You must go to Lapland in summer (and the midnight sun is only one of the reasons)

There are places on earth that are destined to be the scenes of round stories.

film Lovers

of

(1998, Julio Medem), Lapland is the magical and almost fictional place where its two protagonists, Ana and Otto, meet again.

In this land of Santa Claus, anchored in the Circle of Ice, the cycle of his love story paradoxically closes, like his midnight sun that seems to dance with the horizon and never quite sets.

In the film, the Basque director showed an unusual face of this region, almost always linked to snow sled rides and endless polar nights known as

with northern lights and an extraordinary blue light that gives the sky a magical halo.

It was shot during the summer months, when this northern region of Finland is immersed in temperatures hovering around 25 degrees and endless days.

The perfect setting for bathing in calm lakes, enjoying saunas at dusk and adventure sports.

Something that turns Lapland into that destination where you can live a different summer, oblivious to batches of bathers, high temperatures and queues at the beach bars.

With the poetic vision of a sun that never sleeps, we start this route in the Salla National Park, reopened to the public on June 11 after the pandemic.

If during the coldest months the connections between Spain and Lapland proliferate (we occupy the third place in number of visitors), in summer the air routes decrease, and it is necessary to connect the nearest airports in Kuusamo or Rovaniemi from Helsinki (check schedules and rates at Finnair).

Summer and autumn are the golden time to cross the land of Salla on foot, and appreciate the seasonal change through its boreal forests and freshwater bodies, living up to the nickname of the "country of a thousand lakes" that supports Finland.

This former domain of the Soviet Union, pronounced "Sal-la"

It covers an area of ​​almost 6,000 square kilometers, a little less than twice its number of inhabitants.

Salla 's poster

(Salla, in the middle of nowhere, in Spanish) that is found in some of the viewpoints along the road that crosses it from Kuusamo is not a simple advertising claim.

The feeling of being in no man's land, with silence glued to the neck but under the watchful eye of invisible beings that hide among their ecosystem, justifies the slogan.

Since ancient times when the Sami people were the sole occupants of the area, the residents of Salla have learned not to stand out and live in harmony with their surroundings, practicing a sustainable way of life based on self-sufficiency and activities such as hunting, fishing or berry picking.

Although the swan is the national symbol of Finland, the heart of the Finns belongs to 'poro' (reindeer).

A little over an hour by road, taking the regional 950 north, are the cabins of Sallatunturin Tuvat (Hangasjärventie 1), an accommodation that could well witness another tender romance, that of Sam and Suzy, the protagonists of

(2012).

As in the Wes Anderson film, this shelter, run by a family business for four decades, is wrapped in a friendly aesthetic reminiscent of childhood camps.

The

post (Please come back again) which acts as the entrance to the network of modern cabins with Wi-Fi and sauna will be the meeting point to discover on foot one of the great attractions of the trip: the midnight sun.

In search of the midnight sun

With comfortable shoes for the ascent in the mountains and a powerful mosquito repellent —better if it accompanies you throughout the trip—, it is advisable to enjoy a hearty Finnish dinner before the walk.

This means that we must forget our peninsular schedules: although here they enjoy natural light 24 hours a day, this meal takes place religiously between five and seven in the afternoon.

The Lappish recipes developed by the Kiela restaurant in the same complex are the perfect excuse to gather strength while delving into the local gastronomy.

Taking advantage of the mushroom season and discovering them in their creams and stews with local herbs, or deciding on one of their infinite reindeer meat dishes (from smoked tongue, fried with currant sauce or salty), will be the right diet to face to the

through Mount Sallatunturi.

Local company Salla Wilderness Park runs daily tours with an English-speaking guide.

The ascent is worth doing without haste, to distinguish between the occasional mist the trees covered with vegetable frost, the chattering of the capercaillies and the red frogs that jump between ancient rocks.

After an hour and a half, wait for the highest peak of Sallatunturi, from where you can see some mountainous signs of neighboring Russia.

With dinner already forgotten and waiting for midnight, there is a healthy habit of having a snack made up of salty empanadas in a

.

This typical Finnish pyramidal wooden construction has inside a stove to heat food or drink, later served in a

the cup made by hand from birch wood since indigenous times

.

This cabin is free for anyone to use, and you can rest or even spend the night there during the closed night season.

Landscape of Lake Luirojärvi with the midnight sun.Alamy Stock Photo

If luck is on your side and the sky remains open, at the end of the day you will receive the famous midnight sun, a natural phenomenon visible only between latitudes of 55º and the Polar Circle for which the king star never disappears on the horizon.

During the summer solstice, the sky is dyed red, neon yellow and impressionistic flashes of pink.

In mid-August, as night slowly returns, this flaming spectacle gives way to a cloud of stars and the first Northern Lights.

The beginning of this natural rarity, nicknamed "white nights", is celebrated in style between June 20 and 26.

A version of our Midsummer night in honor of Ukko, the god of the sky and crops in Finnish mythology.

Bonfires, barbecues,

Spells and wreaths of wild flowers follow each other on those days in continuous festivities to celebrate the arrival of summer and the days of inexhaustible sunshine.

The absence of darkness, on the other hand, together with the little tradition of blinds in the Scandinavian country, is not always well received by travelers from southern Europe.

Adding an eye mask to your luggage or avoiding naps and marking a schedule are measures that will help you sleep soundly when the light prevails at dawn.

That memorable scene from Medem's film in which Ana (Najwa Nimri) sits in front of a lake to watch the fake sunset while waiting for the chance of her life was filmed in the vicinity of Rovaniemi, the Finnish capital of Lapland.

She can be part of a similar experience at Lake Hangasjärvi, in which she sits down to enjoy the show on one of her wooden rocking chairs or plying it on the back of a canoe.

Land of tireless adventurers

Lapland also invites you to explore it in an intrepid (but safe) way on the back of an electric bike with fat tires and almost indestructible known as

Designed to ride on terrain with snow and rocks that are impossible for conventional models to access, it is the jewel of the Salla Ski & Active circuits on two wheels (available at the Salla ski center and at Sallatunturin Tuvat).

This adventure sports company offers tailor-made routes up the slopes of Mount Sallatunturi to its summit or up the challenging Hangasharju ridge, with moderate alternatives such as a walk to the historic village of Lappajärvi.

Fatbike tour through Salla National Park.Salla Penttil

Strengthening ties with the native fauna is another privilege that Salla offers.

In a controlled manner and in small groups, the local guides of Salla Wilderness Park organize visits to some corners of the 200 hectares where herds of reindeer roam freely.

Although the swan is the national symbol of Finland, the Finns' heart belongs to

, the animal that pulls Santa's sleigh at Christmas and a delicacy throughout the country since the Sami began their herding.

If you want to delve into its flavor, Keloravintola (Revontulentie 9, Salla) is a restaurant with the soul of a refuge near Sallatunturi that cooks its meat in a thousand different ways, together with an organic garden and its own production of

, the light and flat cake typical of Lapland.

Since 1964 they have been serving the original gingerbread recipe devised by the mother of Marjo and Maija, the current owners, along with their version of Salla's cranberry Napoleon cake.

Collecting the fruits of the forest that ripen with the arrival of the dry season is another native hobby that is worth trying.

In Finland, the legal protection known as

(every man's right to nature), by which anyone can make individual use of it as long as it does not damage the environment -even on private property-, includes collecting the wild fruits that generate.

It is recommended to do it using a basket instead of a bag so that they do not get crushed.

From the infinite menu that springs up in its forests (half a million berries between currants, raspberries, the fruit of the juniper or arctic blueberries) there is a berry that is especially coveted and almost unknown outside of Scandinavia: the

or the blackberry of the swamps.

Also known as the gold of Lapland for its color and honeyed taste, it reaches its peak in mid-July and sprouts freely in nearby places such as the municipality of Ranua.

In Finland it is common to serve it together with the local

cheese and a lot of sugar.

Another way to savor it is in creams and jams, such as the one that accompanies the smoked reindeer on Lappone pizza, one of the original recipes at Pizzeria Ruka, in Kuusamo).

The Lapponia distillery, based in the south of the country, has been producing one of the most popular Finnish concoctions since 1867:

a sweet and sour liquor with notes of honey and cloves that is created with this blackberry hand-picked in the Scandinavian forests.

Ruka, the region of rapids

Its magical flavor accompanies us on the last leg of the journey to Ruka, about 80 kilometers south from Salla on highway 950. Revered by fans of ice sports with excellent ski slopes and two large

with hotels, shops and restaurants for the winter season (Ruka Village and Ruka Valley), this city and its surroundings also hide stimulating outdoor activities during the warmer months.

Surrounded by five natural parks, Oulanka is a favorite for its waterfalls and hiking trails, occupied by the Sami people until the end of the 17th century, when Finnish settlers settled in the area.

Opened in 1956, the national park contains the famous Bear Route (

in Finnish), which runs 80 kilometers from the Arctic Circle parallel to the Russian border.

The path that starts at the Hautajärvi visitor center is easy to follow, signposted with information points at each kilometer and has

with chimneys where you can rest or prepare a fire if the cold weather prevails.

Winding through it in summer allows you to access its wooded hills and majestic cliffs or bathe in the river beaches.

But if the walk is too long, there is a reduced version (

) of about 12 circular kilometers, also dotted with hanging bridges, swamps and rapids.

A 'kota', traditional huts that can be found in the forests of Finnish Lapland. Teppo Noronen (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The pine forests and

orchids intoxicate all the senses as we pass through the park, where we can observe multiple varieties of birds, such as Siberian jays and the great gray owl, or the hypnotic Kiutaköngäs waterfalls, on the Oulankajoki river that connects Finland with Russia.

Accessible by a path just one kilometer from the car park (exact address here), its set of jumps up to four meters high is the result of the thaw that begins in May.

But it is undoubtedly the Kitkajoki River, always awake by its white waters, the most popular site among lovers of

.

The Stella Polaris company makes river descents from the town of Juuma, starting in two hours and at different levels that go through places of great beauty such as the Jyrävä waterfall.

Not far from Ruka, about 15 minutes along the E63 road, Oivanki Lake is emerging as a quieter river destination, where you can canoe or learn to fish for dinner that can be enjoyed that same night (full experience with e-North Safaris).

Rafting down a river in the Kuusamo area.

A trip to the land of a thousand lakes would be incomplete without a sauna session, the best restorative to relieve stress and tension after an intense day of adventures.

The therapeutic use of the dry heat that emanates from the stones has been practiced throughout the country for centuries, although it was in the 20th century that they began to be built next to the lakes.

Ending the day on its wooden slats to purify the body and eliminate toxins while relaxing is one of the night attractions offered by places such as the chalets and villas of Rukan Salonki, in Ruka.

Alternated with the visit to your

outside or a dip in the lake itself to increase the benefits of temperature contrast, will prepare the body for dinner in the cabin offered by the Salonki chef, with wild salmon and grilled vegetables cooked to order.

For dessert, a deep sleep to say goodbye to your midnight sky.

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