3 Best Sights in Lapland, Finland

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.

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.