Ruka ski resort in Northern Finland, along with other ski areas in the region, has entered a ‘period of polar night’ when the sun stays below the horizon. It’s the opposite end of the year to when the area sees 24 hour daylight in midsummer.
The ski slopes are illuminated so people can keep skiing and boarding in the half light, but Ruka cheers things up further with its Polar Night Light Festival, which illuminates the slopes in multi-colours from the 12th until 28th January next year, four weeks after the sun is due to start briefly reappearing at the start of next month.
Describing the festival as, “light art against a uniquely magnificent northern stage of nature!” the event is free of charge, but some of the lights are placed on the ski slope so only visible to those riding the lifts.
Visitors can see and experience the whole event best by skiing on the Kuru slope. The gondola also takes you to the top of Saarua, from where resort guests can admire the lights of Kuru.
