While you might think summer is the best time to visit a national park, there’s one spot in Europe that bucks the trend.
Finland is known for its natural landscapes, including one national park that’s said to be better to visit in the winter.
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Located in Finnish Lapland, Riisitunturi National Park has become a must-visit in the winter.
According to the travel website Outdoor Active, the best time to visit Riisitunturi National Park is between December and February.
This is because of the Tykki – the hard snow and frost that develops on top of trees.
The snow-covered spruce trees are considered to be one of the National Park’s most distinctive features.
As the trees bend under the weight of the compact snow, they create surreal shapes.
Because of the deep snow, visitors to the park are encouraged to wear snowshoes and appropriate winter gear, when visiting during the colder months of the year.
Not only can visitors hike to the park’s summit, but cross-country skiing and husky-sledding are also permitted in the winter months.
Riisitunturi National Park is also considered to be a good spot for seeing the Northern Lights – although glimpsing the dancing lights in the sky is never guaranteed.
Because of the limited light pollution around the park, it’s an ideal spot to stargaze too.
Holidaymakers who want to visit Riisitunturi National Park in the winter can book themselves onto guided tours through Get Your Guide, with prices starting at around £115 per person for a six-hour excursion.
Once the snow has melted away in the summer, the park’s bogs and ponds are exposed, changing the entire landscape.
While keen hikers can still walk up the park’s 300m summit, there are other summer activities on the cards, including berry picking and foraging for mushrooms.
The Finnish National Park has received high praise from holidaymakers on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “An amazing, fairytale-like area. The forest is truly enchanting in the wintertime.”
Someone else said: “A beautiful place to visit.”
A third added: “Without a doubt, an excursion to do in winter. Its location is on a hill, so in winter, the amount of snow is infinite and beautiful. All the trees are full of snow, so they look like figurines.”
Riisitunturi National Park is a 2-hour drive from Rovaniemi in northern Finland.
Ryanair operates direct routes from UK cities like London and Liverpool, with flight prices starting from £17 for a one-way ticket.
Alternatively, Brit holidaymakers can fly to Helsinki and board the Santa Claus Express train from the Finnish capital to Rovaniemi, with prices starting from 5 per person for a seat.
Those Brit holidaymakers who don’t want to go abroad to visit a National Park will be pleased to know there are plenty in the UK, including the Lake District National Park, which was recently named the most beautiful.
There are plenty of things to do in the Lake District National Park too, including walking routes and cycle rides.
Because the Lake District is home to some of the darkest skies in the country, it’s an ideal spot to stargaze.
Other popular national parks in the UK include the Peak District, Northumberland National Park and Snowdonia National Park.
Meanwhile, last year, Humphrey Butler, who is the founder and CEO of Marvellous Maps, revealed his top ten bucket list destinations across the UK.
Plenty of national parks were included in his top ten, such as Bannau Brycheiniog.
Formerly known as the Brecon Beacons, the Bannau is divided into four distinct areas, from west to east: Black Mountain, Fforest Fawr, Brecon Beacons, and the Black Mountains.
Humphrey told Sun Online Travel: “The scenery alone is enough, but what we really love about this national park is its renewed commitment to environmental restoration.”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
And here’s the British national park that’s one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK.
And this award-winning national park in the UK is another place to spot the aurora.
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