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When Night Goes Light
Get inspired, get re-energized, get active – the summer in Northern Lapland equals two months of nights like this.
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The fish are hungriest at night, so why not make use of it? Go nocturnal with your favourite hobby with the help of the Midnight Sun.
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The golfing season in Finland is short but busy. There are several golf courses in Lapland, and you'll never forget your first round under the Midnight Sun. Golfing in the middle of the night also helps avoid crowds on the course.
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There are boat rides and then there are boat rides. The ones under the Midnight Sun tend to stick to mind as the most peaceful ones ever.
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Some hiking experiences are one of a kind.
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Midsummer is a national holiday in Finland and is celebrated as the height of summer and an ode to light. Finns like to spend their “Juhannus” in a setting like this.
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Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland and a fitting example of Finnish design blending with natural surroundings.
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The Midnight Sun continuously stays above the horizon above the Arctic Circle, but summer nights are certainly not dark in the south of Finland either. Late at night, the sun briefly dips beyond the horizon before rising again, and nights stay white, blurring the boundaries between fading night and dawning day.
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Swans do it better.
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Misty mornings like this are part of the Finnish mental landscape: as a child, you get to stay out longer in the summertime and run the fields without a care in the world; when you're young, parties extending to the wee hours are followed by romantic walks home; when you're grown up, you simply enjoy the the quiet simplicity on your cottage porch.
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Leaving summery Lapland without a shot like this is almost a miracle.
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Seeing the Midnight Sun illuminate the Lappish wilderness is an experience equal to witnessing the Northern Lights up in the very same sky – you instantly feel the impression will never leave you.
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When Night Goes Light
Conquering a fell in Lapland and watching the endless wilderness bathe in the light of the Midnight Sun continues making indelible impressions on travellers and locals alike.
After a long and dark winter, the light-filled summer is greeted with a newly found joie de vivre all around Finland. In Lapland, the Midnight Sun makes up for the light deprived by the Polar Night during the winter.
At the Arctic Circle, where Lapland’s capital Rovaniemi lies, the Midnight Sun graces the horizon from early June until early July. In Nuorgam, Finland’s northernmost tip, the sun stays up for more than 70 days, in other words all summer.
What do I do with all the light?
The quintessential way to take in the Midnight Sun is at a cottage. Finns love their quietness, and visitors should also experience true relaxation, northern style, by escaping the daily grind to a peaceful retreat in Lapland. The sound of silence combined with the revitalizing rays of the Midnight Sun is nature’s own remedy for the weary soul.
Some like a different approach. The Midnight Sun extends your day with those extra hours you keep hoping for in your daily life. Make use of it and go hiking, canoeing, fishing or play a round of golf in the wee hours.
How do you sleep?
A good tip is to use curtains and blinds. The Midnight Sun can make going to sleep a bit harder than usual, but then again, why go to sleep at normal hours? There is a time for sleeping and it’s called winter – just ask the bears and other mammals that hibernate through most of it.
We say don’t worry about sleep; make the most of the Midnight Sun! If action is not your cup of tea, go for culture: The Midnight Sun Film Festival (founded by famous filmmaker brothers Kaurismäki) in Sodankylä in mid-June and folklore festival Jutajaiset in Rovaniemi at the end of June are great ways to enjoy local culture and the Midnight Sun.
Guide for catching the Midnight Sun in Finland
District Latitude Midnight sun
Utsjoki 69°52′ May 16 – July 27
Ivalo 68°40′ May 22 – July 21
Sodankylä 67°25′ May 29 – July 14
Rovaniemi 66°30′ June 6 – July 7
Kuusamo 65°59′ June 12 – June 30
Kemi 65°45′ June 18- June 24
Categories:
Activities, Cultural Beat, Destinations, Lapland, Quick Links, Seasons, Sights, Silence, Please, Summer, Themes
Lapland
In just a few minutes, you can leave behind the hustle and bustle of a ski resort or a city and arrive in the peace and quiet of the wilderness.
