Experiencing the midnight sun has long been on our travel bucket list (and not just because we’re Zara Larsson fans) – but there’s a very good reason to finally tick it off this year.
That’s because Levi, a ski resort in Finnish Lapland, is set to launch a summer-long treasure hunt to find a hidden gold bar worth €20,000.
Starting on 18 June, visitors will receive a series of clues taking them through Levi in search of the valuable nugget.
Each clue takes you to different attractions, including hiking and biking trails as well as other things you can do exclusively during the summer months. The gold bar could be found at any moment, but each clue will make it easier to find, with the final one dropping on 22 August.
“Levi is known above all for its winter, but the northern summer is still undiscovered by many,” Satu Pesonen, CEO of Visit Levi, said. “We want to give travellers a new reason to visit Levi when the sun never sets and the fell landscape reveals a completely different side of itself.”
You can take part in the search by heading to the Midnight Sun Hunt website.
The hunt has been organised with Agnico Eagle Finland, a Kittilä-based gold mining company, and Levi Ski Resort, and hopes to support Levi as a sustainable travel destination.
You won’t need to dig to find the gold bar, and you’ll also need to stay within designated areas while searching.
What is the midnight sun?
The midnight sun is the period during the summer months when the sun never fully sets in places north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctica Circle.
There are several notable places across northern Europe that experience the natural phenomenon, including the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, parts of Greenland, plus cities like Tromsø and Reykjavík.
Conversely, these spots also experience the polar night during the winter months where the sun never rises above the horizon, making it a great time to catch the northern lights.