Travel Newspaper Photo: Veikko Erkkilä
NOVEMBER 2021 Photo: Tudra Huskies.
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LEVI and winter
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NOVEMBER 2021
Welcome again! Hotels, activity service companies, restaurants, and other tourist destinations in Levi, and indeed the rest of Lapland, have been eagerly waiting for the COVID-19 pandemic to loosen its grip. Huskies have also been eager to get going. Reindeer have watched in amazement. Santa Claus has been somewhat restless. Now at the end of this year we have the opportunity to welcome a significant number of foreign friends of Lapland and Levi to this natural winter and Christmas wonderland.
Despite the difficult pandemic period, we have been carrying on with life and work. We have also been developing new ideas. There are plenty of Christmas flights, i.e. international charter flights, arriving in Kittilä and other destinations in Lapland, but only in December can we know how the planned flights will be carried out. We can estimate that Kittilä will welcome 150 flights in December and in the New Year, but there may also be significantly more or less flights. Santa Claus is also at the Levi World Cup.
Levi’s downhill skiing services Fun with snow
T
he ski slopes in Levi provide plenty of entertainment for families and alpine sports stars alike right through to the month of May. The Ski School’s abundant weekly programme has alternatives suitable for children, young people and adults The slopes are wide, extremely well maintained, and you normally do not have to queue for the ski lift either. The best known of the ski slopes is the Levi Black competition ski slope that is used in mid-November for hosting the Alpine World Cup competition. The lit ski slopes provide their own ambiance, as skiing can continue after sunset. The invigorating search for the Northern Lights can also be done on skis in the middle of nature. SKI SCHOOL Ski School is all about learning something new, succeeding, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and sometimes honing of skills to perfection. Best of all, however, is fun and safe time spent together on the
South Point.
snow instructed by an experienced skiing instructor. In Levi, you can choose from private tuition or group instruction courses, beginner lessons or coaching for more experienced skiing skills. These courses normally have a duration of 90 minutes or three hours. Private tuition is a particularly effective method for learning how to ski or improving existing skills, and it is suitable for people of all ages. The Ski School’s abundant weekly programme has alternatives suitable for children, young people and adults. You will learn something new, meet other skiers, and receive instruction from Finland’s leading professional ski school. For instance, “Downhill Skiing School for children aged 4–6 years” is suitable for the younger members of the family who are able to take part in a group without their parents.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY SOUTH POINT Particularly for beginners and families we recommend the South Point skiing centre located on the southern side of the Levi Fell. The South Point chair lifts are heated and will comfortably take you up to the top of the fell in around five minutes. At the children’s Leevilandia there are safe and covered magic carpet lifts as well as the traditional button lift take skiing beginners to a sufficiently high point, in order for them to safely learn the basics of skiing downhill. You may also see the beginners groups of the Ski School practice here. Leevilandia provides a free-of-charge weekly programme for children, in addition to having a charged childminding service Muksutupa, and you do not even have to make a booking in advance. Ski lift passes and hire equipment are
available from the South Point building located by the lower station of the chairlift. The best way to get to South Point is by using the Ski-Bus service, and the trip only takes around 15 minutes. SKI-BUS MAKES IT EASY Whether you arrive in Levi by plane, car or bus, the best way to get around the area is by using the Ski-Buses. The buses drive two routes and the terminal stops are located right in the centre of the village by the Eturinne slopes, just in front of the Zero Point building. The buses are there to take people between the ski slopes and the largest accommodation establishments. Even going shopping is made much easier using the Ski-Bus services.
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NOVEMBER 2021
Fu incl el is in uded hire hourly rate (ma s! x. 2 ho urs)
BY VMAXRENTALS.FI
• Snowmobile rental • Safaris
WINTRY FOREST HUSKYRIDE
• Children’s Snowmobile
Experience the thrill of the huskyride by sitting in the sled. Meet moviewolfs, arctic fox, redfoxies, reindeer and husky puppys. Enjoy hot beverages and sausages in the hut.
• Yamaha Snowmobile Services
TEL. +358 40 585 5333 • RENTALS@VMAX.FI
30 years of nature experiences!
Northern Lights There are plenty of stories and beliefs related to the Northern Lights or aurora borealis in Latin. In Finland, the name Revontuli comes from the beliefs of the indigenous Sámi who thought it was a cosmic firefox that swished its brush over the snow-covered fells whisking them up into the air to appear with the moonlight as northern lights. The folklore traditions of eastern and northern Finland refer to an animal called a firefox using three different words in Finnish, tulikettu, tulikko and tulirepo. It is a mythical animal and was
the ultimate dream of hunters, as it was believed to mark the achievement of one’s lifetime goals, and the capture of such would guarantee fame and fortune. A similar belief relating Northern Lights is shared among the Canadian Indians, although their animal is the moose. Scientifically speaking, the aurora borealis is a light phenomenon originating from the sun and the solar winds of particles. Once these particles hit the Earth’s atmosphere and react with the particles in the atmosphere, they produce light – Northern Lights.
Levi Huskypark, Inarintie 263,11 km from Levi
Book online!
Levi Huskypark, Inarintie 263,11 km from Levi
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NOVEMBER 2021
The reindeer in Levi Husky Park have already started missing children visitors and the treats they feed the reindeer.
Free-roaming reindeer is both wildlife and a domestic animal Reindeer can easily be seen in Lapland’s nature as well. Reindeer often walk along roads and come close to housing areas. The reindeer is a semi-wild animal. It is also a peculiar domestic animal, as each reindeer has its own owner. The reindeer owner can be seen from its ear tag that it was given at the age of a few months old. Reindeer mainly live freely in Lapland’s nature. According to law, reindeer are allowed to graze and move around freely in nature. They may also roam areas where people live, subject to certain restrictions. Each reindeer has its own place of residence, because it enjoys staying in the place where it was born. Reindeer are very docile animals and will avoid people. The reindeer has made life possible in Lapland. The animal has adapted to the harsh conditions of the north, with temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. First of all it has taught us how to survive in the region, then provided meat and milk, clothing and material for utensils and tools, as well as a means of travel. Reindeer have sculpted the environment, way of life and art of people in the north. In Finland, the Province of Lapland and other northern regions became established reindeer husbandry areas in the eighteenth century. The current reindeer husbandry district covers an area of 114,000 square kilometres, which represents 36 percent
of the total area of Finland. In order to ensure sustainability of grazing grounds, the number of reindeer has been legally restricted at just over 200,000 heads. The reindeer belongs to the deer family. Both sexes bear antlers that are shed every year, just like its coat. Female reindeer or does weigh 60 – 100 kilograms and males or bulls 90 – 180 kilograms. A reindeer can live to up to 20 years old. Reindeer are so-called ruminants. The quality and amount of nutrition used by reindeer fluctuates greatly depending on the time of year. USEFUL ANIMAL Every part of a reindeer is utilised. According to age-old beliefs, even the spirit of the reindeer is carried by the wind to direct the course for the people of Lapland. The handicrafts and utensils made from reindeer hide, fur and bone are primarily practical items, but elegance is also an essential quality. Reindeer have provided material for clothing, footwear, gloves, bags, household items and tools. There are long traditions of using reindeer leather in the Arctic regions. Handicrafts have mainly been made by women. Products made from reindeer hide are popular items among tourists and efforts are made to try to maintain and promote this handicraft tradition. Some of the best characteristics of reindeer meat are the delicious and unique flavour, tenderness, diversity of uses and its
healthy qualities. Clean grazing grounds and pure nutrition form the basis for the healthy qualities of reindeer meat. Reindeer meat holds a great deal of protein and very little fat. Reindeer meat may just as easily be used to prepare the finest of festive banquets as healthy everyday meals. REINDEER EARMARKS Each reindeer has its own mark on its ear that indicates the owner of the animal. No two earmarks
are the same. The earmark is made up from so-called earmark words or cuts that are cut into the reindeer’s ear using a very sharp sheath knife. There are fifteen ”words”: e.g. notch, slash, hook, slit, hole and slit hole. By using combinations of these earmarks on the left or right ear of the reindeer and on different parts of the ear, over half a million different earmarks may be made.
designed to sink into the snow or travel on top of the snow drifts just as the reindeer does. This specially designed reindeer sled is intended for one person only. In addition to this single person sled, a sleigh has also been developed that does not require as much sense of balance as the sled. When a tourist is pulled by a reindeer, the sleigh type is always used.
REINDEER SLEIGH RIDE Over the past few decades, has become a very popular activity among tourists in the resorts. The reindeer is able to naturally adapt to traversing the terrain, avoiding hazards, waterlogged regions and thawed areas of rivers and lakes. In order to utilise the benefits of traversing nature using reindeer, a special sled has been made that resembles a small rowing boat. It has been
To Norway Kilpisjärvi
To Norway
Karesuvanto
Näkkälä Leppäjärvi Enontekiö Palojoensuu
Nunnanen Peltovuoma Pulju
National Park Sonkamuotka
Pokka
Raattama
Pallas
Tepasto
Muonio Olos Särkijärvi Pöntsö
Köngäs
Kiistala
Levi
National Park Ylläs Lainio
Kittilä Kaukonen To Sodankylä
Kolari
To Rovaniemi
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NOVEMBER 2021
Unique Arctic
Experience
Snowmobile Safaris
Ice swimming & sauna
Restaurant Riihi
Chalet with 8 bedrooms
Tuomikuruntie 136 99130 Levi info@immelkartano.fi 0400 394 182 www.immelkartano.fi
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NOVEMBER 2021
On the roof of the world, under the night sky.
Hotel K5 Levi has a restaurant for 120 diners that is partly underground. The restaurant serves Lappish delicacies in addition to Sámi yoik chanting and tales. Enquiries and table reservations tel. +358 16 639 1100 or www.saamenkammi.fi. me! o c l We
+358
Christmas Market 6.11.2021 08.01.2022 Buy the most wanted and authentic presents from traditional Christmas Market. Christmas Market will open on 6.11.2021 and during November it is open during the weekends. From 26.11.2021 The Market is open every day (10.00-18.00) until 8.1.2022. Admire traditional craftsmanship, buy souvenirs and taste campfire barista´s open fire coffee. You will feel the real Christmas spirit!
Experience a unique night in a luxurious glass igloo combined with an unforgettable dinner in restaurant Utsu.
LEVI IGLOOS -Luxury under the Nordic Sky-
+358 45 162 5606 reception@leviniglut.fi
leviniglut.fi
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NOVEMBER 2021
À la carte restaurant in the Levi Front slope
Breakfast, burgers & traditional Lapland flavors Check out serving times on our website levipanorama.fi/en/food-and-drinks Easily accessible via Express Cabin Lift from the center of Levi. RESTAURANT PANORAMA Tunturitie 205, Levi | Hotel Levi Panorama, 1.-2. floor
www.lapinluonnosta.fi
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NOVEMBER 2021
Veikko Erkkilä
Grand Opening Ceremony of the Slalom World Cup
Veikko Erkkilä
Levi 20–21 November 2021 WOMEN World Cup Levi once again marks the start of the Slalom World Cup. For the second year in a row, two women’s series competitions will be organised in Levi. Like last year, the men’s series has yet to be included. Last spring, for Levi’s competition slopes, snow was preserved over the summer totalling a staggering 51,000 cubic metres, which was then spread onto the ski slopes at the end of October. The first female slalom skiers came to train for the race already in the beginning of
November. Levi’s competition slope is one of the most difficult slopes of the Slalom World Cup, as it has a gently-sloping top section and a very steep lower section, making it an extremely demanding combination for the slalom skier.
Competition programme 20 November 10:00 Competition Arena and Lapland Avenue open 11:30 Women’s Slalom, first round 14:30 Women’s Slalom, second round 15:30 Women’s Slalom Prize-Giving Ceremony in the finish area immediately after the competition 16:00 Event area closes
21 November 10:00 Competition Arena and Lapland Avenue open 11:30 Women’s Slalom, first round 14:30 Women’s Slalom, second round 15:30 Women’s Slalom Prize-Giving Ceremony in the finish area immediately after the competition 16:00 Event area closes
Buy your race ticket in advance: SATURDAY 20.11. Area ticket 28 € Children’s ticket (7-12 years) 6 € Children under 7 years free of charge Grandstand ticket 48,50 € Parking ticket 11 € SUNDAY 21.11. Area ticket 28 € Children’s ticket (7-12 years) 6 € Children under 7 years free of charge Grandstand ticket 48,50 € Parking ticket 11 € WEEKEND 20-21.11. Area ticket 38 € Children’s ticket (7-12 years) 11 € Children under 7 years free of charge Grandstand ticket 64,50 € Parttio pass (includes the official event beanie and access to the grandstand) 76,50 €
Tickets are purchased from lippu.fi. Prices include lippu.fi service fee and a delivery fee is added to them, depending on the delivery method. With the Area ticket you get access to the event area and you can watch the race next to the slope. With the Grandstand ticket and Parttio pass you get access to the event area, you can watch the race next to the slope and you also get access to the grandstand which is located in the finish are of the race track. Grandstand has seats which are unnumbered. Please note that it is not possible to leave the area and return to the area later, the ticket can only be entered once. There are several food outlets in the area and a warm lunch and café restaurant. Buy your tickets in advance from the online store. There is a limited number of tickets at the entrance on event days.
One condition for preserving snow is a massive amount of snow.
Old snow is stored The old snow in Levi, that means the snow from the previous winter, ensures the success of the Slalom World Cup in November and the early start of the skiing season. The snow is preserved over the warm summer months in huge piles under insulating covers. The first ski slopes and crosscountry skiing track were opened this year in Levi on 8 October. At that time, there had not yet been any new snowfall and the temperature had not fallen below zero. During early spring last year, an incredible 200,000 cubic metres of snow was preserved in Levi. The massive piles of snow were stockpiled close to the competition slope and by the ski slope in the centre of the Levi resort. When the snow is gathered together in a sufficiently large pile, it remains under the white insulating cover over the warm summer. The temperature here in the summertime is 15–30 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, some of the preserved snow does melt during the summer months, i.e. 20–30 percent. This is be taken into account in the assessment of the amount of snow needed for preservation in the early spring. Levi has an expansive and efficient snow-making system. Snow is made from water, but it requires cold weather conditions, thereby allowing the water to freeze into snow. Artificial snow made from water is actually better on the ski slope than natural snow, as it is good enough to withstand wear and provides an even slide for skis.
Snow preservation was a process that was adopted to ensure the success of the Slalom World Cup in Levi less than a decade ago. Later, snow was also preserved for novice cross-country and downhill skiing. The majority of the stored snow is insulated using fleece fabrics, but some insulation mats developed by the snow storing pioneer enterprise Snow Secure Oy, which are based on Finnfoam’s insulation capacity, are used as insulation materials. During a hot summer, these mats preserve snow better than any other technique. SNOW SECURE DEVELOPS AND INNOVATES “The foldable insulation mats do not allow water penetration, so any summer rain will not speed up the melting of snow stockpiles. The insulating mats are 18 x 4 metres in size and are tightly connected to each other during installation. The mats are protected with a surface covering. The mats are filled with a 70 mm thick Finnfoam insulation with a significantly better insulating capacity than fleece covers. The system installation technologies have been the focus of development in recent years, and the concept is now finding its ultimate form”, says Mikko Martikainen, Managing Director of Snow Secure Oy. When the snow storage has its insulation removed in the autumn, the mats are packed away for using in the following summer. The mats can indeed also be used in wintertime, as ski slopemounted safety structures and barriers. Snow Secure’s snow
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NOVEMBER 2021 Timo Koivisto
Thanks to the preservation of snow, the cross-country skiing and downhill skiing season started already on 8 October in Levi.
for early use in the following autumn preservation concept is the result of long product development. It has been developed in Finland, but is now also ready for launching on international markets and has attracted a great interest.
AN IDEA BORN ON A SUMMERTIME SKIING TRIP Snow Secure is the life work and passion of Mikko Martikainen, who was named by Wall Street Journal as the Snow Whisperer at the time of the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi. Martikainen acted as a snow preservation expert in Sochi, where snow was preserved for the Winter Olympic Games totalling a staggering one million cubic metres. He got the idea of a snow preservation
Timo Koivisto
Mikko Martikainen (right) has devoted his life work to developing snow preservation techniques.
during his summer skiing trip on the Norwegian glaciers in 1975, and after the idea was processed gradually over time, the world’s first snow storage facility was carried out in 2000 for the Ruka resort. As a result of the
product development that began at that time, downhill skiing on over-summer stored snow is now commonplace. Timo Koivisto
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NOVEMBER 2021
Finland, a nation setting an example of happiness
A The Elves Village The Elves’ Experience Village is a well-known and attractive tourist destination based on stories and mythology, filled with fun activities and open all year round. The allure
of the Elves’ Experience Village is based on stories, fairy tales, culture, fantasy and mythology. It is nature’s own amusement park. The destination combines two strong travel trends:
nature and cultural tourism. The Elves’ Experience Village is located in Lapland, 180km north of the Arctic Circle in Kittilä, in the Köngäs village only 8 km from Levi.
Corona-info: Possible Infection If you suspect you have been exposed to a corona infection or have symptoms of coronavirus disease and you are visiting Levi, you can find contact information below to book the testing time. Please contact the test
place in advance! • Kittilä municipality’s healthcare center +358 400 356 498 / address: Sairaalantie 2, 99100 Kittilä • Pihlajalinna Levi +358 10 312 010 / address: Levintie 1590, 99130 Sirkka
• Bene Finlandia +358 40 0808804 / address: Leviraitti 6, 99130 Sirkka You will be adviced over the phone for further procedure. More information about the Current coronavirus situation in Finland: www.thl.fi
Photograph: Metsähallitus / The Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
Finland’s most popular national park Finland’s first national parks were established in 1938. One of these was the Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park, today known as the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. The national
park is great for hiking, excursions and cross-country skiing on Finland’s oldest ski hiking trails. Excellent services are all around. The park sees nearly 500,000 visitors each year.
ccording to the UN report on happiness, Finland was again verified as being the happiest nation on Earth, for the fourth year in a row. The criteria for measuring happiness were low levels of corruption, a safe and clean environment, public confidence, healthy lifestyles, adequate social protection, and freedom. When I read the above-mentioned news that Finland is yet again the world’s happiest country, I raised my eyebrows for a long time in disbelief. After all, our small and dark nation cannot in any way be at the top of the list of happiness. How is it possible that we are the happiest country, and for the fourth time running? Winter is so dark here, especially when there is not enough snow. I am sure any Finn can come up with a dozen reasons why we are not happy. Why are we so inclined to be melancholic? The fact that we are the first to appear on the list sounds like praise indeed... Now Finns start have their suspicions. Surely, we don’t deserve praise, there must be something more behind this. “Well, this is the best we can do” or “Sorry we don’t have anything better to offer you”. These phrases are very familiar for Finns and tell us about our attitude to praise and indeed our attitude towards ourselves in general. We are not very good at accepting praise and perhaps that is why the news about the UN statistics on happiness seems strange and even somewhat suspicious for us. Are we really such humble and strange people that we cannot be proud that we are happy? Isn’t almost every human being looking for happiness in life? Is there something wrong about us Finns having achieved this almost mystical happiness and having someone else prove it, even four times in a row? What lessons could the rest of the world learn from us, what are these strange and quiet people doing right? We Finns are generally happy about small things, our own favourite coffee, our own favourite coffee cup, heating up the wood-fired sauna, and nature. We have to remember that there are problems in Finland too, otherwise we would be living in utopia. The security situation is still stable, because as a woman I can walk home in the evening without being frightened, though well-lit streets do help. Our environment is clean, even though rubbish is sometimes visible here and there. In Finland, citizens can be certain to have access to a medical doctor when needed, the police actually do help you, and studying is free of charge. Thanks to our outdoor opportunities, our wonderful nature and the health and hygiene lessons taught in our schools, we are relatively healthy people. Our social security system allows everyone to live a reasonable life, giving us a roof over our heads and food in our cupboards. The fact that we are a free and independent state is something we are very proud of. We are happy people because we have a life where all the basics are safeguarded and cherished, and we also appreciate the small things in life. Our quiet modesty, our quiet nature, and the fact that it is easy for us to be quiet around other people may just be the key to happiness. Natasha Erkkilä-Kuutti
Travel Newspaper Published in the winter
Publisher: Levin Sanomat toimitus@levinsanomat.fi www.levinsanomat.fi Editor-in-Chief: Veikko Erkkilä
ISSN1797-1896
English translations: Peter Culley
Printed by: Botnia Print, Kokkola
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NOVEMBER 2021
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Köngäs
PROGRAM SERVICES
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ACCOMMODATION • ACTIVITY
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PROGRAM SERVICES
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HOTEL • RESTAURANT
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RESTAURANT
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RESTAURANT • SAUNA
Levi Fell Region
© Levin Sanomat
PROGRAM SERVICES
BY VMAXRENTALS.FI
We operate right next to the snowmobile route. Easy route access means you get to ride your snowmobile immediately. Even children can join the snowmobile trip! 3,5km kilometres from the centre of Levi in the direction of Kittilä.
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TEL. +358 40 585 5333 • RENTALS@VMAX.FI
Kaakkoisrinne
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Etelärinne slope
South Point LAPLAND VILLAGE
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Winter from
NOVEMBER 2021
Intersport! Intersport Rent OAC sliding for Winter Sports!
snowshoes
Rent
-50%
Special
Offer: We also rent r te Salomon winrel wear and So s! winter boot
Kids up to 10 years rent fee: If both parents rent snowboards or skis, their kids up to 10 years get their rent equipment -50% discount for the same period of time!
Rent bookings: levi.rent@intersport.fi
LEVI
SHOP Torikuja 3 B • Tel. +358 40 171 5411 RENT Torikuja 4 • Tel. +358 40 171 5017
WE SERVICE EVERYDAY! Opening hours: www.intersport.fi/levi