Lapland
Few things conjure fairy-tale romance like a snow castle. First built in 1996 as a Unicef project, this is a Lapland winter highlight and a favoured…
Must-see attractions in Lapland
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Rovaniemi
With its beautifully designed glass tunnel stretching out to the Ounasjoki, this is one of Finland’s finest museums. One half deals with Lapland, with…
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Rovaniemi
Downstairs in the Metsähallitus (Finnish Forest and Park Service) building next to the Arktikum, this is a highly entertaining exhibition on Finnish…
Northern Lapland
Some of Finland's most breathtaking scenery is within the 712-sq-km Kevo Strict Nature Reserve along the splendid 40km gorge of the Kevojoki (off-limits…
Lapland
The highlight of this protected old-growth forest, 80km southeast of Rovaniemi off Rd 81, is the 16m-high Auttiköngäs waterfall. It's reached by a 3.5km…
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Lapland
Attached to the Levi Panorama hotel at the top of the main ski lift, this museum is a Unesco project. The illuminating exhibition gives plenty of good…
Rovaniemi
Meet reindeer (including adorable calves in season) and find out about their life cycle at this reindeer farm 7km northwest of Rovaniemi. Tours complete…
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Saariselkä
In 1868 the remote area of Tankavaara on the Ivalojoki, 32km south of Saariselkä, experienced a gold rush, with a community of up to 500 panners seeking…
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Lapland
Ranua's excellent zoo focuses almost entirely on Finnish animals, although there are also polar bears and musk oxen. A boardwalk runs past all the…
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Northern Lapland
Accessed off the Inari–Kittilä road, 70km southwest of Inari, this reindeer round-up site was used by Sámi reindeer herders twice yearly until 1964. Round…
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Lapland
Also known as the Devil's Cauldrons, these 14 glacial potholes were created some 10,000 years ago by melt water from frozen glaciers and polished smooth…
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Saariselkä
Next door to Tankavaara's gold-panning museum, Kultamuseo, this nature centre has advice on activities and trekking in Urho Kekkonen National Park. Good…
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Northern Lapland
One of the few buildings in Lapland to survive the Nazis' scorched-earth retreat in WWII is this, the region’s oldest church, dating from 1689. It stands…
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Lapland
Situated 3km south of Luosto up on the hillside, this amethyst mine focuses on small-scale production for jewellery, using low-impact mining methods…
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Lapland
This park's core is the line of fells stretching 35km from Pyhä to beyond Luosto. It preserves old-growth forest with endangered plant species, the…
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Lapland
Between Pyhä and Luosto (15km northwest of Pyhä and 8km southeast of Luosto), this farm is a good place to meet reindeer. You can go on a short walk that…
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Lapland
Kemi's newest attraction, opened in 2017, is Santa's Seaside Office – a collection of cute red-painted timber buildings overlooking the waterfront, which…
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Northern Lapland
If you miss witnessing the aurora borealis, this 45-minute simulation in a purpose-built riverside tepee is the next best thing. Lean back on a reclining…
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Lapland
This nature centre at the eastern end of town provides information about Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park and the Enontekiö region. There’s an…
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Lapland
Off the Kemi–Tornio coast, Perämeri National Park is an archipelago of small islands that’s an important conservation area for seals and a richly…
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Lapland
Tornio's local historical museum was founded in 1914 and has an interesting, recently renovated collection of old artefacts and costumes. Its Encounters…
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Rovaniemi
Completed in 1950, this church replaced the one destroyed during WWII. The impressively large fresco behind the altar depicts a Christ figure emerging…
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Lapland
More than 3000 beautiful, rare stones and jewellery from 60 countries are displayed at the Gemstone Gallery, set in an old seaside customs house. Stones…
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Lapland
At the foot of the fell’s western slopes, 2.5km from Äkäslompolo, this nature centre has a good downstairs exhibition on the local environment and way of…
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Lapland
On the western side of town (take the path past the campground and keep going), this noble old building displays many of the wooden sculptures from past…
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Northern Lapland
Above the tourist office, this gallery displays paintings by famous local artist Andreas Alariesto (1900–89), who depicted traditional Sámi life in an…
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Northern Lapland
This historic farm on the other side of the river from Njurgulahti was once the home of the ‘reindeer king’ Jouni Aikio. You can visit by organising boat…
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Northern Lapland
Kolttien Perinnetalo is a delightful little museum with photos, crafts and memorabilia of the poignant Skolt history. The Skolt traditionally used a…
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Lapland
By the roundabout in Pyhä, this modern nature centre has a good exhibition on the geology and ecosystem of the area, information on Pyhä-Luosto National…
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Lapland
Finnish art from the 19th and 20th centuries from the private collection of Veli Aine, a local business tycoon, is displayed at the attractive modern…
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Rovaniemi
A wide collection of contemporary Finnish art rotates in the clean white exhibition space of this gallery in an old brick truck depot. Performances by the…
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Lapland
Completed in 1686, this charming wooden church, visited by King Charles XI of Sweden in 1694, is topped by a shingle roof.
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Rovaniemi
The ‘official’ Santa Claus Village is built atop the Arctic Circle marker, denoted by a line painted on the pavement (Arctic Circle certificates cost €4…
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Rovaniemi
Built inside a cavern in the mountain, this Christmas-themed amusement park features an army of elves baking gingerbread, a magic sleigh ride, a carousel,…
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Rovaniemi
Situated within the Santa Claus Village, this post office receives over half a million letters each year from children worldwide. You can browse a…
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Rovaniemi
Santa sees visitors year-round in this impressive grotto, with a huge clock mechanism (it slows the earth’s rotation so that Santa can visit the whole…
