Call for lapland
Life is a story to be experienced.Retreats through the four seasons of Finnish Lapland.
We gather in Finnish Lapland — where nature, creativity, people and stories come together around fires, shared tables and meaningful moments.
Retreats made in Finnish Lapland.
“I believe creativity often starts with curiosity — seeing something familiar a little differently. Living in Lapland gives me plenty of reasons to stay curious. The seasons change, the weather changes and nature rarely follows our plans.
Call for Lapland is our way of inviting people here to share some of that with us. To create, spend time outdoors, sit around the same table and see what these days bring.”
— Minna Rimpiläinen, founder of Call for Lapland
The Call.
THIS IS CALL FOR LAPLAND
Call for Lapland grew from an idea to invite people to the places where we live, and spend a few days together — outdoors, around fires and shared tables, creating, talking and getting to feel Lapland as we feel it.
Our retreats follow the seasons of Finnish Lapland. The weather, light and surrounding nature affect what the days look like and what we can do. Nature is not something we can plan in advance, and we don’t try to. It inspires what we do and is part of everything we plan.
Life is a story to be experienced.
We spend time outdoors, use creativity in different ways and gather around fires and shared tables. We get to know the places we stay in and the people and stories connected to them.
There is a programme, but not every moment needs one. Sometimes people stay at the table after dinner. Sometimes the weather changes our plans. That is part of being here.
Make your story here.
Ask for more information: Minna Rimpiläinen + 358 44 019 7496 and minna.rimpilainen@mooli.fi
Lapland Through the Seasons
The same place is never quite the same
The seasons are a practical part of life in Lapland. They change the light, the temperature, the landscape and the way we spend time outdoors.
In winter there is kaamos, the darkest time of the year. Spring brings long days, snow and increasing light. In summer the sun stays above the horizon, and in autumn the forests change colour before winter returns.
Our retreats are built around these changes rather than trying to create the same programme all year round.
Kaamos · Winter
Kaamos is the darkest time of the year in Lapland, when the sun stays below the horizon. But it is not completely dark. For a few hours each day, there is a soft light that can shift from blue to pale pink.
And when the snow covers the ground, everything suddenly looks a little brighter.
Join us for The Call of Kaamos retreat.
Kantohanki · Spring
I In spring, the amount of daylight increases quickly. The snow often develops kantohanki, a hard crust that can carry you almost anywhere. You no longer need to follow paths — you can ski across the snow through forests and open landscapes. It is a favourite time for skiing and ice fishing.
Experience the spring light.
Yötön yö · Summer
Summer brings Yötön yö — the nightless night. Darkness disappears, but the light keeps changing through the day, from bright daytime sun to the softer shades of evening and early morning. Around midsummer, the sun stays above the horizon through the night.
Come and see the midnight light.
Ruska · Autumn
In autumn, Ruska changes the landscape. The greens of summer turn into shades of yellow, orange and red. The days get shorter, the air gets cooler, and the first signs of winter begin to appear.
Let Ruska lead the way.
Our retreats – The Call for Lapland
What you’ll find at our retreats
Creativity is part of who we are
Our retreats bring together creative work and the nature of Finnish Lapland. At the heart of them is Luovuuden lähde — The Source of Creativity — an approach developed by Minna Rimpiläinen and used in her work in Finland for many years.
You don’t need to be an artist or know how to make anything. We work with curiosity, ideas and different ways of seeing and doing. Creativity can happen with a pencil, brush or clay in your hand, but just as easily during a walk, around a fire or in a conversation at the table.
When creativity meets the North
In Lapland, this work takes on a character of its own. We have snow, forests, water, fire, changing light and four very different seasons. We use these elements as part of what we do, and the conditions around us influence the rhythm of each retreat.
This means no two retreats will be quite the same. A December retreat during Kaamos is very different from one under the light summer nights or in the colours of Ruska. The place stays in the North, but nature keeps changing the way we experience it.
Join us and create with the North.
Creativity without pressure
Guided creative work where curiosity matters more than skill or experience.
Nature as part of the day
We don’t just look at Lapland through the window. We go outside and let the season, weather and landscape become part of what we do.
Time together
Shared meals, conversations, fires and everyday moments with a small group of people.
A different rhythm
There is a programme, but not every moment needs one. There is also time to wander, notice things and simply be where you are.
Lapland as it is
Changing light, snow, forests, fire, cold and whatever the weather brings. We don’t try to create Lapland for you —
we invite you into the Lapland we live in.
Retreats shaped by the seasons of Lapland
Kaamos Retreat
15-19 December 2027 · Meltaus, Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland
Call for Lapland retreat takes place during Kaamos, in December 2027.
We will spend four nights in Meltaus, north of Rovaniemi, surrounded by the winter landscape. The programme brings together creativity, time outdoors, shared meals and conversations, with room for the days to follow the conditions around us.
December this far north means very little daylight. It may snow. It may be cold. The sky can change surprisingly quickly.
And yes, there may be Northern Lights. We can’t promise them. Nature will decide that.
IN THE MIDDLE OF KAAMOS, WE CREATE OUR OWN LIGHT.
Around the fire
Fire has a very ordinary place in northern life. It gives warmth, you can cook over it, and people tend to stay around it longer than they first planned.
It will have a place in our retreats too.
Call for Lapland
During Retreat
Creativity is part of how we work and spend time together. Depending on the retreat, it can mean making, writing, looking at things differently or working with an idea together. There is no need to arrive knowing how to do any of it.
You don’t need to be an artist to take part. Creativity at our retreats is about curiosity, trying things out and seeing the familiar in new ways.
The other part happens outside the programme. A walk in the forest. Coming back in from the cold. Sitting down for dinner. A conversation that continues after the plates have been cleared.
The place and the season are always part of what we do.
Retreat born in Lapland
Call for Lapland is not a retreat concept brought to Lapland. It is made here.
We live in Lapland, and the places we choose are places we know or want our guests to get to know properly. Each retreat is connected to its location, its season and the people involved.
Our first retreat takes us to Meltaus, a small village north of Rovaniemi. We stay at Arctic Alma, the former Meltaus game research station.
The history of the place, the surrounding landscape and life in this part of Lapland belong to the retreat. We don’t need to turn them into something else.
This is where we live. We’d like to show you some of it.
Call for lapland – retreats
The people behind Call for Lapland
Call for Lapland is made by people who live and work in Lapland. We bring our own backgrounds, skills and interests to the retreats, but we also invite other people to join us when their knowledge belongs to a particular place or retreat.
Minna Rimpiläinen
Minna is an artist, educator and creative facilitator based in Finnish Lapland. Her work brings together art, creativity and learning, using arts-based practices to support wellbeing and work with people in different settings.
At Call for Lapland retreats, Minna leads the creative parts of the programme. You don’t need an artistic background to take part. Curiosity is enough.
Arctic Alma I Kristiina Nuorivaara
Arctic Alma has deep roots in Lapland and a lifelong connection to its nature. She is a trained wilderness and nature guide with more than ten years of experience in Lapland tourism. She is also currently studying art-based therapeutic facilitation and holistic coaching.
For Kristiina, nature has always been part of everyday life — from childhood skiing trips and time spent in the forests to fishing and exploring the landscapes of Lapland. Her approach is calm and practical, with respect for nature and each person’s own way of experiencing it.
During Kaamos Retreat, Kristiina guides our time in nature and is one of your hosts throughout the retreat.
Meet Kristiina →
kristiina.nuorivaara@gmail.com and +358 40 531 2408
Minna Rimpiläinen
Master of Arts (Art and Design), MA
Certified Luovuuden lähde® Facilitator
Certified Elämäntaide® Facilitator
LogoArt® Art Therapy Facilitator
Solution-Focused Brief Therapist
Reteaming Coach
Tarinarentoutus Facilitator
Meet Minna →
minna.rimpilainen@mooli.fi and +358 44 019 7496
