LAPLAND IN AUTUMN | Ruska and the northern lights
Red, yellow and gold across the fells. Berries and mushrooms in the forest. And as the light summer nights disappear, the chance to see the Northern Lights returns.
If you mainly know Finnish Lapland as a winter destination, autumn reveals a completely different landscape. September is the season of ruska: the short period when trees, shrubs and low-growing vegetation change colour. As October approaches, the landscape continues to change, while the longer nights bring more opportunities to see the Northern Lights.
It’s this combination that makes autumn so special: during the day, you explore a landscape changing in colour and character; in the evening, there’s a chance of seeing an entirely different natural phenomenon in the sky.
WHEN THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE CHANGES COLOUR
Ruska is the Finnish word for autumn foliage. In the north, it usually begins in September. And it isn’t only the trees that change. Low shrubs and vegetation on the ground turn shades of red, orange and gold too.
The exact timing varies from year to year and from place to place. Generally, the further north you travel, the earlier the autumn colours begin. On average, they peak in northern Finland around the second week of September, with the most intense colours lasting for a relatively short period.
That fleeting quality is part of what makes it special. You’re travelling through a landscape visibly changing with the season.
HEAD OUT INTO THE LANDSCAPE
Autumn is a beautiful time to explore Finnish Lapland on foot or by bike. Around Levi, Ylläs and Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, trails cross fells, forests and lakes. Further north, the landscape becomes more open and tundra begins to take over.
You don’t need to set off on a multi-day trek. From short walks to longer routes, you can decide how far into the landscape you want to go.
Want to understand a little more about life beyond the scenery? Head out with a local guide. Heli Alatalo, founder of Soma Adventures, takes travellers into her home region around the small village of Lompolo. In small groups, she shares not only the landscape but stories about local life and Lappish traditions.
It turns time outdoors into more than a view: you begin to understand the place through the people who live and work there.
TASTE WHAT THE SEASON BRINGS
Autumn colours are only one side of the season. This is also when the forests are filled with berries and mushrooms.
Foraging is an important part of Finnish outdoor life. Depending on where you stay, you can head out yourself or join a local excursion. The landscape also finds its way onto menus through ingredients such as berries, mushrooms, fish and game.
So autumn becomes something you don’t just see, but something you can taste too.
AND IN THE EVENING: A CHANCE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
You don’t have to wait until Lapland is covered in deep snow to see the Northern Lights.
As the light summer nights disappear, aurora season begins again. From late August, nights in the north are dark enough for the Northern Lights to become visible. This means the ruska season overlaps with the return of aurora season.
Autumn brings another special detail: lakes and rivers have not yet frozen. Under the right conditions, the lights can be reflected in the water.
There are never any guarantees. You still need a clear, dark sky and sufficient solar activity. But that unpredictability makes stepping outside and looking up part of the evening.
CHOOSE WHICH SIDE OF LAPLAND YOU WANT TO SEE
Finnish Lapland is vast, and its landscapes vary considerably from one region to another.
Around Levi and Ylläs, you’ll find fells, forests, walking trails and plenty of facilities. Rovaniemi combines nature with city life and culture. Travel further north, towards places such as Inari, and the landscape opens up, with Sámi culture also becoming more visible.
Where you go therefore becomes part of the journey itself: are you looking for outdoor life with a little comfort, a combination of nature and culture, or do you want to travel further north?
OUR AUTUMN IN LEVI
On our own trip, we chose Levi and stayed at Villa Snowfall, a wooden villa surrounded by the landscape.
We particularly loved that combination in autumn. Spend the day outside, then return somewhere warm where you still feel connected to your surroundings. Villa Snowfall has large windows overlooking the landscape, an open fire, sauna and jacuzzi.
It means you can fully embrace the outdoors without having to camp.
Villa Snowfall is around two kilometres from Levi and fifteen kilometres from Kittilä Airport. Nature feels close, while the area remains relatively easy to reach.
LAPLAND IN AUTUMN
Walk while not only the trees but the ground itself turns red and gold. Pick berries in the forest. Learn a little more about where you are from a local guide. Head to the sauna afterwards. And once darkness falls, step outside one more time to see what might be happening in the sky.
Finnish Lapland doesn’t need to be covered in snow to feel completely different. Autumn brings several sides of the north together: ruska, outdoor life, local flavours and the return of Northern Lights season.
A short trip doesn’t have to feel like a small one.