9 Best Sights in Lapland, Finland

One of the best ways to tune into the Finnish far-north culture is to visit Arktikum, housed in a long, glass-roofed, north-facing building above the banks of the Ounasjoki River. Arktikum combines a science center and museum, introducing and explaining the nature, culture, and history of the region, in permanent and changing exhibitions. The Arktikum Beach Park has a pleasant garden, and in winter it’s one of the best spots in town to view the northern lights.

Underlining Rovaniemi’s proud status as the cultural capital of northern Finland, Korundi is a cultural center combining the Rovaniemi Art Museum and the home venue of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, a world-class ensemble that performs regular concerts in the beautifully designed auditorium, renowned for its great acoustics. Korundi is an absorbing alternative to the Santa attractions and safaris on extra-brisk winter days, and includes a café with weekday lunches too.

The museum of the culture of the Sami people is close to the westernmost corner of Inarijärvi Lake in the village of Inari and houses an absorbing exhibition describing every aspect of Sami history and life (Siida is a traditional reindeer herding site and community). It also gives fascinating explanations of the natural environment and harsh arctic climate in which these people, predominantly reindeer herders, have traditionally forged a seminomadic livelihood. There’s an open-air museum behind the main building, comprising traditional Lapp dwellings and farm buildings. A souvenir shop sells Sami handicrafts, and café-restaurant Sarrit serves good lunches. Siida has been expanding, and some exhibits were still in the process of being transferred to a new annex in fall 2022 as renovations proceeded, but the museum has remained open throughout the expansion work.

Santa Claus is big business in northern Finland, and Rovaniemi likes to declare itself as the one true home of the one and only true Santa. The main attraction, located directly on the Arctic Circle some 8 km (5 miles) out of town, is Santa Claus Village, where you can visit Santa’s Main Post Office and the old fellow himself in his grotto. There are restaurants and souvenir shops, and especially in winter, with the thick snow and frost on the trees, it’s an enchanting place to visit, obviously especially for younger family members. You can even pick up an Arctic Circle Crossing Certificate at the information office. Take local Bus 8 or Santa’s Express Bus from Rovaniemi; see website for timetables.

The Gold Prospector Museum charts the history of gold mining in Finland since 1868, when one Johan Konrad Lihr discovered traces in the Ivalo River, sparking a mini gold rush to the far north. Sapphires and rubies have also been found in the region, and in February 2019 the first ever diamond was unearthed at Tankavaara. Visitors to the museum can prospect for their own golden souvenir, although finds are likely to be modest—the fun is in the prospecting. Buses on the main route from Rovaniemi to Ivalo stop close to the museum road, and hotels in Saariselkä, for example, will offer visiting packages that include pickups. 

On the edge of the magnificent Pyhä-Luosto National Park, this mine presents another opportunity for a Lapland treasure hunt. Visitors are able to dig for their own gem souvenir at the covered mine, and there is no extra charge for the precious stone that you might discover. Hours change seasonally, but the mine is open year-round. The Lampivaara Café is in a big wooden cabin. You can reach Lampivaara by bus from Rovaniemi (it takes two hours) or rent a car from Rovaniemi for a feasible day-trip.

Visits to this working reindeer farm, located near Menesjärvi Lake toward the Lemmenjoki National Park, are hosted by the reindeer herder and owner Petri Mattus. He’ll take you by sled, lined with reindeer pelts and towed by snowmobile, to show you the reindeer and let you hand-feed them, and if you're there at the right time, you can watch a spectacular roundup or witness calves being born and earmarked in spring. Coffee, tea, and light lunch can be included in the program price. This is one of the most authentic reindeer farms in Finnish Lapland, offering a genuine insight into the traditional Sami lifestyle. 

An imaginative, subterranean, Christmas theme park built into the side of a hill just a few miles outside Rovaniemi, SantaPark sports a magic train, an ice gallery, a lively elf show, a Christmas post office, and naturally another chance to meet the man of the moment, Santa Claus. However, it's a seasonal attraction, open for the Christmas season only.

This science center, directly adjacent to Arktikum, offers an interactive, especially child-friendly introduction to everything connected with the forests of northern Finland, from their trees, plants, and animals to the machinery used to harvest their timber. A gift shop sells forest-related toys, souvenirs, and other products.