Nature of the north
In the vast Sodankylä–Sompio region, the diversity of Lapland’s nature is truly unmatched.In Sodankylä–Sompio, you experience all eight seasons.
Explore the region’s natural phenomena and discover what makes Sodankylä–Sompio so distinctive. Here, just like our ancestors, we feel a deep connection to nature—one we are committed to preserving.
Learn more below!
Northern Lights
Sodankylä-Sompio is an ideal place for watching and photographing the northern lights: nature is abundant and light pollution is minimal. The Finnish word revontuli refers to the fox. According to an ancient belief recorded by Topelius, the auroras are born when the mythical “fire fox” runs across the fells and sweeps its tail against the snow, sending sparks flying into the sky.
Polar night
Polar night is the heart of winter, a time when the sun does not rise. In Sodankylä-Sompio, the true polar night lasts four days. The term kaamos is often used to describe the midwinter period even in southern Finland, but in reality it refers specifically to the time when the sun stays completely below the horizon. Therefore, the true polar night is experienced only north of the Arctic Circle.
Midnight sun
In Sodankylä-Sompio, the midnight sun — the period when the sun never sets — can be enjoyed for up to a month and a half. It’s a phenomenon that’s hard to truly grasp unless you’ve experienced it yourself. In Sodankylä-Sompio, the midnight sun shines from the last day of May until the 14th of July, during which time the sun never dips below the horizon.
8 seasons
In Lapland, the year is divided into eight seasons. Experience them all and you’ll see just how different they are: the deep frost of midwinter, the crusty‑snow spring, the ice‑break spring, the time of the midnight sun, the harvest season, the autumn colours, the first snow, and the Christmas polar night.
Reindeer
Sodankylä-Sompio is home to more than 20,000 reindeer — twice as many as there are human residents! The reindeer is an indigenous animal of the northern regions, originally domesticated from the wild forest reindeer. It requires vast grazing areas with different edible plants throughout the seasons. Reindeer are not suited to year‑round enclosure; instead, they roam freely across the entire reindeer‑herding area for most of the year, finding their food in the wild.