Saariselkä ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Saariselka
Overview
Saariselkä is a popular winter holiday resort in the center of Lapland comprising the villages of Saariselkä village, Kiilopää and Kakslauttanen - home to the famous Igloo Village. The resort is close to Ivalo where you fly in to on the eastern side of Finland and just 85km away from the Russian border.
Sitting 260km above the Arctic Circle and 200km south of the Arctic Ocean in the Urho Kekkonen National Park, Saariselkä is one of the world's most northerly ski resorts along with Riksgransen in Sweden.
When you arrive in Lapland, one of the things that hits you most is the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere - the remoteness and wilderness is all around you - its more likely for you to come across a reindeer than a fellow skier!
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 265m |
| Top lift | 440m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 12 |
| Longest run | 1 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 200 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed & Informal |
Northern Lights
Being so far North, Saariselkä is an ideal place for spotting the Northern Lights, otherwise known as Aurora Borealis.
The best time to see them is from late autumn to early spring during the polar nights or Kaasmos. This is a magical time of year with the blue twilight, frost bitten forests and deep powder snow.
Saariselkä ski area guide
Saariselkä has a small downhill ski area within the pine forests of the national park. The slopes are 1km from the resort and you can get the ski bus there which can drop you off at the bottom or top of the "mountain" given that there is only 180m in height difference. In fact, the ski area is really on 2 big hills or fells as they are known in Finland called Kaunispaa and Iisakipää. Just 16 km from Saariselkä is another fell where you can ski called Kiilopää.
Beginners
Beginners have several green and blue runs on the eastern side of the mountain to learn the basics before progressing on to some reds. For the children who are starting out for the first time, the bunny slopes as they are known are right in front of the base lift near to the restaurants and ski schools.
Intermediate
For intermediate skiers who do not want to go touring, the mountain offers a number of runs on the front side. This is also where you will find the snowpark.
Advanced
Saariselkä is not the place to visit if you are an expert skier and want a holiday full of challenging terrain. There is only 1 black run although the off-piste through the trees can provide some challenges.
Snowboarding
Boarders will have fun on the excellent terrain park, which claims to be Finland's largest and features an impressive half pipes and lots of jumps. The chairlift makes it easier to get up if you're not keen on boarding up on the T Bar. Saariselkä's laid back atmosphere and rocking night spots also appeals to most boarders.
Cross Country Skiing
Cross country skiing is a major activity at Saariselkä which has a network of 220km of trails, 30km of which are floodlit for night skiing. A regular free ski bus links key points on the trails and local villages making one way excursions easy to organise.
Things to see & do
If you dont fancy skiing or want to try or see something different then there is a wide choice of other activities in the resort including...
- Snowmobile safari
- Ice and snow carting
- Dog sledding
- Reindeer safaris
- Smoke sauna
- Spa & Wellbeing
- Snowshoeing
- Visit the igloo village at Kakslauttanen (10kms)
- Sledging down a 1km toboggan run
The National Park was once the main area for gold prospectors in the Ivalojoki river and it was the hunt for gold that spawned Saariselkä. There are several organised trips from Saariselkä where you can try your hand at panning gold!
Après-ski
There are 30 restaurants and bars and the après-ski can get quite lively especially at weekends. The local microbrewery, which does more than just beer, is a good place to hang out and if you fancy something a little different, try the home brewed schnapps called Jellona Terwasnapsi. If you want to party on until the early hours, there are 3 nightclubs to choose from including the Bepop and pub & nightclub at Holiday Club Saariselkä.
Family & children
Families are well cared for in Saariselkä. On the slopes there's a children's Snow Park, which is right next to the Ski Bar at the bottom of the main lifts. During the peak season, there is also a creche there that takes children aged three to eight. The children's ski school takes children from the age of 4 and if they are under 7, they ski for free.
Our view on Saariselkä ski resort
Skiing in Saariselkä - not the most extensive downhill skiing in the world but this is not what a winter holiday is all about. Being away from it all, wilderness, deep snow and trying out new adventures.
A few suggestions...
- Any visit to Lapland usually involves a skimobile safari - superb fun
- A short visit to Russia across the eastern border is easy via the border crossing station at Raja-Jooseppi 85kms away. Dont forget to take your passport and you also need a visa.
If you like Saariselkä, you may also want to take a look at Aviemore in Scotland and Salen in Sweden.
