As a child, did you ever wonder where Santa came from, with his sack full of gifts? If so, a trip to Finland's Rovaniemi can be a fun experience for you, even if you are an adult now. The village situated on the Arctic Circle, famed as the official hometown of Santa Claus, lets tourists meet Santa Claus and his elves year-round. Also rich with vast forests, Midnight Sun, Northern Lights, and beautiful rivers, the capital of the Lapland province has many museums and cultural avenues.
What to do in Rovaniemi?
Tourists can explore the Santa Claus village to meet Santa, check out the 'Santa Claus post office' with its special stamps and souvenirs, ice sculptures, Santapark, the famous German Soldier Cemetery built of large stone blocks, beautiful local churches, waterfalls, go on safaris and more. Many tourists also go hiking and birdwatching on its nature and winter walking trails to experience Rovaniemi's beautiful nature.
Interesting local cuisine
Reindeer is a major character in Santa's tales, but do you know that sauteed reindeer is a popular traditional meal in this part of the world? It consists of slices of reindeer meat in a butter-water-spices gravy, accompanied by a bowl of mashed potatoes. Jam made of a fruit named lingonberry and pickled cucumber is also eaten with this dish. Rieska, a flatbread made of barley and potato, a pastry named kampanisu eaten with coffee, Finnish squeaky cheese, creamy salmon soup, and blood dumpling soup are a few of the other popular dishes of the area.
