December 5, 2025, 5:48 am | Read time: 4 minutes
In the Finnish city of Rovaniemi, even in summer, you feel like a child just before Christmas. Lights are everywhere, and elves are busy at work. Rovaniemi is home to Santa Claus, whom you can visit year-round. Especially when snow blankets the area, which is plentiful near the Arctic Circle in winter, it creates a uniquely wintry and festive atmosphere.
There are many theories about where Santa Claus actually lives. Some people believe he resides at the North Pole, while others are convinced he is in Greenland. However, everyone agrees on one thing: Santa must live in a very cold place. This makes sense, considering his reindeer probably wouldn’t be too happy in the Caribbean.
Eventually, a decision was made about where the world’s most famous bearded man lives. As reported in Die Welt, Finnish radio host Markus Rautio declared in 1927 that Santa Claus lives in Lapland, specifically on Korvatunturi, a Finnish mountain on the border with Russia. The mountain, shaped like a giant ear, allows Santa to hear what children wish for Christmas.
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A Christmas Village for Santa Claus
This likely inspired the idea to establish a Christmas village in Finland. However, the area around Korvatunturi was too remote for tourists from Finland and around the world to visit Santa and his home. As a result, Santa Claus spontaneously moved near the Lapland capital of Rovaniemi, where he still resides today.
Santa Claus Village, as it is officially called, delights children in particular, but it also allows adults to feel a bit younger and be enchanted by the winter atmosphere. Colorful lights shine, the entire area is covered in thick snow in winter, and you can watch the Christmas elves at work everywhere.
Wishes for Santa Claus
In Santa’s office, visitors can whisper their wishes into Santa’s ear and take a photo with him, while the elves diligently work in the post office, stamping every letter dropped here with Santa’s popular postmark. Naturally, sleigh rides with reindeer are also offered around the village, because what would Santa be without his four-legged helpers?
In addition to all the Christmas attractions, there’s another highlight: the marked Arctic Circle, a popular photo spot for tourists. However, it now actually lies more than a hundred meters north of the marked line, as the Earth’s tilt, and thus the location of the Arctic Circle, constantly changes.
Ice Sculpture Park and Elf School
Not far from Santa Claus Village, just a three-minute drive away, is Santa Park. In addition to a small stage show, you can admire ice sculptures, learn about the secrets of Christmas elves in the Elf School, decorate gingerbread cookies baked by Mrs. Claus, and explore the gift factory on a small train.
The Christmas park is built into a mountain, allowing you to cross the Arctic Circle underground in Santa Park. “There are a thousand different ways to cross the Arctic Circle above ground, but there is only one place in the world where you can cross it underground,” reads the Santa Park website.
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Is There a Santa Claus?
Rovaniemi offers an experience that children will remember for a long time, and adults can also relive the joyful naivety of their childhood, recalling the famous words of American columnist Francis P. Church, who in 1897 responded to young Virginia’s question, “Is there a Santa Claus?”:
“Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”
With the Santa Claus Express to Rovaniemi
There are various ways to get to Rovaniemi. One option is the Santa Claus Express. The double-decker night train runs year-round from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. The journey is operated by the Finnish railway VR, takes about 12 hours, and includes an onboard bistro with Finnish cuisine. A seat can be booked for around 20 euros, while a sleeping compartment costs about 49 euros. Prices rise significantly during the Christmas season—it’s cheapest outside the holidays.