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…
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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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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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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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…
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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
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…
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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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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
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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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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