Rovaniemi is located in the middle of rugged and beautiful wilderness, therefore the observation of the changing seasons is easy. Each of the eight season has their own unique light, temperature and natural phenoma. The seasons are Christmas, Frosty Winter, Crusted Snow, Ice Break-up, Midnigft Sun, Harvest, Colourful Autumn and First Snowfall. The changing seasons offer excellent settings for whole variety of activities, from  snowmobiling during the Frosty Highlight to boat trips of the midnight sun. Each season offers an opportunity to experience the town in a totally different light.  

Christmas
As the year comes to a close it is time for Christmas, romantic twilight and beautiful blue moments. The Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle attracts children and the young at heart to meet Santa Claus and enjoy the gentle lighting that lights the twilight. Santa Claus, Rovaniemi’s most famous inhabitant, receives thousands of guests each year at Christmas wanting to bring theirgift lists to him in person.

Frosty Winter
The year begins with the deep frozen twilight period. At the Arctic Circle, there are only a few hours of daylight each day. Although the warm and cosy indoors and good company make you feel like staying in, you may still like to venture outside to hear the sound of the frozen wintertime silence following the New Year celebrations. Located this far north, on a clear day you have a very good chance of experiencing the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). In ancient times it was believed that the Northern Lights were made by the fox’s tale swishing over the snowy fells making sparks.

Crusted Snow
The period from late February to the beginning of April is the time for glistening springtime snowdrifts. On a sunny day, the amount of light refl ecting off the snow is quite amazing. The frozen river that runs through the town is fi lled with people and just as many activities. Did you know reindeer in Rovaniemi are also top athletes? In the spring, reindeer races are held right in the heart of town. For a moment, Rovaniemi is really the Wild North. Reindeer husbandry is an important livelihood in Lapland; indeed it is the reindeer that has become the symbol of Rovaniemi, the capital of the Province of Lapland. Th e Rovaniemi district is home to approximately 14,000 free-roaming reindeer.

Ice Break-up
In April – May, winter turns to spring. In the month of May, the days are long enough to even brighten the nights. Spring brings with it migratory birds, reindeer calves and jingling ice fl oating down the river. Nature’s awakening to a new season of growth can be experienced at numerous outdoor and recreational spots
in Rovaniemi.

Midnigth sun
The Midnight Sun shines from the beginning of June to the beginning of July. Th is is the time for dance, music and blossoming of the countryside. The Midnight Sun river valley landscape viewed from the summit of Ounasvaara is breathtaking. The river is an essential part of the cultural history of the town of Rovaniemi; it has been an important route of travel, provided fine catches of salmon, and its currents have been used to transport timber and lumberjacks. Th e warm days of summer attract people to the streets of Rovaniemi, to the street cafés and pub terraces. There is a wide range of shopping facilities in the town centre with the Lordi Square. The square was named aft er the hard rock band that won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. Rovaniemi is the hometown for Mr Lordi, the head of the band Lordi. The square has a concrete slab with the imprints of the band’s hands, which has already become a popular place to take photographs.

Harvest
July and August are harvesting times. One especially sought after fruit is the cloudberry, the tasty treasure of the wetlands. The special status of the cloudberry is quite evident, as it has its own event – The Ranua Cloudberry Market – arranged in the first week of August for over 30 years. The mild weather of late summer offers plenty more outdoor activities than picking cloudberries. Rovaniemi and its surroundings offer active outdoor enthusiasts a whole host of opportunities for guided or independent activities on the river, in the forest, or indeed on the golf course at Ounasvaara.

Colourful Autumn
In September the countryside starts to prepare for the more quiet season of winter, but the town bustles with thousands of students returning to their studies. Rovaniemi is a town of schools and students. There is a Vocational College, University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland, a university unique to Finland where science and art are combined. Autumn is also the time for the new season of the Rovaniemi Town Theatre and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra. Rovaniemi Art Museum is located in an old postal depot, one of the few buildings in Rovaniemi to survive the Second World War.

First Snowfall
In October to November the countryside prepares for the winter and is wrapped in a gentle gray mist awaiting the first snowfall. As the evenings get darker, people take the opportunity to gather up strength for the coming winter. Pampering oneself is allowed and even recommended!