7-Nights Christmas in Lapland - Small Group Journeys

Stockholm

Stockholm is Sweden’s strikingly elegant and beautiful capital. Stockholm, noted for its outstanding architecture, is one of Scandinavia’s most attractive cities. In addition to its many man-made monuments, Stockholm boasts natural beauty - with one-third of the city’s total land area devoted to parks. As the country’s major city, Stockholm offers a wealth of monuments and sites, fine museums, and a rich culture. There are also hundreds of excellent restaurants, as well as a great selection of trendy boutiques and exciting nightclubs. Visitors should start their exploration of Stockholm with the Gamla Stan, the Old Town on Stadsholmen; an island in the center of the city, it has retained its medieval charm. The maze of narrow, cobbled streets, full of art studios, boutiques, antique shops, nightclubs and bars, is best explored on foot.

Lapland Area, Sweden

The northern third of Sweden is Lapland, the region that begins about 500 mi/805 km north of Stockholm and is home to the indigenous Sami people.

The Norrbottens Regional Museum in Lulea and the Silver Museum in Arjeplog have excellent displays about the life and history of the nomadic Samis. Reindeer are of utmost importance to the Samis—they provide food, tools and clothing for their shepherds and play a prominent role in their literature and myths.

Lapland is not as barren as most people think. With its forests, winding rivers and mountains, it is an excellent vacation area. There is skiing year-round (though it's not very good in the summer), great fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, dogsledding, moose safaris, reindeer sleigh rides and river rafting.

Those traveling with children will want to visit Lycksele, which has a theme park called Lyckoland (carnival-style boat and electric-car rides) and a zoo that allows visitors to have a close encounter with such northern animals as moose and lynx. http://www.lyckseledjurpark.com.

The summer sun is up till after midnight in June and early July (and so are the mosquitoes—take plenty of insect repellent). A good place to see the midnight sun is Kiruna, which is home to the world's largest mine still in use, called KLAB (http://www.kirunalapland.se), and Esrange, Europe's only civil rocket-launch station. Both sites can be visited with a guide, but tours must be booked in advance and can be cancelled upon short notice.

Don't be surprised if the town isn't exactly where you left it on a former visit. Kiruna is sinking into the mine, and every building in town is gradually being relocated northwest of its current location to the base of Luossavaara mountain.

Winter, which is unrelentingly dark, cold and often damp, is occasionally brightened by the aurora borealis (northern lights). Abisko National Park, in the region's far north, abuts Tornetrask Lake and provides good views of the northern lights. The park also offers a variety of winter sports opportunities as well as hiking in the warmer months.

In Jukkasjarvi (a few miles/kilometers from Kiruna) is the Ice Hotel. It is built each year out of ice, and guests sleep on slabs of ice, drink Absolut vodka from ice glasses, reflect in an ice church and watch plays in a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. https://www.icehotel.com.

The best way to tour Lapland is by car, though Sweden's high gasoline prices make this expensive. Trains and buses, which connect the main towns, are more economical.

Rovaniemi

The town of Rovaniemi boasts many modern buildings that border the unspoiled Lapland countryside and Artic wilderness. There are many great museums to visit as well as excellent hiking and skiing trails. The Ranua Zoo and Santa Park are also great places to visit!

Helsinki

Often referred to as "Pearl of the Baltic," this neat city is known for impressive architecture, wide boulevards, and beautiful harbor. Grand Senate Square, dominated by exquisite Tuomio Church and onion domes of Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral, is an example of neo-Classical, Empire-style impressive architecture. Visit the lively harborfront market and Temppeliaukioa Church (Rock Church), which was created in the 60's from man-made and natural materials. Finland’s musical heritage comes alive in great Finlandia Hall, designed by renowned architect Alvar Aalto. Finland’s beloved composer, Jean Sibelius, is remembered by a beautiful monument on Helsinki’s outskirts. Helsinki has good museums displaying everything from art to architectural design. Open-air Museum - the small wooded island of Seurasaari - has a collection of vernacular buildings assembled from all over Finland which provide insight into how country folk lived until recently. Suomenlinna Fortress is the largest in the world and often called Gibraltar of the North.