Rovaniemi and the Arctic

Rovaniemi is located in the heart of a wide natural environment with flowing rivers for canoeing, swimming, or fishing, as well as hiking and cycling routes alongside them. The city is well known (ask any Finnish child) as the home of Santa Claus, who lives at Santa Claus Village, which sits astride the Arctic Circle. You can interact with reindeer or visit a Sami reindeer farm here. Visit the beautiful Arktikum Science Museum to learn more about Lapland culture as well as the natural history, meteorology, and geology of the Arctic.

The Arctic Circle passes through northern Finland, passing straight past Rovaniemi, claiming it as the Gateway to the Arctic. This means the famed Midnight Sun in the summer. In Rovaniemi, the sun only stays above the horizon for a complete 24 hours during the summer solstice in late June, yet it never gets dark from late May to early August. During these "White Nights," locals are out enjoying the great outdoors, and tourists are free to join them.

Location: Rovaniemi, Finland
Highlights: Santa Claus Village and Santa Park, Arktikum Science Museum, the Gateway to the Arctic, the Korundi House of Culture, Arktikum, Angry Birds Park, Lordi's Square, Rovaniemi Church, Ranua Zoo From Rovaniemi, ...
Best time to visit: June 18th to August 19th and the Christmas