Levi, Finland
Encyclopedia
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The resort is located in Kittilä
Kittilä
Kittilä is a municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort.It is located in the province of Lapland, Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and is served by Kittilä Airport
Kittilä Airport
Kittilä Airport is a general aviation and commercial airport located in Kittilä, Finland, inside the Arctic Circle. It is one of the main airports in Northern Finland and carried circa 215,000 passengers in 2010.-Airlines and destinations:-Fire:...
and Kolari
Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
train station. At a latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 130 km (80.8 mi) north of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
.
The Levi fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
is at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 531 metres (1742 ft) above sea level. There are 48 ski slopes (15 of which are floodlit) and 28 ski lifts in Levi. Ascending the fell are 2 gondolas
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
, 1 chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
, 14 T-bar lift
T-bar lift
A T-bar lift, also called T-bar, is a mechanised system for transporting skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope...
s, 6 stick lifts for children and 4 rope tows
Ski tow
thumb|right|A rope tow or ski tow.A ski tow, also called rope tow or handle tow, is a mechanised system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill....
for children. Levi is one of two locations of gondola lifts in Finland, and has been chosen the best domestic skiing resort in Finland four times.
Levi is an early stop on the Alpine Skiing World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
circuit, hosting slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
s in mid-November; in 2010
2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February...
the races were held November 13–14. The climate is somewhat too cold to host them in January-February.
The slopes in Levi are mostly suitable for beginners or intermediates, but there are also four black slopes for experts. The highest vertical drop is 325 metres (1,066 ft.) and the longest slope is 2.5 km (1.6 mi) in length. The longest ski lift is about 1,636 meters (1.01 miles) long. Levi has one superpipe, one halfpipe, two snow parks, 10 children's slopes and seven slope restaurants.
The skiing and snowboarding season in Levi is extended, often lasting up to eight months, from mid-October to early June. The ski school provides instruction in downhill skiing, snowboarding, telemark skiing
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...
and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. Cross-country skiers have illuminated ski tracks and snow that lingers well into the spring. There are 230 kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks and 750 kilometres of snowmobiling tracks in Levi.
The resort's location in the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
pretty much guarantees generous snow cover and sub zero temperatures throughout winter. It also allows for good chances of seeing the Northern Lights
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
.
ICIUM
ICIUM Wonderworld of Ice is a winter entertainment park built in Levi, Finland from ice and snow. The first park opened on 18 December 2010. The park showcases both ice sculptures and snow sculptures in an area of about .- Construction :...
- Wonderworld of Ice built near the Gondola ski lift.
External links
- Levi.fi - official site
- Levi Finland - More detailed information on the resort including summer activities
- Snow Village.fi - Lainio Snow Village
- Kittilä Journal.com - a Texan in Lapland - Personal journal of winter holidays in Levi and surrounding area. Lots of photos. Gallery of arctic light.
- Levi Finland - Airlines and Destinations visits Levi Finland