Northern Lights Forecast for Levi

Northern Lights in Levi

Levi is the ski resort on Levitunturi, a 531 m fell at Sirkka village in Kittilä municipality, about 140 km north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland. Kittilä Airport is 15 km south. Hotels, cabins and floodlit slopes crowd the foot of the fell, so the center is bright, but a frozen lake is within walking distance and a road climbs almost to the summit.

Immeljärvi, between Levi and Kätkä

Immeljärvi lies a short walk south-west of the center, between Levitunturi and Kätkätunturi, a 505 m fell on its western shore. Once frozen, it is the nearest open sky to the hotels and the first spot on Visit Levi’s aurora map. Walk only on the marked winter trails, and only once they have officially opened. The ice is weak at the northern end, where a river flows in, and around the swimming hole in front of the Saunabaari. There is no parking at the lake, and the shore is private land.

When low cloud sits along the tree line, Visit Levi’s advice is to climb Kätkä or Levi, where you may end up above it.

Tunturitie to the top of Levitunturi

Tunturitie, the road up the fell, carries on past Hotel Levi Panorama and the Lammaskuru and Tuikku car parks to almost the top of Levitunturi. There is free parking at the end, a short walk below the summit. It is the easiest way above the village lights by car.

Roadside spots on the Levi aurora map

The other spots on the map are by the road, a short drive out of the center.

• South Point. A dark area with free parking on Levin ympärystie, the ring road around the fell.
• Muoniontie. A designated viewing spot off the road toward Muonio, with signposts from the road.
• Tuomikuruntie. Park along the road and stay on the marked winter walking trail.

Some snow-covered roads on Google Maps around Levi are winter snowmobile routes or ski tracks, and walking on them is not allowed.

Levi Black and the November World Cup

In November Levi hosts World Cup slalom races on Levi Black, and the winners are given a reindeer. The front slopes open in October, so the aurora season, which runs from late August to April, starts well before the skiing. Skiers have come here since the 1930s, when the trip meant a post bus to Kittilä and a horse-drawn sleigh to Sirkka; the first lift went up on the north slope in 1964. The nearest railway station is Kolari, about 80 km away, with buses to Levi.