My visit to this winter wonderland showed me so much more than just the aurora borealis.
(Lapland is the largest and northernmost region in the Nordic country, spanning nearly 40,000 square miles.
It is perhaps best known for Rovaniemi, a city trademarked as the official hometown of Santa Claus.)
Credit:Courtesy of Visit Levi
In fact, the area has a 75 percent chance of Northern Lights from September to March.)
The next day, we decamped toward Finlands premiere ski resort and adventure capital of Levi.
We broke up the 2.5-hour drive with a stop atArctic Sauna Worldin Muonios Jeris Lakeside Resort.
Marko Junttila/Courtesy of Visit Finland
(That’s Lappish speak for mountain.)
And the winter sports scene isn’t just for pros or those with experience.
I am not an avid skier, and tried downhill skiing for the first time in Levi.
Courtesy of Hotel Levi Panorama
I set out withAll Huskies, which is the only Green Activities-certified dog sledding experience in Lapland.
(It was important to me to look at vendors with high animal welfare standards.)
All Huskies is also one of the few companies to allow guests to drive the sled themselves.
Courtesy of Visit Levi
All Huskies provided full arctic gear to keep us warm as we raced through Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park.
It was a peaceful, relaxing, and utterly unique experience.
During my stay, I went on a snowshoe expedition in the forest withGrenTrek.
Raija Lehtonen/Courtesy of Lainio Snow VIllage
Journeys here are capped at four participants, who are fitted with traditional wooden snowshoes.
I went for lunch and dined on Norwegian King Crab.
(For the uninitiated, the Norwegian crustaceans have a sweeter and cleaner taste than their Alaskan brethren.
Juho Kuva/Courtesy of Visit Finland & Visit Rovaniemi
The lively experience was a great way to spend my final night.
