Lapland Feature

Winter sports reign in Lapland, from the quirky ice golfing to the traditional cross-country skiing. Ylläs, Levi, and Saariselkä are Lapland's leading centers for both downhill and cross-country skiing; Kiilopää is known for cross-country skiing. Other popular resorts include Pyhä, Luosto, Salla, Suomu, Pallas, and Olos.

In western Lapland, the Levi resort has 44 slopes and 27 lifts. Levi Tourist Info, Myllyjoentie 2, Levi, 99130. 016/639-3300. www.levi.fi.

Pyhä and Luosto, in the Pyhätunturi National Park in southern Lapland, offers cabins near to cross-country and downhill skiing, and snowboarding possibilities. Pyhä-Luosto Travel Ltd., Laukotie 1, Luosto, 99555. 0207/303-020. www.pyha-luostomatkailu.fi.

In the middle of the fells near Urho Kekkonen National Park, Saariselkä is an international tourist center with a network of well-marked hiking, skiing, and biking trails. Pohjois-Lapin Matkailu, Kelotie, Seula, Saariselkä, 99830. 016/668-402. www.saariselka.fi.

Downhill and cross-country skiing are popular at Ruka, which is also one of the most unrestricted areas in the world for snowmobiling. Rukakeskus, Rukatunturi, 93825. 08/860-0200. www.ruka.fi.

In summer, canoeing is a popular pursuit; you can take canoe trips on Lake Inari, or, for the intrepid, forays over the rapids of the Ivalojoki River.

Summer golf takes on such unusual guises as midnight-sun golf and Green Zone Tornio-Haparanda Golf—you'll play 9 holes in Finland and the other 9 in Sweden Meri-Lapin Golfklubi. In the summer it is so light that you can play during the night. The course is famous for its one-hour putt. Näräntie, Tornio, 95400. 016/431-711. www.golf.fi/mlgk.

Karttakeskus, by the railway station in Helsinki, provides maps of marked cross-country skiing trails in Lapland. Vuorik. 14, Helsinki, 0100. 020/577-7580. www.karttakeskus.fi.