lapland the darkest …
Northern Light Fact #10 – Legendary Lights
Have you ever wondered what the ancient Greeks or Scandinavians thought about the Aurora Borealis? Even the Northern Lights can be really rare around the world, there are plenty of different myths and legends about them. This is a fact about the myths. The name “Aurora Borealis” is actually derived from Greek words “Aurora” meaning …
Northern Light Fact #9 – The First Lights
Northern Lights have always been there, but who was the first human who accurately described this phenomenon? There are many ancient cave-paintings about Aurora Borealis, oldest known painting is actually called “Macaronis” and it was painted somewhere around 30,000 B.C. Then 2600 B.C there are writings from China saying that “strong lightning was moving around …
Northern Light Fact #8 – Lights at the Equator
Did you know that Auroras have been seen at the Equator? There are confirmed proofs that the Northern Lights may not always be so northern after all. Reports say the most southern Northern Lights ever have been witnessed during the massive solar storm of 1859 known as the Carrington Event. During that time the colors …
The Brief History of Apukka
Hundreds of years ago the traditional Finns, the Sami-people, inhabited the coasts of lake Olkkajärvi. They called the place Apukka. In Apukka, the arctic nature provided the Sami-people with a great environment for reindeer farming, hunting, fishing and berry picking. Apukka’s Tavern was mentioned for the first time about 150 years ago, in 1865. Apukka …
Northern Light Fact #7 – The Cool Light
They look like fire, but are the Northern Lights hot? The northern lights may look like fire, but they wouldn’t feel like one if you had the chance to touch them. Yes, Northern Lights are basically hot flying particles from the Sun hitting the Earth’s magnetic field with the speed of sound, but in the …
Northern Light Fact #6 – The Science Side
How the Northern Lights are created? Easy question, really scientific answer. Short answer would be that particles from the Sun hit Earth’s magnetic field and collide with oxygen atoms and release energy. That energy is shown as a green light. Our fact number six is a science fact so today we go deep to the …
Northern Light Fact #5 – The Space Lights
Did you know that astronauts may have the best views of the Northern Lights? When orbiting the Earth, the Northern Lights can be seen directly across from the spaceships in a view unlike any other. The altitude of the Northern Lights is actually same as the altitude of the International Space Station and this is …
Northern Light Fact #4 – The Southern Lights
You know Aurora Borealis, but what about Aurora Australis? Northern Lights are well known around the globe, but very few know that they have their southern counterpart. Around the southern magnetic pole the aurora occurs same way as in the north and actually they occur at the same time. It just happens to be so …
Northern Light Fact #3 – The Color
Why are the Northern Lights so often green? The colors of auroras are determined by the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, and incoming solar particles tend to collide with different gases at different heights. The most common height for the particles to collide is from 100 to 300 kilometers above the ground. At this height …
The History of Aurora Borealis
An aurora was described by the Greek explorer Pytheas in the 4th century BC. Seneca wrote about auroras in the first book of his Naturales Quaestiones, classifying them, for instance as pithaei (barrel-like); chasmata (chasm); pogoniae (bearded); cyparissae (like cypress trees), and describing their manifold colors. He wrote about whether they were above or below …
Northern Lights of the Carrington Event
You get a certain hunger for Northern Lights and you have to see them again, and again. When it’s your job to think about Aurora Borealis, you sometimes accidentally start to think how big they can get. It is well known that all The Northern Lights are not the same, so who has seen the …
Northern Light Fact #1 – The Sound
Northern Lights look great, but did you know that they also produce sound? Some people say that you can hear faint sounds such as claps, crackles, and static sounds while Northern Lights are on the sky. However, the aurora noise is so rare that hearing it is possible only during times of maximum aurora activity, …
Northern Light Fact #2 – The Firefox
Have you heard about the Firefox that creates the Northern Lights? Northern Lights can be confusing. Nowadays we know Aurora Borealis is caused by Earth’s magnetic field and wildly flying particles from the sun, but can you imagine how hard it was to explain this phenomenon centuries ago? In Finland people tried to explain Northern …