Glittering snowflakes clinging to every branch in the forest, the mumble of nearby reindeer and the crisp crunch of footsteps in the fresh snow ??? Lapland is a winter wonderland where memories are made and winter never ends.??

Finnish December days only see five or six hours of daylight, bathing the land in an ethereal half-light under the pink skies.

The air’s filled with a sense of magic as you head out on a reindeer safari, sleep over in the Snow village or ride into the wilderness on a snow mobile.

And if you’re lucky, you might find yourself gazing up at the Northern Lights swirling through the sky.

Stay within the Arctic Circle in Lapland’s Levi and Yll??s, or head south to Pyh??, Ruka or Salla ??? now with more direct flights from the UK for this Winter. Start your Finnish adventure at crystalski.co.uk.

Words by Ben Dent.