It is spring in Lapland – oh yes, only now in the middle of May! — and what else could be a better time to observe around you than this season of rapid changes. For Lappish people one of the first signs of spring is that the roads appear from underneath the snow. A tiny but a promising sign of warming days! For anyone traveling around with a car, this means easier driving but mind you, quite soon after this the reindeer appear along the roads; They’ve been at the farms for the long winter and now it is time to start roaming around the wildlife for food.
Spring has sprung. A vivid and pointing way to describe this season and how rapidly it proceeds. Perhaps spring feels like a fast-forward track of something, as we have had winter since October. To remind you, the longest recorded winter in Lapland was in 1968, when snow cover could be measured from 230 days!

As we have written before, spring brings everything alive. Suddenly tens of different species of birds, insects and animals appear out of nowhere. If you live by any water, suddenly the ice cover starts to dissolve or move, and swans, ducks and many other summertime wildlife appear. In the evenings you will hear beautiful singing of swans during their mating rituals or defending territorial dominance.

Before electricity, spring was difficult time for Lappish people to preserve food. It was not cold enough anymore to keep food frozen, but nothing would grow, as the ground was still frozen. For many Lappish people spring meant harvesting in one definition: the reindeer. During spring, the reindeer will be gathered and some of them butchered, as in the old days. Spring weather could give one optimal option for food preservation, and that is air-drying the meat. When the days are warm whilst night temperatures are below zero, strips of meat dry outside in two weeks. This Lappish delicacy is still done in many homes and sold – for example – as a perfect snack for long hikes.

What’s more, spring is on and this can be noticed by prolonged daytime. We are already past the point where in the northernmost part of Lapland the sun doesn’t set anymore before the end of summer. Spring nights are full of light, as the late snow coverage reflects the increasing amount of sunlight. If you travel to Lapland during this time and haven’t used to nightless nights, remember to take a sleep mask along with you!

Midnight sun during spring

Later during the spring, nature starts to provide you with still edible and frozen cranberries from swamps and delicious morels. Many sprouts are now delicious and edible straight from the ground; have you tried Finnish fireweed or nettle as a side to your meal?

Spring is stunning and full of changes, promises of upcoming summer and time for renewal. Perhaps it is a clear sign that even these worrying times are changing, now that everything in nature is turning into something else.

Luosto, located in the Sodankylä municipality, is literally in the centre of Lapland. It is the home of reindeer herding and the roots deep down to earliest occupations in the area. For example. Vuotso and Tankavaara gold mining centers are good examples of how people used to live in the area. No wonder that you will still run into reindeers blocking the road while driving around in Luosto area.

Life in Luosto – separate village from Sodankylä and Tankavaara – is totally unique; you will forget the time and live as the season and the days go by. There is no need to rush and basically one forgets the concept of time. Timelessness runs in the Lappish and Luosto blood. What needs to be done within a day is done, otherwise everything else necessary is postponed until later. (And who would know the due dates for that?)

Luosto used to be the go-to place for slalom tourism in the 80s. People used to queue for the ski lifts for hours, as it was THE place to be. Nowadays it is the home of peaceful nature, berry picking heaven, early cross-country skiing tracks, an own amethyst mine and the heart of what Lappish tourism should look like.

Luosto also represents the Lappish lifestyle: things should not be rushed. Lappish mentality is to be one with the nature. It is said that Lappish people will sleep through the winter to be awake for the rest of the year – summer. When the sun doesn’t set, Luosto nature will burst into fire. By colours, vibrant views and the sun that won’t set, the lifestyle will totally turn into something else than anywhere in the world.

During deep winter, one only wonders why not to set off for a ski touring trip to Ukko-Luosto, cross-country skiing to Orressokka or perhaps to snowshoe around the lake of Ahvenlampi. Luosto offers wonderful heavily snowed trees around the central Lapland area to get the most out of your stay. If you are lucky, the aurora will light up the way back home.

Lappish people, neither the Luosto people, will rush. Lappish and the Luosto mentality means that you will need a flexible timetable and a relax pace of activities to fully enjoy the Lappish and Luosto gems; everyday life, tasteful dinners by open fire, meeting the reindeer and the aurora.

Magic in Luosto. In deep winter (9th of Jan, 2019) the sun will show itself for a few hours.

We will be also very happy to see you soon in Luosto area!