Riisitunturi Crown Snow Forest

About this spectacle

Deep in Finnish Lapland, Riisitunturi National Park transforms into a surreal winter dreamscape when heavy rime ice and snow encrust the spruce and pine trees into towering white sculptures. Known locally as 'tykkylumi' or crown snow, the phenomenon coats every branch until the trees become indistinguishable mounds of pure white, standing like silent sentinels across the fell landscape. Visitors ski or snowshoe through an eerily quiet forest where the only sounds are the creak of snow-laden branches and the occasional whisper of wind. The light plays across the white forms differently at every hour — pale blue in the shadow, golden and pink at dawn or dusk. The treeline opens onto the fell summit, revealing sweeping panoramas of a snow-blanketed Lapland wilderness. On clear winter nights, the same scene may glow beneath the northern lights.

When to go

Jun — Mar, peak Jan — Mar

Getting there

Nearest airport: KAO. Nearest city: Kuusamo.

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