Santa Claus Village in Finland

When it comes to holidays like New Year and Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is Santa Claus. In each country it is called differently, but this does not change its essence. This kind and cheerful old man will hear every child and bring him exactly the gift that the baby dreams of with all his heart. And to make it easier for Santa Claus, the guys write letters to him and send them to Lapland, where he lives with his wife and hardworking elves. And this is no longer a fairy tale, but the pure truth.

How to get to Finland on your own – read our article.

The history of the village

In 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt announced her intention to visit the birthplace of Santa Claus, which, according to legend, is located near the village of Rovaniemi. The Finns, respecting the desire of this great woman, decided to give her a gift and built a hut. In it, Santa met the widow of the President of the United States. Soon tourists began to come to this place, wanting to verify the existence of this wizard with a beard, traveling around the world on a reindeer team. The number of visitors increased and soon the small settlement turned into an entertainment center that is open all year round.

Village infrastructure

The Finns claim that Santa Claus himself (Joulupukki) lives with his wife Muori in a small house on the Korvatunturi fell, located at a distance of 170 kilometers from Rovaniemi. Since it is impossible for a simple person to get there, Santa arrives on reindeer at his residence so that everyone can talk to him.

In the village of Santa Claus there are such facilities as:

Village visit

The village is open to visitors from nine in the morning to eight in the evening, and in summer it can be visited from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. Entrance here is free, but you should immediately warn that photography and video filming is prohibited on the territory. Only gnomes can take pictures here. The photo with Santa Claus will be ready in three minutes, and its cost will be 17 euros.

The Wizard receives guests in his office every day from 9.00 to 17.00, except for two hours of breaks from 11.00 to 12.00 and from 15.00 to 16.00.

On December 31, it works with a single break starting at 11.00 and ending at 12.00.

But on the first of January, his working day begins at noon and ends at seven o'clock in the evening.

The rest of the time Santa Claus devotes to parsing letters that come from children from all over the world. In this hard work, he is assisted by elves and little gnomes who work at the post office and in the workshop, making Christmas souvenirs.

At least 400,000 tourists visit the Santa Claus Post Office every year. You can buy a postcard in it, write a congratulatory message on it to your loved ones and send it. The elves will put the seal of Santa's office on the message, and if necessary, translate it into one of eleven languages.

In the workshop, everyone can buy souvenirs, which the gnomes will send to the specified address at the appointed time.

Landmarks and rituals

Whatever attraction the guests of the village decide to visit, no one will be able to pass by a round platform with a white magic line. The line with the inscription Arctic circle marks the beginning of the border of the Arctic Circle. That is, by jumping over it, you can magically find yourself in the Arctic. Having made such a “great movement”, the participants in the ritual receive a special commemorative certificate.

Near the square there is a pillar, on which there are direction signs to the largest cities in the world with distances indicated.

Arctic Winter World

This complex operates from December to April, that is, at the time when snowdrifts lie in Lapland. In the summer, it simply melts, and the next year it is rebuilt. Entrance to the park is paid.

There is an ice hotel where you can even stay overnight. The temperature in it is from two to three degrees below zero, and all the furniture is carved from huge blocks of ice. Therefore, in order to warm up, it is worth visiting the ice bar, where adult visitors are offered strong drinks. But you can have a hearty meal in the cafeterias located in the park.

deer farm

You can see how the deer graze on which Santa Claus rides can be seen at the deer farm. Also, each visitor has the opportunity to ride a sleigh pulled by these cute animals.

Santa Claus Park

This entertainment complex opens its gates before Christmas and the joyful holiday of Juhannus, celebrated in Finland in the summer. Throughout the park you can travel on a small train called “Seasons”.

Children will be delighted with the Elf Cave, located in the dungeon of a large rock. In addition to entertainment, here you can still visit the school of elves, take a course in magical sciences and get a diploma. And, visiting a pastry shop, children will learn how to make signature gingerbread cookies, which can then be eaten.

5 cities to celebrate real Christmas in our review.