Tips

Are you the type of traveler, who is not just looking for relaxation and pampering – but wants to get active, go outdoors, and explore nature? To feel the adrenaline and excitement, like the locals? Keep reading: we wrote the best tips to get the most out of your adventure in Rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi is The Official Hometown of Santa Claus® and Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle is like a real village offering dreamy services and amenities. You can choose form a variety of magical accommodations, enjoy arctic delicacies at local restaurants and cafes, join the daily arctic activities and of course fall in love with the mellow happiness of Christmas magic all year round.

Welcome to a Finnish sauna! We Finns love our Sauna, and when you visit Finland, you must experience sauna. A traditional Finnish sauna is like Finnish food culture, pure and simple.

What if I told you we have an overall population density of 1,98 persons per square kilometer, which is one of the lowest in Europe, more reindeer then people, the cleanest air and waters in the world. Yet we live in a modern city filled with services and even luxury. Our summer nights are light like the most romantic pink twilight, and that our summer temperatures are mild like the birds milk, as we Finnish people like to say. Would you believe me? And the list goes on...

The snow has melted and temperatures risen double digits above zero Celsius. That can only mean one thing: summer is round the corner in Rovaniemi!

Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland, is a city of two big rivers and local people gather around the Arctic waters in the river valley, as soon as the ice on the rivers melt. Admire the city and the Midnight Sun from Ounasjoki river deltas on a SUP-board or go on a canoe trip or join a tranquil river boat cruise or spend a day in a floating water park. The Midnight Sun shines in Rovaniemi through the summer, creating a magical light phenomena for all waterfronts.

Rovaniemi has a surprising restaurant scene, with flavours of the world combined to Lappish tastes and numerous summer terraces to offer a relaxed evening out. Midnight Sun causes Finnish Happiness, through soulful moments surrounded by Arctic nature, embraced by Lapland phenomena and flavours. Hop on to this city of summer madness, to a way of life only experienced here, on and above the Arctic Circle, and spend an evening out on summer terraces, under the Midnight Sun.

The Midnight Sun – also known as the nightless night or polar day, is a unique natural phenomena, of white nights all summer in Rovaniemi. For us locals the summer light is empowering comfort that creates the basis of Finnish Happiness. There is actually endless amount of things to do under the Midnight Sun, have a look at our list of must do things under the Midnight Sun of Lapland.

Midnight Sun is about staying up through white summer nights and listening to the wind in Arctic forests, and to the song of a black-throated diver echoing on the pure arctic waters, in utter peace and natural comfort.

Traveling to Lapland in winter with kids is a dream come true in many ways. As The Official Hometown of Santa Claus® Rovaniemi offers a one-of-a-kind winter wonderland. Rovaniemi offers so much wonders on top of eternal Christmas Magic that we had to make a list:

Looking for that must do, once in a lifetime experience to add to your Lapland bucket list? Introducing Polar Explorer, Icebreaker in the frozen waters of Bothnian sea in Lapland harnessed to take you on an adventurous 3-hour cruise of your lifetime.

Rallying, karting, climbing, cycling, swimming and forest hiking can be taken to a next level when we add arctic conditions to the activities

Rovaniemi is The Official Hometown of Santa Claus, and therefore it is only natural that there is also a small village full of magical Christmas atmosphere in the Arctic Circle. You can spend a memorable day visiting Santa Claus Village or stay overnight.

What to experience in Rovaniemi in early winter season when there is snow, but not enough for all kinds of activities? Rovaniemi has snowy winter´s and we have snow on the ground over 6 months a year, statistically around 200 snowy days every year.

We collected a few bulletproof tips where to get familiar with reindeer during your stay in Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland.

You asked, we reply: There's no snow in Rovaniemi at the moment. However, there's plenty to do.

What could be more romantic than making a once-in-a-lifetime trip in the coolest destination in the world: Lapland’s winter wonderland Rovaniemi!

Where to find the northern lights, when to see the aurora borealis and other important information.

The Lappish food culture is unpretentious and best enjoyed slow. We Northern people like to take time to cook our food. It is all about socializing and enjoying the moment – cooking on an open fire relaxes us and increases happiness. Local restaurants serve Lappish classics, they have either menu´s based on the local fresh produce of northern forests and waters, or Lappish tastes infused with cuisines of the world.

Rovaniemi has the most surprising restaurant scene in Finland, catering the flavors of the world combined in to traditional kitchens of the North and Lapland. Rovaniemi is also the home of Arctic Design and shopping, and as the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi offers a vast variety of shopping opportunities from Finnish brands and design to local traditional handcrafts and three shopping centres.

Rovaniemi is a true winter wonderland, but some winter months are snowier than others. If snow is your key driver, wait until January, February and March to experience the powdery white landscapes.

Ounasvaara is a famous sports centre and also a year-round recreation area near the city centre, with marked and maintained trails and several great vantage points. Here you can find accommodation, spa and wellbeing services not to mention activities and equipment rental.

What has Santa got in store for us this year, and what is the true meaning of Christmas? Join this magical journey to Lapland, Rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi is the home for Arctic experiences we bet you didn´t even know were real! Introducing Snow and Ice MUST DOS to add to your Lapland bucket list!

Cool things are happening in the Capital of Lapland Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is not only the home of Christmas, but also a home of Lapland ingenuity! Did you know that in Rovaniemi you can eat in an Igloo in the middle of the city, shop for sustainable style & preloved clothing, experience art within a menu and combat climate change with a lunch?

For many, Lapland is synonymous with snow and no wonder because in Rovaniemi, we get to enjoy snow a full six to seven months of the year, and we have even accommodation made out of snow. And we love snow so much we even store snow from previous winter to use it for skiing the next autumn, amazing right? Take a tour around snowy Rovaniemi with Santatelevision. See Santa Claus and his reindeer, snowy attractions of Rovaniemi and even the city center turned into a winter wonderland. Get familiar with the sights, sports, nature and above all the winter of Rovaniemi.

We asked the owners of 6 Rovaniemi based restaurants, Ville and Heidi Haavikko about their livelihoods and thoughts on what makes a happy life.

There are several different ways to experience the Aurora Borealis in Rovaniemi. See a few of our tips here!

Rovaniemi has the most surprising selection of restaurants. These relaxed, courageous and lush restaurants are the hottest in Finland!

Check out Rovaniemi TOP 10 Instagrammable winter venues. Rovaniemi is perfectly located to enjoy those snowy views as well as those arctic nature phenomena. Check out our Rovaniemi Winter TOP 10 venues to add to your to do list!

We all love pictures, to have memories, but to also share them on Instagram and social media. We listed the five most picturesque activities to do in winter.

Feel comfortable to travel to Rovaniemi the Arctic Capital of Lapland, where the infrastructure and health-safe procedures are of highest quality and ready to welcome all travellers.

Planning and buying a Lapland Road trip has never been this easy. With our Road trip planning tool you can create and design a Road trip of your dreams online.

Corrina Stone: It’s been a dream of mine for many years to bring my children to the best winter playground in the world, Lapland!

Rovaniemi summer selection of restaurants is relaxed, courageous and lush. The restaurants of Rovaniemi are anything but humble, we dare to say the hottest in Finland! The capital of Lapland offers not only unique restaurants and relaxed summer terraces but also local specialities and urban flavours from around the world. This summer capital has a capasity to serve over a 1000 summer terrace customers - double the amount of the grand terrace of Helsinki.

Santa Claus Village is the place to meet Santa Claus every day of year. In addition, the village area offers activities, restaurants, accommodation and shops to make your stay memorable.

Finland was just named the happiest country in the world for a fourth year running, but what makes Roavaniemi the best place in the world to call a home for Kaisa Sirén? The Rovaniemi locals know Kaisa Sirén as a skilled magazine photographer and the beloved owner of Villa Vinkkeli – the house of art. Where does this Northern artist absorb her inspiration, how did the Villa Vinkkeli get started and what are the core values that drive Sirén. Read also the professional photographers tips of Rovaniemi.

Even when the locals see the Northern Lights every year, we never get bored with them or lose the feel of childhood magic and fairytale. Here the #visitrovaniemi social media went crazy again in nights of dreamy Auroras:

We all want to travel and we have heard about health-safe travel, but what does it actually mean? We wrote a list of health-safe procedures and actions that help to take notice of each other and our own well-being during our travel and even beforehand - well begun is half done!

Can you imagine a place more Christmassy than Rovaniemi Lapland Finland? As the official hometown of Santa Claus® Rovaniemi is truly the home of Christmas magic. But what are the things and traditions that make a Finnish Christmas?

Santa’s video call is all-year-round product of Santa Claus Office offering a warm-hearted chat with Santa regardless of your location and no matter what time of the year

This is a special post for all true lovers of Lapland, to ease the longing until we meet again! We listed the TOP web shops of Lapland to order your very own piece of Lapland, online.

In our new “Changed by Rovaniemi”- blog series, we share unique stories from travelers of Rovaniemi. We asked, what makes Lapland so special to them, why they have fallen in love with Lapland, and what makes some of them return time after time. Have a look at the story of Irish Andrew, who’s daughter started to believe in Santa Claus right upon the arrival to Rovaniemi Airport.

The autumn is an overlooked season when it comes to visiting Rovaniemi. Spanning from late August until late November, it's an ideal time for activities.

Rovaniemi bathing in an amazing full 8 nights in a row of Northern Lights. September just beginning and we are already having a full sky-spectacle for over a week, amazing right? All arctic people have their own beautiful mythology, believes and names for this heavenly phenomena. In Finnish the Northern Lights are called ”Revontulet”.

In our new Sustainable Rovaniemi blog series Irene describes the surrounding nature to be her supermarket, her living room as well as her church. It is obvious, that Irene is happiest at nature.

Missing Rovaniemi? We miss you too! As travelling is not possible at the moment, we wanted to bring Rovaniemi closer to you. Read our tips to enjoy the Arctic Circle from your own couch.

Teatiamo was born out of an urge to break boundaries related to sexuality and at the same time design something timeless and beautiful.

Take this time to adjust your mind into thinking more sustainably, what Lapland Rovaniemi has to offer all year round.

There are plenty things to do during the summer in Rovaniemi, in Lapland, Finland. Here are a selection of different programs to choose from for a short city break.

Rovaniemi, in Lapland, Finland, is a dream summer destination, if you're looking for an unique experience with easy-going activities and authenticity.

This article will include a few tips to wrapping up warm, getting about and what activities to consider with Children during your cold but magical trip to Rovaniemi.