Winter. Time to seize the moment and spend it with benefit. With health benefits, of course. Outdoor sports activities are the most The best way strengthen health, temper the spirit and stock up on a good mood. Downhill skiing is perfect for this purpose. Unfortunately, a resident of the north-western region of Russia has nowhere to ride normally due to natural features and has to figure out where to go. And since you still have to go, it is better to choose beautiful places for skiing. Such, for example, as Finnish Lapland, where there are several interesting ski resorts at once, the highest and largest of which is Yllas.
2. Speaking about the beauty of the place, not least of all, we mean simply stunning frosty Lapland sunrises and sunsets. You will not find such light and such colors, perhaps, anywhere else. Ylläs is located in the far north of Finland, 150 km north of the Arctic Circle, which is why a real polar night reigns here in winter. The day at this time is extremely short - only three hours, but if the weather is clear, it's just magical three hours. And the most wonderful thing is that you don't have to get up early in the morning to meet the dawn. It starts here at eleven o'clock. By this time, you can slowly wake up, take a shower, have breakfast and be on the mountain by sunrise.
When applied to ski resorts in Finland, the word "mountain" is not entirely correct. There are no mountains as such in this region. But there are hills and some of them are very high, which makes it possible to use their slopes for skiing purposes. For example, Ylläs is the highest and largest fell in Finland. Its height reaches 718 meters, which is a pretty good indicator.
3. Despite the fact that Lapland resorts are located very far from the Alpine slopes, their technical equipment, sports infrastructure, and most importantly the level of preparation of the tracks are at the highest level. So, for example, in Ylläs there are 63 slopes: 6 green, 27 blue, 24 red and 6 black. The total length of trails is 53 km, and the longest slope is 3 km. This is the level! To service such a number of slopes, the resort has 27 chair and drag lifts, as well as a gondola lift. By the way, in addition to the tracks themselves, Ylläs has excellent conditions for off-piste skiing or freeriding with the best powder in the world.
4. The resort is divided into several ski areas, which are interconnected by a network of trails and lifts, so that, having started skiing on the southern slope, you can freely move to the northern slope and back. Each zone has its own service center, where you can find everything you need: ski equipment rental, a sporting goods store, restaurants, bars, a first-aid post, a children's playroom, a ski school, and more.
5. In the rental, you can choose skis not only by height, but also by the degree of preparedness, as well as by the style of skiing. Someone is closer to long arcs and downhill skiing along the track, while someone needs wider skis for slalom on the powder between the trees. Both for the first and for the second, there will always be appropriate skis. They will pick up equipment even for those who are not going to ski, but to go for a walk. Technological snowshoes are prepared here for such people. You can rent skis, boots, sticks and a helmet. Clothes and equipment, if you don't have your own, you can always buy right there in the store. Snowboarders will also not be left out, although the resort is much more focused on skiers, which, however, does not mean at all that people with boards avoid coming here. Quite the opposite.
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9. Children are also welcome here, as evidenced by a special fun assortment of children's products in the store, as well as excellent riding conditions for the smallest customers in special children's areas.
10. The entourage of this harsh northern resort will be conquered immediately. The buildings and structures covered with a thick layer of frost give a special flavor, which, it should be noted, is very pleasing to the eye. After all, for the most part people come here because of him or for him. Many European tourists come to Lapland. Having fed up with the Alps, Germans, Italians and French come here to the polar hills. The latter are the most. They come in large groups and often not even to devote their holidays to skiing. The resort offers a lot of additional activities, among which, for example, snowmobile safari tours are very popular.
11. But of course skiing takes precedence over everything else. Finns should not be ashamed of their slopes, even in front of the most sophisticated skier. Ylläs tracks are kept in perfect condition. Edging the local velveteen crisp in the cold is a real pleasure. In general, the wide spacious slopes of this resort are conducive to the descent with the breeze. A similar feeling happens when you get behind the wheel of a good car on good tires and drive out onto a track with excellent asphalt - and it makes you want to drive harder. Although this is not at all necessary. You can roll, slowly, at your own pleasure and admire the stunning views from the slope.
12. During the winter, Finnish resorts are unevenly loaded. The Finns have their own ideas about the high and low seasons, so when you come here in the seemingly height of winter, you can find practically empty lifts that stop when there is no one on them and start up if you drive up to them. Save! It looks a little strange, but this situation has an important plus - you can ride almost alone, and this is, firstly, pleasant, and secondly, safe.
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14. Along with the high level of skiing, Ylläs is simply beautiful. Why, this is Lapland! And the very beauty is at the top of the hill. It so happened that there is a high-mountain tundra at the top - there are no trees at all. Because of this, the wind here walks completely freely, which, coupled with changes in humidity and low temperatures, turns any objects into frozen snow sculptures. Here you can easily feel like a real conqueror of Antarctica.
15. The appearance of the trail signs says that you are at least a couple of kilometers from the North Pole. It all looks unrealistically cool! Especially in the conditions of the fantastic polar light, which changes dramatically during a short day and in a couple of hours you can see completely different scenery in the same place.
16. Likewise, the tallest restaurant in Finland, located here at the top, looks amazing. Wrapped in a thick layer of snow and frost, it looks more like the house of some fairy-tale character, but in fact, a very cozy colorful restaurant is hidden inside.
17. A huge resort implies a huge flow of tourists and the need to provide this flow with housing. This is true in Ylläs. The resort can simultaneously accommodate up to 23,000 people. Accommodation options are very different from a small house in a quiet place in the forest, to a hotel room in a comfortable hotel with a spa and a nightclub - which is called for every taste and budget. For large companies it is more profitable to rent a large house in a village at the foot of the village, and for those who come in pairs, it is preferable to stay in a hotel room. For those looking for budget accommodation options, hostels are available.
18. There is a choice in terms of price and conditions in any category of housing. With regard to hotels, as a rule, the best conditions are offered by chain hotels. For the same money they have larger set additional services and the comfort level is slightly higher. For example, Lapland Hotels, the largest hotel chain in Lapland, is represented by three hotels only in Ylläs: Saaga, Akashotelli, Yllaskaltio. All three hotels are focused on different clients - hence the different price offers. For example, a double room in Yllaskaltio will cost 98 euros / day, and a room in Saaga is already 175 euros / day.
19. The more expensive Saaga will delight you with a spacious, cozy room, which is standard as a triple room, a gorgeous panoramic view from the windows, a convenient location - a couple of minutes walk from the gondola lift and a varied breakfast. To be honest, the Finns do not pay too much attention to breakfast in hotels. As a rule, this is a very meager set: tea, coffee, juice, muesli, yogurt, cheese, sausage, a couple of buns, porridge and traditional sausages with an omelet. In different hotels, this set is supplemented by a couple of three items and no more. In Saage, this set turned out to be much wider. It seems like a trifle, but nice.
By the way, it is often more profitable to book a hotel directly on company website where you can sometimes get a good discount.
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21. With the onset of darkness, the slopes are empty. Not all trails are covered here. The lifts work until 17.00. After they stop, the nightlife of the resort begins. Snow groomers and snow cannons creep out onto the slopes, and in the village nightclubs and bars are lit up, and restaurants are waiting for their guests.
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23. Among the entertainment establishments there are also local legends. For example, the Kaappi bar, opened many years ago by French skiers. The interior was then very spartan and has remained so to this day. In fact, the bar was assembled from what was. The yellow rally car at the entrance is also a local attraction and the pride of the owner of the bar. This is a real racing car that has managed to be filmed in films.
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25. French heritage of the bar - anise based alcoholic drink Ricard. A very controversial liquid - strongly for an amateur. At the bar, it is served with a snack in the form of licorice candies. That is to say, so that the client can fully enjoy the bouquet of explosive taste and smell.
26. It is best to come to Ylläs, and generally to Lapland, in March. At this time, the nights are not so long. Daylight hours already lasts not three hours, but much longer. There are also an order of magnitude more sunny days in comparison with January and February. The ski season here, depending on the weather, lasts right up to the end of May. However, according to locals, the most beautiful time in Lapland is exactly the period when the longest polar nights are here - in December-January. It is at this time that you can see the most stunning sunrise in your life, standing at the highest point in Finland.
As soon as the winter season begins, numerous ski lovers flock to the Ylläs ski resort, which is located near Kittilä. Once it was just a hill in the west of Lapland. Today it is the largest recreation and entertainment center. It combines two major ski resorts on different slopes and is famous for the fact that it has the only super-giant slalom slope in Finland. Ylläs has 63 slopes in total, of which 6 are green, 6 are black, 24 are red, and 27 are blue. The total length of tracks is 53 km, most of which are illuminated.
At different times of the day, skiers ride on the slopes as long as the lifts work. As for the latter, there are 29 of them here and their use is paid. The smallest skiers (up to 6 years old) go to the lifts free of charge, but accompanied by their parents and always wearing a helmet. Ylläs offers a wonderful holiday for lovers of all types of alpine skiing. Including slalom, freeride, snowboard and telemark. The tracks are designed for different levels of difficulty, skill and age. This is very convenient, since experienced skiers and beginners are unlikely to be delighted with constantly meeting each other.
I must say that a special school “YsoYllas Ski School” has been opened here. The bustle of the resort does not in any way affect the life of two small villages located on the slope of Ylläs - “Ylläsjärvi” and “Jakaslompolo”. The center is located 150 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and you can get here by train. The nearest station is called Kolari. A twelve-hour trip from Helsinki will cost a tourist a little over 90 Euro. You can take your four-legged friend with you, there are special carriages for dogs on Finnish trains. For those who cannot imagine life without their own car, there are night train journeys with auto platforms.
Buses drive up to each arriving train and pick up the arriving tourists. The nearest one from Ylläs is at a distance of 40 km. For those who wish to save travel time, this real opportunity quickly get to these wonderful places. In addition, Finnish airlines offer passengers comfortable flight conditions even on low-cost flights. The distance from the airport to the resort can be covered by taxi, shuttle buses or by renting a car. In every Finnish airport there are companies that offer car rental services to tourists.
Despite the fact that Ylläs is already Lapland, where it is frosty and snowy for most of the year, the roads here are a delight - clean, smooth and always in excellent condition. Therefore, you should not be afraid to go here by car. The truth should be remembered that it is much more expensive than in Russia. And you also need to think about where to stay for rest and overnight stay, because the distance from the Russian border to the resort is about 900 km.
Entertainment at the resort
For those who are not a fan of downhill skiing, Ylläs offers entertainment of a different kind. First of all, this is sledding, snowmobiling or sledding. Anyone who has little sensation can swim in the ice hole. And fishing lovers - to catch the fish of their dreams on a nearby lake. I must say that Lapland is good in summer too. Out of season, vacationers are offered horse riding, river rafting, and hiking along mountain trails. And also the opportunity to pick mushrooms or berries, for example, the famous cloudberry, from which Finnish liqueurs are then made.
Photo: yllas.fi One of the most memorable local attractions is Lake Pakasaivo, located in a steep canyon. Water from glaciers flows into it and this lake is unique for its layered structure of water, from above it is transparent and clean, and below 12 meters - hydrogen sulfide. Moreover, these layers do not mix. But the eerie location and the inexplicable state of the water are not the only reasons why the lake has been called “Lapland Hell”. In ancient times, sacrifices were held here. A more attractive place is Snow Village. It is built in a new way every year and is always uniquely beautiful.
Despite the fabulous appearance buildings, everything is real here, both a bar and a hotel, where the temperature does not exceed 5 degrees. The famous Finnish sleeping bags with thermocouples save from the cold. One of the lifts has a gondola-sauna for 4 people. It lifts those who wish to a height of more than 400 meters. You can take a steam bath and admire the surrounding landscapes. You can buy a variety of delicacies in local shops. And in the restaurant you can order traditional Finnish dishes, the taste of which cannot be compared with anything. The Ylläs season opens in November and closes at the end of March. But this does not mean that the flow of tourists here immediately dries up.
Photo: emmakara / pixabay.com Many people just go to Ylläs recreation center out of season, but there is still snow here. Then the prices for accommodation are lower and there is no crowding of people on the slopes and queues for the lifts. Ylläs is a high-class resort and in terms of service level it is not inferior to many European centers. Therefore, many people prefer to drive a thousand kilometers, but relax in a more relaxed atmosphere. Tourists are offered rooms in hotels of different categories - from luxury to budget rooms. But the rest will be incomplete if you do not feel the charm of living in the famous Finnish cottage.
- Address: Yllästunturi, 95970 Kolari, Finland.
Most of these houses are paired and they are located in the villages that we have already mentioned. From there, specialized buses run to the hill. I must say that during the holidays and vacations, it is better to book rooms in advance. Although the resort is quite spacious, at the same time it can accommodate about 23 thousand vacationers. Due to its large size and well-thought-out infrastructure, vacationers do not feel overcrowded even during the peak season. In our next article, we want to tell you which is considered one of the best in all of Finland.
More than sixty ski slopes, more than three hundred kilometers of flat trails, picturesque landscapes, cozy restaurants, hotels with high-quality service and fabulous cottages surrounded by the magnificent nature of Lapland - all this is Ylläs in Finland. You can discover all this splendor by visiting one of the fabulous resorts in Finland, called Ylläs.
How to get there?
The most convenient way to get to this famous resort is by plane. A two-hour flight separates Helsinki from the small town of Kittilä, located near Ylläs.
Another option is by train. Comfortable trains run with an enviable frequency, and travel time averages 13 hours.
Trains arrive in Kolari, 35 km from the resort. Buses run regularly between the station and Ylläs.
When is the best time to go to Yllas?
Located north of the Arctic Circle, the Ylläs ski resort opens its trails for skiing at the end of October.
Winters are long and mild here, and tourists come here until the beginning of May. During the winter months, an additional benefit will be the unforgettable beauty of the Northern Lights, which are especially common here.
Where to stay?
As the largest resort in Finland, Ylläs offers its tourists a variety of accommodation options - luxury hotels, apartments and, of course, cozy cottages.
By the way, Ylläs cottages deserve special attention. They are located around the hill of the same name with ski slopes, and special buses run between them and the city center.
Another plus is the relatively low price, even in the high season you can find inexpensive cottage and enjoy all the delights of home comfort and warmth.
About trails and slopes
The resort is equipped with 63 ski slopes, among which there are slopes for both beginners and experienced skiers, illuminated and special slopes for children. The longest track in Finland is also located here, its length is 3 km. There are also 29 ski lifts for skiers.
The greatest difference in height is 463 meters.
For those who prefer skiing, there are about 330 kilometers of flat ski tracks, 38 km of which are illuminated in the evening.
In addition, vacationers have at their disposal a halfpipe and superpipe, a boardercross track and even the possibility of off-piste skiing!
And for beginners, there are two ski schools with Russian-speaking instructors!
Ski-pass prices
What to do and where to go?
Tired of long hours of skiing or snowboarding, you can go to explore the surroundings, since there is something to see here.
Firstly, this is a favorite place for all tourists - Lapland Hell, located 10 km from the resort. The deep-water lake is a cult place among local residents, and in ancient times, sacrifices and various religious cults were performed here.
Another popular place is the Ylläs sheep farm and distillery.
Lovers of delicious food are invited to cafes and restaurants, which serve not only the usual European cuisine, but also traditional Lappish dishes - braised reindeer with chanterelles or lingonberry jam, local cheeses, as well as snow partridge and, of course, salmon soup!
If you want to actively diversify your everyday life, you can ride a dog sled, go on a Finnish sleigh pulled by reindeer, go ice fishing or go on a snowmobile safari.
We invite you to see what beauty is in Yllas:
Finland's largest ski resort is popular among tourists from all over the world and every year on various tourist portals there are rave reviews about Yulayas as a place where you want to return not only for first-class ski slopes, but also because of the enchanting nature of the North, hospitality and cordiality of local residents ...
Ski resort Yllas, Finland (Yllas) located in the western part of Lapland.Distance from St. Petersburg to the resort Ylläs, Finland (Yllas) - 1157 km.
Maximum height difference Ylläs- 463 m.
Height Ylläs above sea level - 718 m.
Slopes Ylläs: 43 ski slopes (31 easy, 8 medium, 4 difficult), freeride, there is a children's track; illuminated slopes - 13.
21 lifts.
Snowboard Park: Pipe, Street.
Water park: Levitunturi in the Levi ski resort.
From winter resorts in Finland ski resort Ylläs(Yllas) - number one in elevation difference and the length of the tracks. Resort slopes Ylläs will satisfy connoisseurs of all types of alpine skiing, including fans of snowboard, telemark, freeride, slalom. Resort Ylläs it has a very stable snow cover, so the condition of the ski slopes is always perfect.
Rest at the resort Ylläs, Finland, is most suitable for those who are used to spending the maximum amount of time on the slope. For beginners at the resort Ylläs there are two ski schools. Also from the resort Ylläs just an hour drive to Levy- no less famous ski resort in Lapland, where tourists will find a lot of entertainment.
To Ylläs by car: You can get to the Ylläs ski resort by your own car (you should take care of an intermediate overnight stay in a motel in advance), by train, or by plane. Experienced riders go to Ylläs by car, and back by train to Helsinki, placing the car on the railway platform.
Ylläs cottages
More than two hundred cottages and bungalows located around the ski resort Ylläs(Yllas), a special ski bus (ski bus) connects to the center of the resort. And the prices Ylläs relatively low: many cottages High Quality can be booked inexpensively even during the high season.
Ylläs trails and lifts
43 ski slopes illuminated by 13.
The longest slope is 3000 m.
Lifts - 21.
Lift ticket price (ski-pass):
for 1 day - 25/29 € depending on the season (adult), 17/19 € (children 7-12 years old and adults over 60);
for 5 days - 94/110 € (adult), 59/69 € (child);
for 7 days - 118/134 € (adult), 69/82 € (child).
Children under 7 years old in helmets and accompanied by their parents - on all lifts for free.
Opening hours of lifts on weekdays
Until February 11 - 10.00 - 16.30;
February 12 - May 1 - 10.00 - 17.00.
Equipment rental
Ski kit (skis, boots and poles):
1 day - 25 €;
7 days - 92 €.
Snowboard 1 day - 34 €.
Other entertainment
Cross-country skiing (320 km of trails, 38 km illuminated), snowmobile safari (300 km of trails), dog and reindeer sledding, ice fishing, snowshoeing, horseback riding.
Ski season in Yllas resort
Guaranteed skiing: October 29 - May 2.
Distances
970 km from Helsinki.
The nearest airport is Kittilä, 40 km (2 hours flight from Helsinki).
Taxi order from the airport to Ylläs resort by phone: +358 600 14919. The fare is 1.17 € / min.
The nearest railway station is Kolari, 40 km (13 hours from Helsinki), there is a bus from each train to the Ylläs resort and back.
How to get from St. Petersburg to the Ylläs resort by car
Saint Petersburg - Vyborg - Brusnichnoe - border
border - Lappeenranta - Mikkeli, route 13,
Mikkeli - Kuopio - Kajani - Yormua - Mieslahti, route 5,
Mieslahti - Paltamo, route 22,
Paltamo - Rovaniemi, route no. 78,
Rovaniemi - Kittila - Levitunturi, route 79,
Levitunturi - Yllas.
Regular travel to hot countries can, at times, get bored, and the soul requires something unusual ... and even cold. In this case, you can look at the North - frosty and inhospitable at first sight, but it only seems so. Lapland will become a much warmer holiday destination than any southern resort. So, this article examines the colorful Finnish ski resort of Ylläs.
The ski resort is located in the northern part of the country, known as Lapland, and it also unites two villages - Ylläsjärvi and Akaslompolo, standing at the foot of the hill. The resort was named after her.
This holiday destination is one of the most popular in Finland, which attracts skiers from all over the world. Ylläs began its work in the second third of the twentieth century, and the resort quickly won the love of tourists. The locals themselves treat them with kindness and every season they invite them to high-quality cottages at an affordable price.
Visiting skiers will find amazing slopes with slopes of different levels - ski schools are equipped for kids and beginners, and the guides will be happy to show you steep slopes for extreme lovers. You will not be bored here even without skiing - in the services offered you can see unusual safaris with dog and reindeer sledding, snowshoeing, in the neighboring resort of Levi there are aquapark.
For those who wish to experience the spirit of Lapland with their whole body, we offer swimming in the ice hole... Ice fishing will be a real rest for the soul.
The start of the season is due polar night, which lasts two months. But there is no need to worry - each track is well lit, and skiing in the evening twilight will be a pleasant addition to the smooth tracks. By the end of winter, the long-awaited morning arrives, and then the sparkling snowy hills become attractive.
Of course, Ylläs resort offers not only winter holidays. Summer and autumn in Finland are very beautiful. Tourists love these places for their many services - fishing on numerous rivers and lakes, motorcycle crossings in the mountains, walking with sticks, mesmerizing canoe and raft trips, picking mushrooms and berries in a bright forest and even meeting the famous reindeer.
Ylläs ski resort on the map:
sights
A visit to the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park will be an interesting addition to your active holiday. Here you can hike or ski. On the long polar night, the northern lights are visible.
Fans of the Finnish ethnos will love a trip to Lake Pakasaivo or Lapland Hell in common parlance. The reservoir is surrounded by high rocks, but its very depth still cannot be measured - the researchers never reached a solid day. And in ancient times, local tribes performed sacrifices on this lake - pieces of deer antlers were found. It is interesting that according to legend they say that the devil himself lives in the lake.
Not far from the resort there are two ice rinks where you can rent skates. In addition, there are winter snowmobile excursions, during which you can enjoy the Finnish winter to its fullest.
All photos of Ylläs ski resort:
Weather conditions in Ylläs
Lapland is an area located above the Arctic Circle, so you cannot count on warm weather. Snow falls already in November and lies until mid-spring. Frosts can sometimes hit as low as -20, so it is better to stock up on warm equipment for the whole trip. In summer, it is cool and fresh here - about +15 degrees.
Characteristics of pistes and lifts
Since there are no such high mountains as in Europe in Finland, the elevation differences here are not very large - a little more than 450 meters. But the slopes still do not leave indifferent neither beginners, but professionals.
There are only 63 tracks in Ylläs:
- 6 "green";
- 27 "blue";
- 24 red;
- 6 blacks.
The total length is 53 kilometers, and the longest is 3 kilometers.
Ylläs ski resort piste map:
From the types of lifts you can see:
- chair;
- funicular.
They work from 10 am to 4:30 pm from the beginning of the season until February, and after the opening hours are extended by half an hour, that is, until 5 pm.
Lift pass for a week will cost 130 euros for an adult and 80 euros for a child, but children under seven years old are admitted to all lifts free of charge. Also, ski passes are valid not only for the slopes of Ylläs, but also for the nearest resorts of the Lapland Super Ski area.
The cost of food, accommodation and leisure
Affordable prices, even in the "high" season, attract tourists. There are several types of accommodation in Ylläs, ranging from modern apartments to traditional log bungalows. Many people like to travel in large companies, occupying a whole house for the duration of the trip.
European-style apartments for a familiar life even abroad are represented by the companies of the resort villages. They have everything you need: several bedrooms, bathrooms, common living room, kitchen. Apartments are equipped with household appliances, good furniture, TVs, players; in the kitchen, you will definitely find any utensils and equipment necessary for cooking. The apartment will cost more than 100 euros, but there are discounts for weekly bookings.
The easiest way to rent an apartment is through the AiBnb website, when registering in the system you will receive first trip bonus of $ 26. And that's it (enter the dates and other filters you want to use so that AirBnb can find the best accommodation option for you).
Such houses can be rented for living in Ylläs.
Another type of housing in Lapland is cottages. There are both small houses and aesthetic bungalows with real Finnish saunas. They are located in villages near the hill. The resort itself can be reached by buses. A cottage costs 600 euros per week for two people, while larger houses will already cost 1000 euros and more.
Cozy hotels in Ylläs have excellent service and most of them are located near the center of the villages, so you don't have to go far for shopping. There are often saunas, spas, nightclubs and restaurants on the territory of hotels. The average price per night will be 130 euros for a room for two people.
Book a suitable hotel in Ylläs:
In the villages of the resort there are many shops, both grocery and sports equipment. Of course, there is no need to buy and you can always rent it. Skis, for example, will cost 100 euro in a week, and the snowboard costs 35 euros for a day.
Children will also not get bored at the resort. They can be sent to ski schools or given to the children's playrooms, where friendly staff will look after the child. For children under one year old, an hour among other kids will cost 15 euros per hour, and for seniors the prices decrease, so already for children over ten years old you will need to pay 10 euros in hour.
For adults, the nightlife is well developed, and if in the evening you can sit in a warm cafe with a delicious dinner, then after the rest we will become a lively nightclub.
Ylläs is a very lively and contrasting place despite its harsh weather conditions. A vacation in this ski resort is sure to turn into an exciting journey.
Video about the trip to Ylläs:
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