Do you want to get the autograph of the main Christmas wizard right at the airport? Then you are in Rovaniemi. Only in this Finnish city, the passport is stamped with the image of Santa Claus. And how to get to Rovaniemi? It is most convenient to fly from the capital Helsinki, but on Christmas Eve, when tourists' flow increases, you can also get to Rovaniemi by international flights. And in addition to the capital of Lapland, Finland will show you the Northern Lights, take a ride on reindeer and dog sleds, treat you to bear meat and venison, and, of course, fabulously surprise you. Santa Claus Village is the number one attraction. It is to get to the fabulous settlement that thousands of travelers from all over the world rush here on Christmas and New Year's Eve.
The center of Lappi province, the city of Rovaniemi, is only eight kilometers from the Arctic Circle. As the Europeans call it, Lapland is a fabulous snow-covered land where reindeer live and the indigenous people divide the year not into four, but into eight seasons. The winter day here is so short that the sun only has time to illuminate the frozen ground for a couple of hours. And the summer midnight sun never sets below the horizon. The climate in Lapland is continental and temperate, and the weather in Rovaniemi welcomes travelers with cold and snowy winter months and cool summers.
As the land of the eternal winter fairy tale, Lapland, with its enchanting landscapes, Instagrammable views, and unique architectural appearance, is more suitable than other areas of Finland for creating mesmerizing most liked Instagram photos. You can take an independent trip, or you can book Rovaniemi tours. The city offers a variety of activities: skiing, visiting the village of Santa Claus, the enchanting natural phenomenon-the Northern Lights, which you can see in the most comfortable conditions of the glass houses-igloo and even excursions to the amethyst mine.
So what to choose? What to see in Rovaniemi?
1. Santa Claus Village
Where to start your journey through fairyland? Of course, from the most magical place in Lapland - from the village of Santa Claus or Jouluppuki, as it is called in Finland. The Helsinki-Rovaniemi train will take the traveler to the provincial capital railway station, from where an amazing journey in the New Year will begin. The wizard's residence is located just eight kilometers from Rovaniemi and is located exactly on the Arctic Circle line. So you will not only be able to plunge into the atmosphere of childhood and New Year's holiday, but also show off pictures with accurate geographical coordinates-66.33.07, the Arctic Circle. Time your trip to Rovaniemi for Christmas or New Year, and you will never regret it. The village of Santa Claus will welcome guests with New Year's songs, the aroma of gingerbread and mulled wine in the air, and Christmas illumination. During the polar night, the delightful ice sculptures of the Santa Claus residence are illuminated, creating a complete illusion of magic and fairy tales. Just imagine what fantastic Instagram pictures you will get! Of course, the village's central place is occupied by the office of the New Year's wizard. Here you will meet your grandfather's cute helpers-elves and dwarves. They will lead the guests directly to the room of Santa Claus, where the good-natured old man will listen to all your wishes and will willingly take a picture with you. And you can send a photo to your friends directly from the post office of the magic settlement.
2. Santa Park
The village of Santa Claus is located just a couple of kilometres from the theme park and it is not difficult to get here from the residence of Jouluppuke. The territory of the Finnish Disneyland is hidden in an artificial cave. It is a huge indoor complex with an extensive tunnels system, where all the Rovaniemi attractions and entertainment are somehow connected with the New Year and Christmas holidays. The park received its first visitors in late 1998. Now it is a huge dungeon, the realm of fairy dwarves. There is an elf school here, where after twenty minutes of training, you will receive a certificate confirming your skills. The Snow Queen's Palace, where you can wander among the ice sculptures and take the great most liked Instagram photos. A room of fear, a magic train, and a glass ball filled with artificial snow. The ball is exactly the same as the one sold in souvenir shops on New Year's Eve, but much larger. In the cafe and restaurant of Santa Park, you can eat and celebrate the New Year holidays. And in the hotel "Arctic House” the most courageous travellers will be able to spend the night, climbing into sleeping bags and wrapped in warm blankets. You can make a Christmas gift for friends with your own hands or decorate fragrant ginger cookies in the elven workshops. Yes, and if for some reason you did not have time to cross the Arctic Circle on the surface of the earth and capture yourself in this solemn moment, then do it here, underground.
3. Snowland
What were the Snow Queen's halls made of? That's right, made of snow and ice. The weather in Rovaniemi in winter constantly and in excess supplies people with frozen construction material. After all, this is the far north of Lapland. Resourceful Finns turned to their advantage the harsh climate and bitter cold. So in two and a half kilometers from Rovaniemi in 1994, Snowland appeared - a unique place where all the buildings are made of ice and snow. The ice hotel, restaurant, bars, banquet hall, museum, and even the Arctic disco dance floor are all made of ice. Cold, sparkling beauty. So I want to put the word “eternity” out of the ice cubes in the midst of the icy splendor, following the fairy-tale Kai example. However, tourists do not come here for this, although everyone can try himself as a sculptor. Everyone is allowed to participate in the ice sculpture contest. Finland is especially proud of the ice restaurant - igloo Lumimaa Snowland - the largest in the world. Despite the icy atmosphere and the temperature of minus three degrees Celsius, the cosy atmosphere is supported by hot local dishes and the hospitality of the hosts. Here you can try such Lappish delicacies as traditional Finnish steamed soup, ryapushka fish and salmon, warming mulled wine, and beer. After a hearty dinner, guests of Snowland are invited to sit in a clearing by the fire, and then relax in authentic igloo huts covered with deer skins.
4. Reindeer Farm
What else to see in Rovaniemi? A tourist attraction that attracts visitors to Rovaniemi like a magnet is the deer farms. Reindeer husbandry is the Sami people's defining occupation, so reindeer farms and deer safaris are very popular in Lapland. Wouldn't you like to show off a picture on Instagram, in which you famously drive a team of real reindeer, and even at the same time cross the line of the Arctic Circle? One of these farms is located seven kilometers from the city and belongs to the Conttaniemi family, which has been breeding reindeer for a long time. At the farm, tourists will be able to get acquainted with reindeer herders' way of life, watch domesticated animals, and feed the young deer with yagel directly from their own hands. However, the most important entertainment for visitors to the farm is riding on a sleigh drawn by deer. If you want, you can even get the rights to drive a reindeer sled. The traditional skiing route, during which you will learn how to control the deer, and at the same time enjoy the wonderful panoramas of Lapland nature, usually lies in the direction of the Arctic Circle. At the end of the trip and the tour, there is a symbolic dedication of tourists to the Laplanders, and then everyone is invited to a festive table, on which a roast of venison, seasoned with traditional lingonberry sauce, is steamed.
5. Ounasvaara Ski Resort
In Finland, a country almost devoid of mountains, there are more than 70 ski resorts. The most popular and best of them, according to tourists who have visited here, is Ounasvaara. Located just eight kilometers from the Arctic Circle, the resort attracts its guests with numerous ski slopes of various complexity and an absolute opportunity to see the miracle of nature - the Northern Lights. You can come here both on weekends and for a longer period of time. Rovaniemi tours and the surrounding area are organized all year round. It offers guests well-equipped slopes for skiing and snowboarding, ski equipment rental, comfortable cottages. And modern lifts take you to the top of the mountain in just a few minutes. For beginners, there is an opportunity to be trained by experienced instructors even in the evening, because all the tracks are perfectly lit. The resort's infrastructure also includes the Santasport sports complex. This is the Olympic center of Finland and a place where adults and children can relax and have fun. Be sure to visit the theme parks, hot and cold pools, fitness centers, and sports complex restaurants.
6. Auttikongas Waterfall
Since the waterfall is located at a fairly large distance from Rovaniemi (80 km), it is necessary to allocate one day to explore this natural attraction and fully devote it to the journey. The sixteen-meter-high Auttikongas waterfall is located in the national park, which is now called "Landscape Forest". The nature around the waterfall is pristine and untouched by the hand of man. The trees are hundreds of years old. More than a century and a half ago, the Auttikongas waterfall, as part of the stormy and rapid Outtijoki River, was used for forest rafting. Even today, along the edge of the water slide, you can see the gutters for logs. For tourists, a looped ecological trail is laid around the waterfall, walking along which there is an opportunity to take Instagrammable pictures against the background of pristine nature. Along the way, there are bridges, observation decks, cafes and a small museum that introduces tourists to the history of the river and waterfall. No matter what time of year you decide to visit this place, beautiful, most liked Instagram photos are always guaranteed. The weather in Rovaniemi and the pristine nature of the Auttikongas Nature Reserve will adorn any photo. In winter, you can admire the frozen streams of a water stream, in autumn, the blazing crowns of trees will color the surrounding landscape, and in summer and spring, the riot of the awakened waterfall and the bright greenery of nature will harmonize the state of mind and body.
7. Lampivaara Amethyst Mine
Getting quite far from Rovaniemi, you can feel like a real prospector and find a treasure. The Lampivaara amethyst mine is located 130 kilometers from the capital of Lapland on Luosto hill. Finland is rightly proud of its amethyst storeroom. The deposit of this precious stone was formed in the bowels of the Finnish land about two million years ago. Today it is a popular tourist destination. However, the mine was never an industrial enterprise. Amethyst is a precious stone, and deposits of precious metals and stones are considered to be depleted natural resources. It would be a pity to lose the pearl of Finland in 5-10 years of production. Due to the fact that the development of the mine is carried out only by hand, the riches of the mine will be available for operation for another five hundred years. Currently, any tourist can come here and try to find his amethyst among the mountains of stones. Not everyone is lucky, but hope and excitement do not leave the treasure seekers until the last. If you are not lucky in your independent search, you can buy a souvenir or jewelry with amethyst in local shops and shops. In addition, for a fee, anyone can become an auctioneer of the mine and contribute to the development of the company. Next to the amethyst mine is the Luosto ski resort with a well-developed recreation infrastructure. Visiting the mine, you can kill two birds with one stone: feel like a treasure hunter, and then have a great rest in the comfortable conditions of the resort.
8. Ice wells
"Devil's mills", "devil's teapots" and several other equally strange names have an understandable, but no less fantastic natural phenomenon - glacial wells. Formed many thousands of years ago in the process of melting permafrost, these geological depressions with round holes filled with water, and today make a strong impression on travelers. You can see this unique natural attraction 25 kilometers south of Rovaniemi. Hiidenkirnut - this is the name of the place where 14 “hell holes” of different diameters are concentrated on the hillside. Ten thousand years ago, as a result of the melting of the glacier, water-filled erosive voids in the soil and sanded the surface of the basin. Today, the three largest of them are referred to by locals as "The Devil's Soup Plate”, "Bishop Hemming's Butter Churn" and "The Devil's Skin". The depth of the wells varies from 9 to 15 meters, and the diameter of the largest hole is 8 meters. In the vicinity of Hiidenkirnut, there is sterile cleanliness, which is supported by all the local residents. The ascent to the hill is equipped with a wooden staircase, and there is a name plate near each pothole. To stay overnight and get the opportunity to hear the devil's noise in his "teapots", you can rent a small hut, which is located right in the forest. So, if you are asked what to see in Rovaniemi, feel free to recommend a trip “to hell on kulichiki”, or rather on gulls.
9. Jatkankynttila bridge
When the Helsinki-Rovaniemi train takes you to the city, first of all, get acquainted with the main attraction of Rovaniemi - the Lumberjack's Candle Bridge. A cable-stayed bridge with the unpronounceable name of Jatkankynttila bridge has been connecting the Kemijoki River banks since 1989. Today, the majestic structure not only fulfills its direct function but is also a symbol of the city of Rovaniemi. His fame outside of Finland is evidenced by the fact that in 2012 a 5-euro coin was issued with the image of the “Lumberjack's Candle” bridge. This is how the name of the flyover connecting the two banks of the capital of Lapland is translated. Neither the name of the bridge nor the shape of its two towers was chosen by chance. Finnish loggers have long used the Kemijoka River for rafting logs. The fire that lights up at dusk on both towers symbolizes the guiding star that will always lead the wanderer home. The appearance of the towers follows the shape of torches used by local loggers in the last century when rafting wood. The four-lane Instagrammable bridge looks especially impressive at night when the fire lights up on the tops of the towers, and the entire bridge is illuminated by illumination from thousands of light bulbs. The most favorable angle of the “Lumberjack Candle " is obtained from the neighboring bridges of the city.
10. Lordi Square
A day in Lapland in winter lasts no more than an hour, but this time will be enough to explore the whole city, because Rovaniemi is not large at all. In addition, there are only three significant Rovaniemi attractions: the Yatkjankyuntil Bridge, the Arktikum Museum and the central square with the monument. This is the place de la Lordie. Remember, in 2006, the Eurovision Song Contest was won by a musical hard rock band dressed in rags, costumes of the dead, and zombies? So, they come from Rovaniemi. And it was then that the central square of the city was named in their honor - Lordi. Since then, Rovaniemi tours are also organized to see this famous square. Besides, the mayor of the city ordered to install of a monument on the square, the pedestal of which is decorated with the fingerprints of famous musicians. Some of them have claws because artists are now allowed to appear on the city's streets only in stage costumes. The square itself is nothing special and is more like a pedestrian street with numerous cafes, shops, and restaurants, where prices are significantly higher than in the rest of the city. The square, like the whole of Lapland, is transformed on the eve of the Christmas holidays. Here a Christmas tree is installed, a fair is opened, deer races are held, and tourists are willingly photographed among the ice sculptures. The inscription made of ice "Rovaniemi” is especially popular next to which a thermometer is installed.
Let's go to Lapland
How to get to Rovaniemiwhile already in Finland? Very simple. The main city of Lapland has good transport links to the whole world. And from the capital of Finland, Helsinki, you can get to Rovaniemi by rail, by car or by plane, because the city has its own airport and the travel time will be only a couple of hours. Rovaniemi Railway Station and bus station are located very compactly, in the city center. The Helsinki-Rovaniemi train takes the traveler to the city's train station in 8-12 hours. The ticket price is about 40 euros one way. A more budget option is a trip by bus or car, but it will be a less comfortable journey. So, I hope you now know how to get to Rovaniemi and get the most out of your Rovaniemi trip.
