9-Nights Top Of Scandinavia With Arctic Circle

Honningsvag

The world's northernmost village, Honningsvag, the gateway to the North Cape, is a completely modern fishing harbor set in a land of forests, fjord waters, and crashing waterfalls, everything bathed in summer by the eerie light of the midnight sun. Only the chapel withstood the German destruction of 1944. It's some 50 miles nearer to the North Pole than Hammerfest, on the Alta-Hammerfest bus route.

Oulu

The coastal city of Oulu, 330 mi/530 km north of Helsinki, is a center for information technology and a good base for visits farther north. There are several small islands to visit in the area (especially Hailuoto Island—home to an open-air museum and a lovely old lighthouse), as well as beautiful parks, museums and some wonderful old churches. Liminka, just south of Oulu, has the Liminganlahti Bird Sanctuary, which manages to attract more bird species than anywhere else in Finland.

The town of Raahe makes a nice day trip: It has a quaint Old Town (200 wooden buildings), a marketplace and Pekka Square (19th-century buildings), as well as the Raahe Museum. Founded in 1862, it's the oldest museum in Finland, with displays illustrating the history of shipping and trade. If driving up from the south, consider stopping in the town of Paltaniemi, near Kajaani, to see the 18th-century church and the adjoining Czar's Stables.

Rovaniemi

The town of Rovaniemi boasts many modern buildings that border the unspoiled Lapland countryside and Artic wilderness. There are many great museums to visit as well as excellent hiking and skiing trails. The Ranua Zoo and Santa Park are also great places to visit!

Tromso

Enjoy the appealing frontier atmosphere at this ancient whaling capital and base for expeditions to the North Pole.

Alta

The Rock carvings at Alta, dating from circa 4200 BC to 500 BC, are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In additon, the Komsa culture was named after the Komsa mountain in Alta municipality, where the first archeological remains were discovered. In World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz used Altafjord as a harbor, and was damaged here by attacking allied warplanes. Altasaken in 1979 made headlines for weeks, as many people (especially environmentalists) demonstrated and used civil disobedience to prevent the building of a dam in order to produce hydropower. The dam was built, however, and the river still offers good salmon fishing.

Ivalo

Ivalo (590 mi/950 km north of Helsinki) has the primary airport for the far northern part of the country, but there's little to see in the town itself. Instead, visit the nearby town of Inari to see the open-air museum, explore the Siida Sami cultural center and take a cruise on Lake Inari. Plan to stay two nights.

The resort in Saariselka offers excellent hiking, fishing, hunting and, in winter, cross-country skiing. The Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village has glass igloos, open to the sky and perfect for viewing the northern lights on clear nights. It also manages the almost adjacent Santa's Resort, an enchanting reenactment of all things Christmas. Nearby Lemmenjoki National Park is a perfect place for gold panning, river rafting and exploring Sami culture.

Helsinki

Often referred to as "Pearl of the Baltic," this neat city is known for impressive architecture, wide boulevards, and beautiful harbor. Grand Senate Square, dominated by exquisite Tuomio Church and onion domes of Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral, is an example of neo-Classical, Empire-style impressive architecture. Visit the lively harborfront market and Temppeliaukioa Church (Rock Church), which was created in the 60's from man-made and natural materials. Finland’s musical heritage comes alive in great Finlandia Hall, designed by renowned architect Alvar Aalto. Finland’s beloved composer, Jean Sibelius, is remembered by a beautiful monument on Helsinki’s outskirts. Helsinki has good museums displaying everything from art to architectural design. Open-air Museum - the small wooded island of Seurasaari - has a collection of vernacular buildings assembled from all over Finland which provide insight into how country folk lived until recently. Suomenlinna Fortress is the largest in the world and often called Gibraltar of the North.