NOWHERE does a mountain rise to much more than 700m and there is not a resort with more than 40km of runs. Yet Finland attracts thousands of Brits each season, enticed by reindeer and Santa and then entranced by eerie, flat scenery and its après-ski lifestyle.

There are more than 100 ski areas in Finland but most are small and only a handful make the grade. The tour operator Inghams has three flights each week to Kittila for Levi and Ylläs, deep in the Arctic wilderness of Lapland, while Pyhä and Ruka (the latter 20km from Russia) are also back in Crystal’s brochure, where they went almost unnoticed a decade ago.

They are popular because they are completely different while being reassuringly familiar. This is where the modern Europe of sleek design and shiny things meets a crosscontinental drift of something infinitely older. The Lapps have an air of mystery and their cuisine even makes Austrian food look light. Reindeer comes as steaks, sausages, stew and burgers, and I found bear paw on a menu in Ruka.

The skiing is never going to rival other countries but it is spectacular, from the ice-encrusted mountain top (more accurately fell top) restaurants, to the runs that roll off rounded peaks and down into the trees surrounded by hazy, icy plains. Early in the year there is limited daylight and you emerge after breakfast into a gloomy half-light and illuminated slopes — in itself, an otherworldly thrill.

Finland is an excellent place to learn to ski. English-speaking instructors teach on slopes that are never too steep and by the end of the week you can ski your resort from end to end. Visitors can also go snowmobiling across a frozen lake, drive a reindeer sleigh, command a sled pulled by huskies, go cross-country skiing and take up the season-long offer to drop in on Santa.

Perhaps more important than Santa is drink. Most people imagine that alcohol prices in this part of the world are astronomical. But the cost of a strong local Lapin Kulta lager would not make you blink in a London pub. You can find a bottle of house wine for £12 — Finns like to drink and have fun, and the bars stay open late.

Which resort should you choose? Levi is the liveliest with mostly hotels, notably the Crazy Reindeer; Pyhä and Ruka combine busy centres with log cabin accommodation; Ylläs is quieter, mostly cabins in the woods. New this season are Iso-Syöte, a family resort, where Crystal offers Arctic Activities packages, and Posio, where Thomson offers Winter Wonderland packages.

Transfer times are typically less than 30 minutes and there are plenty of holidays below £300 from Inghams and Crystal. There is also a chance of glimpsing the swirling northern lights — hotel staff will wake you should they appear.

Times recommends

• The 20 best winter sun destinations
• Australia's five best roadtrips
• The Scotland shooting lodge that targets greenies