Lahti, Finland's Winter Wonderlan

What to do and where to stay in Lahti, Finland.

Yesterday was a beautiful day for skiing in Lahti – six inches of fresh powder, no wind, and no real crowds. I was able to go to the top of the 120 meter ski jumping tower, affording me awesome views of the city, the snow covered forests, and the frozen Bay of Lahti. Not only did I take in the natural beauty, but standing at the top of the tower, above the ski jumper’s starting point, was amazing and gave me a real appreciation for the nerves of steel that the ski jumpers, lean, athletic looking aliens in their helmets and brightly colored spandex suits, must possess.

Only groups can go into the ski jump tower, but there are lots of other things to do in Lahti (see this week’s article), like downhill skiing, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. In Lahti, you can stay in a cabin in the woods on the cross country ski slopes, so all you have to do is wake up, have a hearty breakfast, and ski out your back door to start your day of skiing. Or, there are smaller cabins with kitchenettes close to the downhill slopes and ski rental center.

If you are visiting Helsinki and want to do a bit of skiing in the Finnish countryside, Lahti is a convenient choice. It is only an 1.5 hours from Helsinki, accessible by car and train. Now that the snow has arrived in Northern Europe, everyone is outside, taking advantage of the great weather and some of the best of what the Nordic countries have to offer – nature and winter sports.