Our wilderness locations range from Arctic tundra to the Scandinavian Mountains to the Bothnian Bay and beyond, accessible and incredible all year round, no matter the season.
Lapland has been called Europe’s last wilderness. Here, on the edge of the Arctic, wild forests of pine and spruce and birch extend beyond the line of sight. Despite its remote location, getting here and traveling around is easy and convenient, and Lapland’s extensive support service network assists in making productions, behind and in front of the lens, as smooth as possible.
Accessible
What sets Finnish Lapland apart from the other Arctic filming possibilities is our infrastructure. Despite sitting mostly above the Arctic Circle, Lapland has an extensive network of roads, rails, airports and communications infrastructure, perhaps the best in the North. European two-lane roads criss-cross Lapland from the tip of the Gulf of Bothnia to the Scandinavian mountains on Norway’s border, from the hometown of Santa Claus to the true tundra in the northeast. From city streets to national routes, Lapland keeps the roads clear of snow in the winter and well-maintained throughout the year. Even the smallest roads in the wilderness can bear heavily loaded vehicles like lighting trucks.
But there’s perhaps no other Arctic location on Earth as well-connected by air as Finnish Lapland. During the peak seasons (winter and early spring), our five airports offer direct flights with many European and even a few Asian cities. Most of our airports offer direct international flights all year round, and no matter the season, you can always reach Lapland via Helsinki.
When you get here, you don’t have to spend your valuable time dealing with red tape. Finland’s liberal Everyman’s Right removes the need for most film permits, giving filmmakers free access to most of Lapland’s ample forests, fields, rivers, lakes and fells without dealing with location fees or bureaucracy.
Wilderness
Despite our network of communications and transportation infrastructure, Lapland remains the last wilderness in Europe. We are home to 7 of the 10 largest national parks in Finland, including the top three. The two largest sprawl across northern Lapland, wrapping around traditionally Sámi municipalities. The Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park stretches from the hills of northwest Finland down through the Seven Sisters fells. The rocky, barren fells of Pyhä-Luosto share many characteristics with their distant northern cousins. And Riisitunturi National Park is home to some of the Arctic’s most magical, iconic forest scapes, the snow-covered pine trees every winter a myriad of shapes and sizes.
Locations
Antarctica is probably home to some of the most sweeping, haunting, isolated and cinematic vistas on the planet. And it’s nearly impossible to capture them. Because as every location manager knows, it’s not just the scenery that determines a location. Lapland has the landscapes. We have epic forests, magical snow cover, frozen lakes and rocky fells. But it’s the combination of wilderness locations, transportation infrastructure and support and production services that make Lapland full of locations. And those locations are usually not far from warm beds—like the tens of thousands available in popular holiday destinations scattered throughout northern Finland (depending on season, of course). You’ll find rivers next to downtown hotels, centrally-located ski resorts, and quality chalets and isolated log cabins just about everywhere.
With decades of experience and Arctic expertise, the production services companies in Lapland offer everything from conceptual basics like storytelling and development to equipment rentals with cameras, lighting rigs and drones to full production services. Whatever you need, you’ll find it in Finnish Lapland.