Its wonderful Arktikum museum is the perfect introduction to the mysteries of these latitudes, and Rovaniemi is a good place to organise activities from. It’s also Lapland's transport hub...

A tourism boomtown, the ‘official’ terrestrial residence of Santa Claus is the capital of Finnish Lapland and a more-or-less obligatory northern stop. Its wonderful Arktikum museum is the perfect introduction to the mysteries of these latitudes, and Rovaniemi is a good place to organise activities from.

It’s also Lapland's transport hub.
Thoroughly destroyed by the retreating Wehrmacht in 1944, the town was rebuilt to a plan by Alvar Aalto, with the major streets in the shape of a reindeer’s head and antlers (hint: the stadium near the bus station is the eye). Its unattractive buildings are compensated for by its marvellous riverside location.

AUTUMN

Autumnal Lapland is the best place in Finland for witnessing “ruska” – a short period when all the foliage turn into bright colors like red, yellow and orange. Seeing ruska makes looking at the already breath-taking landscape into an out-of-this-world experience. Best ruska-time is usually in mid-September, lasting around one week.

MIDNIGHT SUN

In the summer Finnish Lapland bathes in 24-hour sunlight for nearly three months. It is an incredible contrast to the darkest winter months when there is no sun at all. “Midnight sun”, as this phenomenon is called, calls for many activities such as hiking on the beautiful fells or visiting cultural events such as the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.

AURORA BOREALIS

The thrill of witnessing the Aurora Borealis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. Finland is one of the best places on Earth to spot the Northern Lights – they appear on more than 200 nights a year in Finnish Lapland.