Discover Rovaniemi
Accommodation in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi combines experiences on the Arctic Circle with nature trails, winter sports and culture. At Santa Claus Village, you can meet Santa Claus every day and cross the Arctic Circle. Reindeer experiences and reindeer sleigh rides are available there year-round. The nearby Ounasvaara recreational area and several different insights into the history and nature of Lapland are also close to central Rovaniemi. This makes it easy to plan a trip around the experiences that interest you and your family most.
The Arctic Circle and Lapland traditions
Santa Claus Village brings together two special experiences in one place: meeting Santa Claus and stepping across the Arctic Circle. Santa Claus Reindeer offers reindeer experiences and reindeer sleigh rides there year-round. For families who want to make these encounters the focus of their trip, this provides a clear theme; reindeer experiences are not limited to any particular season.
Santa Claus’ Main Post Office also celebrates the Arctic Circle: greetings sent from there receive a special Arctic Circle postmark. LAURI’s workshop offers a different glimpse of traditional craftsmanship. Visitors can watch items being made from reindeer antler, wood and leather. These experiences differ: one focuses on materials and handiwork, the other on greetings and the experience of the Arctic Circle.
Outdoor activities in Ounasvaara and on nature trails
Ounasvaara is a year-round recreational area close to the city centre. Its offerings include marked, well-maintained trails and viewpoints. If you are looking for a specific hiking route, the Ounasvaara Nature Trail is a 4.9-kilometre loop suitable for hiking and Nordic walking. The trail leads to a shelter and a viewpoint with wide-ranging views of Saarenkylä and the Kemijoki River.
There are also several ways to enjoy the outdoors in Ounasvaara in winter. The area has 100 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, 50 kilometres of which are lit. Ounasvaara Ski Resort has ten downhill slopes; the longest run is 600 metres. In summer, the resort offers summer tobogganing and downhill biking. Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and summer activities thus provide different reasons to include Ounasvaara in your travel plans.
Activities at the Arctic Circle Hiking Area change with the seasons: in summer, visitors can fish in the rapids or canoe; in winter, they can ski or snowshoe. Among the well-marked trails is a route suitable for pushchairs. It passes rapids on its way to a shelter with a fire pit. The pushchair-friendly access applies to this route and not automatically to all the trails in the area.
The Koivusaari Nature Trail is a good choice for nature watching and shorter hikes. An accessible boardwalk and a birdwatching tower add to the opportunities for photography and birdwatching. Koivusaari’s shores provide shelter for nesting and migrating birds; 135 bird species have been recorded on the islands in the Ounasjoki River delta. This makes the trail a different kind of nature experience from the activities around Ounasvaara or the rapids.
Culture, history and Lapland cuisine
Arktikum combines a science centre and a museum. There, you can explore the Arctic through science, history and culture. The building is located on European route E4 at the edge of central Rovaniemi. In front of Arktikum, by the river, is the seven-hectare Arctic Garden, home to northern plant species. Those looking to combine nature and culture in their travel interests will find distinct themes presented here in a clear context: Arktikum as a place for learning, and the garden as a glimpse of northern vegetation.
Korundi House of Culture is home to the Rovaniemi Art Museum and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra; it hosts art exhibitions, concerts and performances. The cultural centre is housed in a former postal wagon depot completed in 1933, which survived the Second World War. Other places to explore include Science Centre Pilke, with exhibitions on current forestry issues, and the Forestry Museum of Lapland. The latter shows how people worked and lived in the forests of Lapland from the 1870s to the 1950s. Behind the altar in Rovaniemi Church is the 1951 fresco “Source of Life” by Professor Lennart Segerstråle.
Rovaniemi’s culinary scene includes flavours of wild berries, mushrooms, fish and game. Lapland cuisine is prepared both traditionally and in modern ways. Alongside the nature, art and history on offer, this gives you another perspective on the region without limiting your trip to a single activity.
Choose the right location for your trip
If you are looking for a holiday apartment as a base in the city, Arktikum at the edge of the city centre and the nearby Ounasvaara recreational area are useful reference points for planning around your interests. If nature trails, cross-country skiing or downhill skiing are the main focus of your trip, Ounasvaara’s offerings may be more important. Those primarily interested in discovering culture and history can make Rovaniemi’s cultural venues the focus of their stay. Rovaniemi Airport is about a ten-minute drive from the city centre; this approximate figure refers to the journey to the centre.
Add Rovaniemi and Meltos to your selection of places.
For the wider travel overview: Lapland.
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