Ruka

Ruka Ski Resort

With a season extending to over 200 days each winter, Ruka offers snowsure skiing just to the south of the Arctic Circle and a vast range of off slope activities.

In 2019, the ski season started on 4th October – making Ruka one of the first ski areas to open in the northern hemisphere. This says a lot about the snow reliability of this compact resort and is one of the main reasons why it is such a popular destination. It is located in between the town of Kuusamo (which is where you’ll fly into) and the Arctic Circle and is not far from the Russian border, ensuring cold weather and fantastic ski conditions throughout the winter.

The slopes may only cover 19km, but offer decent variety and with so much to do away from the pistes there’s no chance of getting bored during your stay here. With everything from snowmobiling to ice skating, Ruka offers a fantastic range of winter activities – this is not just a ski destination, it is a real winter holiday destination.

Our Ruka Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Advanced ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Après ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Ruka Skiing and Snowboarding

Although the vertical drop is modest and barely tops 200m, there is good variety in the Ruka ski area and access to the slopes was improved significantly with the new Village Express Chair and Scenic Gondola – both built for the 2018/19 season. Most of the slopes are equipped with snowmaking (the resort also stores snow throughout the summer to help open even earlier) and the vast majority are floodlit to ensure they are skiable even in the depths of winter. For beginners, a nice zone is located near the new Ruka Valley development – don’t worry if you’re staying in Ruka Village as you can now take the Scenic Gondola up and over to the other side.

Intermediates then have the pick of the resort’s runs to choose from. The Masto and Pessari reds are often less busy than the main runs so are good bets if there are lots of people about. Advanced skiers and riders will be frustrated here unless the park is their thing – if so Ruka is home to one of Finland’s top freestyle areas, as well as a halfpipe.

• Total Pistes: 19km
• Green: 2%
• Blue: 46%
• Red: 37%
• Black: 15%
• Lifts: 18
• Altitude: 291m – 492m

Ruka Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Ruka Resort

Most people tend to base themselves in Ruka Village, the original heart of the resort. Here is where much of the accommodation can be found, as well as the best restaurants and bars – which can become lively at weekends and when the resort is busy. New accommodation has been springing up at Ruka Valley, where it is hoped 1700 new beds will be created in the coming years, creating an attractive alternative base to the main village. Lots of cabins are also available.

As with other Scandinavian resorts, the off-mountain activities in Ruka play as big a role in your winter holiday as the skiing. A staggering 600km of snowmobile routes are ready for visitors, as are 159km of prepared cross country trails – 40km of which are floodlit. To make the most of your stay, be sure to check out the weekly activity programme (click here) which includes reindeer safaris and traditional wood-fired sauna experiences.

How to get to Ruka

Flights are available to Kuusamo from which is less than half an hour from Ruka.

• Kuusamo airport: 30 minutes

Ruka Contact Details

• Website: www.ruka.fi
• Email: info@ruka.fi
• Telephone: +358 88 60 02 50
• Facebook: @rukaskiresort
• Twitter: @rukaskiresort
• Instagram: @rukaskiresort