Helsinki, Finland – Being from Southern California, born and raised under the California sun, I was a little less than enthusiastic when my wife suggested we take something called the Winter Wonderland tour here in Helsinki. Winter usually means cold. But because this was her vacation too, I supported her choice and made the arrangements.
Putting aside my dislike for cold weather, off we went to an indoor winter wonderland. Our guide, Ritva, told us a little bit about Finland along the way. She even spoke some Finnish so we could hear what the language sounds like.
Unique Lapland Winter World, now part of the Wild Nordic and Lomarenga Group, is the name of the wonderland that would be our playground for the next couple of hours.
The region known as Lapland is located in northern Finland, well above the Arctic Circle, and borders the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Russia. The creators of this wonderland decided that since Lapland is about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Helsinki and most visitors would not be able to travel there, they would bring a bit of Lapland here.
Ritva led us inside and into a space resembling a locker room. There the staff gave us instructions about what to expect. We were then issued a black and gray hooded one-piece parka-type overall, boots, and gloves. After donning the cold weather gear supplied by Unique Lapland, we walked out of the locker room and found ourselves inside a cavernous room chilled to –4 °C (25 °F), and darkened to resemble a polar night in Lapland. During the winter months there is very little if any daylight up there. So these are pretty much the conditions you’d experience when you travel to Lapland during the winter. Skillful use of ice and lighting also approximated the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights; well kind of.
I was skeptical that the clothing we were provided would keep me warm during our time here. I was wrong, as you will soon read.
Once inside the ‘warehouse’, one of the first places we came across was something called the Ice Bar. Everything here was either made from ice or snow. All except the wooden Ice Bar sign, menu, and trays. The counter was made from shaped and cut ice. It featured intricate carvings and was lit using colored lights.
In addition to the Ice Bar, the tables, igloos, and just about everything else made from ice in Winter World is made from 100% natural water sourced from Lappish rivers. Don’t worry if you find a small bug or leaf frozen in the ice tables. That just confirms it’s all natural. No, you will not find those objects in the shot glasses that I’ll tell you about next.
At the Ice Bar we were served a shot of Finlandia vodka (what else?) provided in a shot glass made from ice. I thought that was very cool, no pun intended. They sell the molds for the shot glasses in the gift shop. We downed our vodka in one gulp. The Ice Bar set the tone for the rest of the experience here.
We posed for pictures next to large ice sculptures of animals such as bears and, of course, Santa. The Winter World website says the ice sculptures, in addition to the tables and ice bar, were created by the Kurtakko brothers, skilled ice sculptors from Lapland. As the building is kept at –4 °C (25 °F), nothing melts. Every few years the sculptures and other decorations are replaced with new ones to keep the scene fresh. The only exception is the Ice Bar. That is because with so many people touching it and with accidentally spilled drinks, it does have to be replaced every year.
Nearby was a large section that appeared to be a dining area with ice tables and seating covered by reindeer pelts. The tables were lit from the inside so it looked like they were glowing. Artwork made from blocks of ice was also lit. There is a restaurant by the dining area but we did not visit it.
As we walked around, we saw three different ‘snow hotels’ shaped like igloos. 
These were actually quite nice inside. Some had designs carved into the walls. The beds were made with lighted ice blocks forming the frame and supports. On top was a thin ‘mattress’ or mat covered by blankets. One igloo had the ‘traditional’ mats on a wooden frame. My wife immediately sat on one to try it out, had a little fun for the camera, then laid down. She said it wasn’t bad.
We kept looking at the dog sled track. Signs that said “Caution Sled Dog Team Crossing” and “Husky Parking Only” piqued our curiosity. The sled dog track was behind a roped off boarding area.
A couple of dog sled teams take visitors around a short course. The dogs are part of a group of 20 Alaskan Huskies from Bearhill Husky. Every year during tourist season, they come down from Rovaniemi, Finland, the “official” home of Santa Claus.
The huskies are well trained and are very excited to be ‘working’. One of the professional mushers (dog sled driver) there said the dogs work four or five days a week and rest the other days. But even on their days off they still want to pull the sleds.
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