Travel · 6 February 2024 · 2 min read

Reindeer farm & Riisitunturi National Park

At 9 am we help with the reindeer feeding, the animals eat the lichen dessert straight from our hands, at -25 °C. In the afternoon we hike through Riisitunturi National Park, whose completely snow-encased trees make us feel like we're on another planet.

We get up early, because today we have a 9 am appointment at a reindeer farm, where we’ll be helping with the morning feeding. Before we can get into the car we first have to scrape off a centimetre-thick layer of ice, it was -25 °C overnight. Thankfully the car starts, and thanks to the spike tyres it grips the icy surface too. At the reindeer farm our friendly guide is waiting, and he introduces us to the history of the farm, the reindeer and their way of life. Then we head to the pasture of the female reindeer and their young. The main feeding is done from a snowmobile, and afterwards we get to serve the reindeer their “dessert”, so-called lichen moss. They happily eat it right out of our hands.

After the feeding we’re thoroughly frozen and are glad to take a seat in the warm café. We have a tea and a hot chocolate before setting off in the car towards our accommodation. On the way we fill up the tank and Annina has her first go at driving on snow. Back at the accommodation we make ourselves lunch. Fortified, we set off again, this time towards Riisitunturi National Park. A narrow, single-lane, snow-covered road takes us to a large car park. Several routes start from there. We head in the direction of Riisitunturi. Along the way we feel like we’re on another planet. The landscape is completely blanketed in the finest powder snow we have ever seen, and at just under -25 °C the air is truly bitingly cold, something our faces, hands and feet notice very quickly.

We can’t get enough of the beautiful snow-laden trees and the setting sun. We shoot wildly in every direction and soak in the view. At some point, though, we realise we should turn back, as we’re properly frozen through. So we turn around shortly before sunset and drive home in the most beautiful light. We head straight into the sauna to warm up. Afterwards we cook spinach tagliatelle with fried cauliflower. After a quick look through the photos, an episode of a series and a futile watch for northern lights, we go to sleep.