Kakslauttanen

Fisherman-turned-entrepreneur Jussi Eiramo hit the nail on the head with his vision for a Finnish lapland resort, surrounded by Urho Kekkonen National Park. While it started as a humble holiday rental venture with a few log cabins, the resort is now a full-scale operation of all things Christmassy, and it really is as magical as it looks. Jussi is nothing if not ambitious; a huge West Village has just opened, with highlights including Santa’s home, the world’s largest smoke sauna and an igloo tower-cum-bar that’s due to open in spring 2017. There are also the sought-after ‘kelo-igloos' to stay in, which offer the comfort of a log cabin combined with Jussi’s famous glass igloo – they’re all north-facing for prime Aurora watching. This side of the resort is considerably larger than the original East Village and caters for slick activity-packed festive family holidays. East Village, however, is much more rustic, and some might say more charming. It’s a quieter, lake-side spot that’s ideal for romantic getaways – book a glass igloo to star gaze and watch the Northern Lights, or for a luxurious stay book a Queen suite with the bonus of a hot tub, sauna and tub. The restaurant here has a shabby-chic chalet feel, with obligatory moose head, open fireplace and local artisan-crafted decor, offering hearty comfort food. Activities are organised throughout the day, ranging from husky sledging and quad biking to gold panning and meeting the resident reindeer – some are more pricey than others, so choose wisely. It’s also worth heading out of the resort to nearby Saariselka, which has a ski slope in winter, or offers decent hiking trails pre-snow season (snow arrives around mid-November). Timing is key to your trip – the Northern Lights show between August and April each year, with the deep darkness of ‘Kaamos’ between December and January when the sun does not rise, but the sky and snow turn blue in a fantastic natural phenomenon around 2pm daily.