The Forgotten Finnish Tourism Boom of the 1800s: When Lapland Became a Health Resort for Europe’s Coughing Elite

Lapland: today it conjures images of Santa Claus villages, reindeer sleigh rides and Northern Lights hunting. But rewind to the 1800s, and things looked rather different. Long before it became a winter wonderland, Lapland was being marketed as the Nordic equivalent of the Swiss Alps—an unlikely health retreat for Europe’s aristocratic invalids, romantic poets and anyone with a persistent cough and enough money to escape the soot of industrial cities.

Yes, you read that right. There was once a time when Lapland was considered a health resort. A wild, remote, pine-scented sanatorium for Europe’s consumptive elite.

In this guide, we’ll dive into this curious chapter of travel history—what sparked the Finnish tourism boom, who came, what they were hoping to find, and whether any of it actually worked. Along the way, we’ll uncover why the Arctic was considered the perfect antidote to “urban malaise,” and how Finland’s clean air became an early marketing tool for medical tourism.

Wait, Finland Had a Tourism Boom in the 1800s?

Indeed it did. While not on the scale of Victorian spa towns like Bath or Baden-Baden, Finland quietly emerged as a fashionable wellness destination in the 19th century, particularly for those in search of fresh air, silence, and a place to quietly recover from respiratory ailments—chiefly tuberculosis.

At the time, medical science was limited in its ability to treat TB, and “taking the air” became a catch-all prescription. Alpine air was all the rage, but as more people ventured further north, Finland—and Lapland in particular—was suddenly on the map for health-conscious travellers.

Why Was Lapland Considered Good for Tuberculosis?

Air So Clean You Could Bottle It (and They Did)

Lapland was promoted for its pure, dry, cold air, which was thought to benefit those suffering from lung complaints. Doctors of the era believed that the brisk Arctic air would “harden the constitution” and improve breathing. While we now know that this doesn’t exactly cure TB, back then, the absence of industrial pollution made Lapland an appealing alternative to coal-choked cities like London, Manchester, or Berlin.

And it wasn’t just a theory. Some wealthy families reportedly sent their ailing offspring to Finland for extended stays, hoping that exposure to pristine pine forests and brisk hikes in reindeer country might prolong their lives. Whether it did or not is… unclear.

The Natural Spa Experience (Minus the Spa)

Lapland didn’t have mineral springs or luxury bathhouses, but what it did have was solitude, nature, and silence. These were viewed as therapeutic in their own right—particularly for the upper classes tired of the noise and stress of European capitals.

This concept—sometimes dubbed “boreal therapy” by historians—was an early form of what we now call nature therapy or forest bathing. The Finns were doing it before it was cool.

Who Were the Tourists?

The clientele was as eccentric as you’d expect. Think aristocrats from St. Petersburg and Stockholm, Romantic poets with unfortunate coughs, and German naturalists who treated their illnesses with equal parts wandernlust and wishful thinking.

One notable visitor was the Swedish writer Zachris Topelius, who travelled extensively through Finnish Lapland and wrote about its “healing purity.” His writings helped shape the region’s image in the minds of would-be health pilgrims.

Others came not for illness, but to escape modernity altogether. These early tourists were the proto-hipsters of their age—trading cigars for coniferous trees, and opera houses for ice fishing.

How Did People Get to Lapland in the 1800s?

A Journey Not for the Faint of Heart (Ironically)

Getting to Lapland in the 19th century was an adventure in itself. There were no direct trains from Paris to Rovaniemi. Travellers would typically sail to Helsinki, then take slow-moving trains, horse-drawn carriages or even sleighs further north.

The journey could take weeks, and there was no guarantee of comfort along the way. But for many, the remoteness was part of the appeal. The further you were from civilisation, the more you were thought to be healing.

What Did Visitors Actually Do?

Long Walks, Longer Naps

A typical day might involve a brisk morning walk through the forest, a nap by a lake, a dinner of smoked fish and rye bread, followed by watching the Northern Lights if you were lucky. There were no treatments in the modern sense—just the hope that clean air, peace and quiet, and rustic living would do the trick.

It was wellness, 1800s style: no Wi-Fi, no yoga retreats, and certainly no green smoothies. Just endless pine trees and the haunting calls of distant birds.

Local Hospitality

Travellers often stayed with local Sámi families or in simple wooden lodges, where reindeer stew was the dish of the day and saunas were as close to a luxury spa as you’d get.

Interestingly, the sauna—now a key part of Finnish culture—wasn’t yet fully embraced by outsiders at this time. Some visitors found the hot, steamy rooms shocking. (Spoiler: they got over it.)

Did the Lapland Health Craze Last?

Like many Victorian health fads, the Lapland tourism boom eventually faded, especially as medical science improved and actual treatments for tuberculosis were developed. As trains reached the Alps and spa resorts in Central Europe grew more accessible (and better heated), Finland’s niche appeal began to dwindle.

By the early 20th century, the image of Lapland as a health destination was largely forgotten—until modern tourism revived the region’s appeal for entirely different reasons (hello, Father Christmas).

What’s Left of This Forgotten Chapter?

While few physical remnants remain, the legacy of this era survives in Finnish travel writing, local legends, and the country’s ongoing reputation for wellness tourism. Today, Finland is celebrated for its clean air, quiet landscapes, and deep connection to nature—much like it was back in the 1800s.

Ironically, modern travellers are now rediscovering the very same qualities that drew tubercular poets and fragile duchesses north in the first place.

Should You Try the 1800s Lapland Wellness Experience?

Fancy trying a bit of boreal therapy yourself? While you probably don’t want to swap antibiotics for birch trees, there’s something oddly appealing about the minimalist Finnish approach to wellbeing. Today, travellers can stay in beautifully designed eco-lodges, take silent forest walks, and steam themselves silly in smoke saunas—all while breathing some of the cleanest air on the planet.

So yes, if you’re burned out, coughing too much, or just craving a place where no one talks at breakfast—Lapland might still be the answer.

A Health Resort Wrapped in Fur Blankets and Fog

The idea that 19th-century elites were trekking to the Arctic Circle in pursuit of wellness feels delightfully absurd. And yet, it’s entirely true. Finland, long before it was cool, was a sanctuary for those seeking silence, solitude and a bit of salubrious snow.

The next time someone suggests a wellness retreat in Bali or a yoga escape to Ibiza, feel free to suggest the Finnish alternative: a nostalgic, ironic nod to a time when the cure for your ailments came bundled in frost, fir trees, and far, far fewer people.