Santa Park, Rovaniemi
Attraction type: Amusement/Theme Park [back]

A yule-themed amusement centre offering jingle bells no matter what the season.

About 500 miles north of Helsinki, outside the town of Rovaniemi (the unofficial capital of Finnish Lapland), Santa Park is housed in a huge man-made cavern in a hill known as Syvasenvaara Fell.

Visitors enter Santa Park by walking through a 650-foot passageway connecting the outside entrance with a plaza -- 36 feet high and 108 feet across -- at the heart of the cavern. From there, four corridors lead to a 56-foot circular hall that surrounds the plaza. Together, the hall and plaza can handle up to 1,000 visitors at once.

The hall and plaza contain half a dozen rides and attractions, including a carousel and a multimedia show that traces the story of Santa Claus. The Magic Sleigh Ride takes visitors through the far northern landscape and its seasonal changes, from the deep snows and dark days of winter to the sunny nights of midsummer.

Santa makes appearances, accompanied by elves and reindeer. Also, there are games, a puppet theatre, a cafeteria and gift shop.

Arktikum Museum, Rovaniemi
Attraction type: Architectural Building; History Museum[back]

The most stunning building in Rovaniemi is the Arktikum. A science centre (The Arctic Centre) and museum (The Provincial Museum of Lapland) that focuses on the Arctic regions and presents the life, natural habitats, history, customs and cultures of the peoples living north of the Arctic Circle. Arktikum is worth seeing for itself as well as its collections. Most of the museum is buried in the Ounasjoki riverbank, but a high, narrow, glass-walled lobe juts out from the earth, pointing due north, like a two-story compass needle. At night, it looks like lighted ice, perfect architecture for its contents and surroundings.

Santa Claus Post Office, Rovaniemi [back]

Santa Claus' Main Post Office stands at the Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. Children from all over the world write to Santa, and you can see and read these letters in the post office, where Santa's busy helpers will be attending the visitors.

In Santa's Main Post Office we offer for sale
- Finnish postage stamps - a wide range of postcards - memorable souvenirs from Lapland. Your postcards and letters will receive a genuine Arctic Circle postmark.

Santa Claus' Main Post Office, Santa Claus Village, FIN-96930 NAPAPIIRI, Finland.
Open June, July, August and December daily 9 am - 7 pm. Other months daily 10 am - 5 pm.
The Post Office is also open at other times by arrangement.
Fax +358 16 3481 418

Arctic Amethyst Ltd., Luosto[back]
On the top of Lampivaara fell there is the only operative amethyst mine in Europe. It may be the only gem mine in the whole world that welcomes visitors. In a warm cosy Lappish hut the mine visitors hear the fascinating stories of amethyst, how it was formed millions of years ago and many other interesting tales. You will learn how the mine is run on permanent progress principle, how people in all cultures have believed in the mystical powers of amethyst and other ancient legends.After stories the visitors are guided to the mine and each will dig and find a personal lucky amethyst for keeps. The Little Mine Shop in Luosto recreation village provides information about the mine and has a fine selection of amethyst treasures, needful things and extraordinary objects.

Aurora Borealis[back]
You may be lucky on a clear night to witness the phenomenon known as the 'Aurora Borealis'. Meaning"northern dawn" it originates in the atmosphere high above the surface of the earth. The northern lights can be seen during dark hours in the northern hemisphere.
The light is emitted when charged particles from the Sun are guided by the earth's magnetic field into the atmosphere near the magnetic poles. When these particles collides with atmospheric molecules, primarily oxygen and nitrogen, at an altitude 100-300 kilometres , some of the energy in these collisions transforms to visible light.