Kittila – Levi

Kittilä is a municipality and village in the province of Lapland, some 200km north of the Arctic Circle. The region has become a very popular holiday destination, especially in winter. Most visitors arriving in Kittilä are on their way to Levi, one of Finland’s largest ski resorts, and two of only three in the country with a gondola lift.

There are 44 slopes here, 15 of which are floodlit, most are suitable for beginners and intermediates but there are 4 black slopes for experts. The longest slope is 2.5km long, the highest vertical drop is 325m, and the resort also boasts one superpipe, one halfpipe, ten children’s slopes, two snow parks, and 26 lifts. To cater for those who find the cold, fresh air has whetted their appetites there are seven restaurants on the slopes.

Levi also has a village centre, packed with bars, shops, and restaurants. Visitors who want to do a little more than speed down a hill will be delighted to find that there are 230km of cross-country skiing tracks and 886km of snowmobiling tracks, and opportunities to take a husky or snowmobile safari, or visit a reindeer farm. Nearby you’ll find the Snow Village Lainio, reached by snowmobile or guided tours, a delightful mixture of snow sculptures, an ice bar, ice restaurant, and a snow hotel. South of Kittilä lies the village of Kaukonen, home to the Särestöniemi Museum. Reidar Särestöniemi was a prominent Finnish artist and there are almost 500 pieces on display here. In the nearby village of Pöntsö, which is even smaller than Kaukonen and lies just 18km from Levi, you’ll find Gallery Raekallio which features, among other art, a permanent exhibition of art by Reijo Raekallio in various media and styles.