I've thought about writing a text
about Ruka several times in the past and have always found myself at a
loss for words to describe something that is so beautiful in its
essence. Words simply cannot describe the beauty of this small Finnish
village. I fell in love with this little piece of our planet Earth.
What
I find most captivating is the peaceful aura of the surroundings and
the truly wintry landscape – white trees, snow creaking under your
boots, and temperatures that often fall well below zero. My record is
-20 degrees. While taking a walk, it is not uncommon for one to meet a
herd of reindeer. The main rule in Finland is: always yield to reindeer!
Ruka
is located in the northern part of the country, the next nearest town
is 30 km away (Kuusamo), and the nearest airport is approx. 40 minutes
away by car. It is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Finland,
though at the same time it is a protected nature conservation area. (I
was once able to book a hotel in Kuusamo for my customers – my
astonishment was huge when they asked me for a contract and the money
transfer bank account number.) There is a building with tourist
information by the parking lot, whereas the Safaritalo building houses a
company that organizes tours of the surrounding areas.
In
the winter, the village turns into a real resort for winter sports
fanatics. Skiers can look forward to 34 well-prepared downhill ski
slopes (30 of them with artificial lighting), which are easily
accessible thanks to nearly 20 different kinds of ski lifts. The total
capacity amounts to more than 25,000 skiers per hour – which sounds and
looks pretty good. The longest slope is 1300 meters long.
