Things to Do in Rovaniemi, Finland

Quick facts: The blue line leading through the Arctic Circle runs exactly through the main building, where you can stand with one foot inside the Arctic Circle and the other outside. More than 600,000 tourists visit it annually, and letters written in over 30,000 languages are sent from its post office worldwide.

Highlights: It operates as a real post office for Santa Claus: it has its own stamp, and every letter receives a unique Arctic Circle postmark. In the post office's basement, elves work day and night to reply to the hundreds of thousands of wish letters arriving in December.

Quick facts: The ski slopes are a total of 8 kilometers long and offer 14 different difficulty levels from beginners to advanced. The slopes attract more than 100,000 visitors annually, who can admire the icy landscape of Lapland from the 300-meter peak.

Highlights: Around Christmas, thousands of fir trees light up along the slopes, and during ski tours visitors often encounter reindeer herds peacefully grazing at the snow-covered forest edge. From the small wooden hut at the top, you can sip hot glögg while watching the northern lights dance above your head.

Quick facts: Built in 1950, the church's walls were designed by Carl-Gustaf Mannerheim, while the interior is adorned with Lennart Segerstråle's stunning frescoes. The altar piece of the 950-seat church, "Light in the Darkness," depicts Jesus blessing the Lapland landscape.

Highlights: Imagine walking in and seeing the walls covered by a massive 600 square meters of frescoes on the 14-meter-high ceiling, telling the story of the meeting of Lapland life and Christianity in vivid blue and gold colors. Due to the church's unique acoustics, classical music concerts are regularly held here, where the sounds almost soar through the vast space.

Quick facts: Located in the Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi, the complex experiences the magic of Christmas all year round and attracts more than 300,000 visitors annually. The indoor park, opened in 2010, houses the Official Post Office of Santa Claus, where children from around the world write letters.

Highlights: One of the park's most special sections is the Ice Villa, where guests are welcomed at -5°C with ice-carved sculptures and an ice slide. The ice creations made by local craftspeople feature a different theme each year, so you never see the same thing twice.

Quick facts: Converted from a former post office building into a cultural center, where the original brick walls can still be seen between the walls of the event rooms. The building hosts the permanent concerts of the Rovaniemi Chamber Orchestra and offers more than 50 different programs a year, from classical music to contemporary exhibitions.

Highlights: On the ceiling of the main hall, 1,200 hand-folded paper doves hang, made by local schoolchildren, and they receive a new color every year. The acoustics are ensured by layered wood panels of Finnish forest pines, which bring the sound of nature into the concert experience.

Quick facts: The Arctic Circle runs exactly at 66°33' north latitude, and here live the world's northernmost reindeer. More than 600,000 visitors come to this magical place every year, where the winter polar night can last up to two months.

Highlights: At the point of crossing the Arctic Circle, a line sunk into the ground marks the boundary where you can stand with one foot in the northern temperate zone and the other in the northern polar region. In July, the sun shines here even at midnight; around the summer solstice, you can enjoy 24 hours of continuous daylight.

Quick facts: The Rovaniemi Market is a covered-open market hall where local vendors welcome shoppers with fresh Lapland goods, reindeer meat, and handicrafts. In winter, a huge ice hut-like structure is erected in front of the market, where hot glögg and paistettä (fried reindeer meat) are sold.

Highlights: One of the most special sights at the market is the smell of "poronkäristys" (reindeer stew), which fills your nostrils from the entrance. Local women have been sourcing smoked fish and cold cuts from the same family farms for generations, and they are happy to share their cooking secrets if you stop for a chat.