Cross-country skiing in Finland is a popular traditional pastime for the snow-covered winters of Northern Europe. Children typically learn to ski from a young age in school, many continuing to ski as adults and some even going on to be successful competitive athletes at an international level. Cross-country skiing is a part of the Finnish culture and even its history, such as during the Second World War.
It stands to reason then that skiing is well-loved by the people of Finland and that there are so many options available to visitors who want to try it for themselves!
Cross-country skiing in Saimaa – Having a go
Cross-country skiing in Finland comes in two flavours. The first is more related to sport skiing in that it uses very long, narrow skis designed for speed on skiing trails. The second is a more ancient, traditional way of skiing that uses very broad forest skis that are more able to go off-trail, spreading a person’s weight to move over deep snow. Both are loads of fun and quite easy to learn, as well as being great, healthy forms of exercise.