Where is Santa on the 364 nights of the year when he’s not delivering gifts? At home in Rovaniemi, Finland, the self-proclaimed “Official Hometown of Santa Claus.”
Travelers to the remote Arctic Circle city, capital of Finnish Lapland, will find themselves immersed in a winter wonderland where snow falls from October (or September) to April.
Sleep in an ice hotel, eat in an ice restaurant, drink in an ice bar. Visit reindeer and husky farms and a zoo specializing in Arctic animals like polar and brown bears.
Look for the jolly old elf at the Santa Claus village, park, post office and secret forest. Enjoy the Snowman World Winter Zone sports park, visit a working amethyst mine and search the skies for the Northern Lights.
Be advised that time from sunrise to sunset is about 2½ hours during December in Rovaniemi.
Details: visitrovaniemi.fi
