Ski resort Ylläs – Winterspa in Lapland, weißem dream
iDie the first day of our Nordic blogger trip we spent in Levi, the largest and most famous ski resort in Finland, before it is for us to get into the not far away, and the ski resort of Ylläs went. Ylläs is located about 50 km from Kittilä, where the airport is located, and 55 km from Levi centre. It is located 150 kilometers above the Arctic circle in the beautiful Finnish Lapland. The Region consists of seven mountains – the so-called mountains that are mostly treeless heights in Scandinavia – where the Ylläs is 719 m is one of the highest in Finland. The place is divided in two villages, Äkäslompolo on the Northern and Ylläsjärvi on the southern side. The two villages are connected by a beautiful road with each other.
HELLO YLLÄS
Snow Village – a magical world of snow and ice
Our first stop was the Snow Village. This exceptional property is a hotel of ice and is actually almost entirely out of ice, only the Lobby, and a house to warm up have not been built from ice. The Rest of it melts in the summer and is rebuilt every year in October/November. In the Hotel there is a Restaurant and a chapel is also a Bar completely made of ice.
The rooms are all of different corridors to reach, of course all made out of ice and are built up as bigger igloos. Only an ice bed with a normal mattress you will find in the rooms, apart from the works of art made of ice on the walls, for people from all over the world come to create them. Otherwise, the rooms are empty, no closets, no shelves. Sleep is enough with thermal underwear and sleeping bag and is also revealed to us an employee. Whom cold is the night it can go at any time in the real small house, warm up, or in one of the normal beds to sleep on. Also the showers and toilets are located there and are of course not made of ice. The rooms are divided into Standard and Suite (from 180 euros per night.
Although we have not slept in the ice hotel, but also a Tour through the ice caves is absolutely worth it. Each room is designed differently and so you spend alone much of the time involved in each of the inside just to watch. Who is sleeping in the Snow Village, you can teilnehen from here to the myriad of activities, including cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow mobile, snow shoeing, reindeer Safari and more.
- Lainiotie 566, Kittilä // Opening Hours: 10-22 H
- The reviews on Tripadvisor to read
Skiing in the ski resort of Ylläs
The ski resort Ylläs includes over 70 pistes. The winter sports area is located at an altitude of 200 to 719 m. Not as high, nevertheless it is the major ski resorts in the Alps, I think. It is the largest and highest ski area in Finland, and even has a 3 km the longest ski run in the country.
There are slopes with all degrees of difficulty. Skiers and snowboarders can let off steam in the Snow - and fun parks. Also, deep snow skiing off-piste is very popular and easily possible. In the ski area there are many accommodations directly at the gondola. What I liked here is the dreamlike snow-covered landscape. Some of the runs lead through forests, as it actually feels like you are in a Winter Wonderland. In this way, I have not experienced this as yet and it was just beautiful. Even if in Finland there is no mountain backdrop, is to compare the landscape with nothing else.
In Ylläs there are two ski centres. On the one hand, there is the ski resort of Ylläs , with 63 ski slopes (6 green, 27 blue, 24 red and 6 black), 6 Restaurants, professional Skiskulen, a gondola lift and many other lifts. At the bottom of the gondola, our Hotel is in a perfect location, but more on that later located. The ski resort is suitable for beginners and Advanced. You can use partially to 19 at the lifts, and then directly up to the property.
On the other side of the Slope is situated in the Ylläs Ski Resort Äkäslompolo with 11 ski slopes. Here is a 4-he rides the chair lift guests to the top from where you can travel, among other things, the 200 m widest departure from Finland down. The two ski resorts in Ylläs are connected to each other and the ski pass is valid for both. Alternatively, there is also a Bus between the two resorts is going.
- Ski 1: Ski Resort Ylläs, Iso-Ylläksentie 44, 95980 Ylläsjäri
- Ski 2: Ylläs Ski Resort Äkäslompol, Tunturintie 56, 95970 Äkäslompolo
Fatbikes – bike fun in the snow
If I'm honest, I didn't know before, that there are special bicycles for the snow. As I read the name of “Fatbikes” in our program, not what should be and if I'm honest, I was not impressed with this and especially I knew them. Now I have to take it back, because it has actually made a lot of fun. The bikes have thick tires, little air on it and it is perfect for over the snow travel.
Our route led over a frozen river, and partly through the forest. In total, we drove 10 km and after the previous 5 hours of snowboarding was quite exhausting, but it has more than paid off. Halfway we made a Stop at a wooden hut, and there was once again delicious hot blueberry juice, of course!
We rented the bikes at Team Sportia in Äläslompolo. From there you can start to stay on in this beautiful landscape:
What you can do in Ylläs
Many other activities, we have already taken a few days earlier, Levi. But also in Ylläs you can hike, snow Shoe, Lapland Safaris company, Northern lights to see dog sledding or snow mobile, cross country skiing, ice fishing and much more. It's never boring here. In total, there are hundreds of kilometers of routes and trails, and 44 km for the snow shoes, 330 km for cross-country skiing and 409 km for snow mobile. And: also in Ylläs there is a snow guarantee. The first falls in November and remains until may.
Ylläs is also only a few kilometers from Levi away and so you can combine them wonderfully with a few days of each other – as we are.
Accommodation in Ylläs: the Lapland Hotel Saaga
Our Hotel is the Lapland Hotel Saaga, located directly below at the end of the runway. From my room I had a free view of the slopes and the gondola, and could theoretically with my Snowboard up to my terrace drive. It is a beautiful, modern Hotel with a delicious Breakfast and a perfect location for ski bunnies. The gondola station and ski rental are all just a few metres from the Hotel.