Finland and the Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, can be seen roughly 200 nights a year in Finnish Lapland. From August to April, most nights are dark enough for the Northern Lights to be visible, however it requires clear nights and a little bit of luck. The further north into Finland you go, the more of a chance you have of seeing them.

The most common ways to go “Aurora spotting” are snowmobile, husky sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, which is a sport involving walking over long distances with special shoes made of light metal or plastic strapped onto your feet so that the weight is distributed over a wider area and your foot does not sink into the snow. However, if this is not quite your style there are many other options available for witnessing the spectacular light show that is the Aurora Borealis. Purpose-built igloos area very popular way, as you can stay wrapped up in bed and watch the lights through a glass ceiling.

The Auroras are a very rare sight over a city or populated area where too much light is being produced for them to be seen. So the best advice for trying to see them is to go as far away from populated areas as you can and to stay outside between sunset and sunrise, as sometimes they only appear for a few minutes and then disappear.

Finland is supposedly one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights and is an opportunity not to be missed if you are in the country.

This photo comes from the website www.scandi.travel

Sources:

http://www.visitfinland.com/article/doze-off-under-the-northern-lights/

http://www.visitfinland.com/article/on-the-hunt-for-the-northern-lights/