Frozen in time

Riisitunturi National Park, Lapland, Finland

In the blush of a late-morning winter dawn less than 50 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, these spruce trees in Finnish Lapland’s Riisitunturi National Park look like commuters snap-frozen in transit. More snow falls here than in any other part of Finland, the most heavily forested country in Europe, and the trees of the park’s 7400-hectare spruce forest are knobbled by rime and bowed by wind. Snowshoeing or cross-country skiing to witness these sculptural marvels isn’t the only reason to visit: the Northern Lights can also make a spectacular appearance (see page 54).