All About the Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle runs 66° 33' 38" north of the Equator. It's one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. Everything north of this circle is known as the Arctic.

The word "Arctic" comes from the ancient Greek word meaning "bear", and refers to the constellations of the Great Bear and Little Bear, which are located near the North Star (which is actually part of the Little Bear).

To be close to the Arctic Circle means that the days are short in winter. Around Christmas, the sun is up for only 3 hours a day – it rises at 1030 and sets at 1330.

The winter solstice (near Christmas) is the darkest time of the year and after Santa's visit the sun slowly returns. Strangely enough, a winter day in Lapland might not feel as dark as you would imagine, because of the snow. The reflection of the snow-covered landscape acts like a magical lamp.

January and February are often a gray and dull time in most of Europe, where you hide within a warm coat as you force yourself out the door. But Lapland offers an exhilarating and pleasant winter holiday adventure. When you're equipped with a thermal jacket, trousers, and thick boots, the cold is never a problem.

The Arctic is a place of vivid contrasts. Following the snow-covered short days of winter, summer turns the Arctic Circle into the "Land of the Midnight Sun."