a few words about Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is the administrative capital and the centre of commerce of Finland's northernmost Province, Lapland. It is situated by the Arctic Circle and between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its tributary, the Ounasjoki River. The city and the surrounding municipalities were consolidated into one on January 1, 2006. The new municipality has an area of 8,017.23 square kilometers (3,095.47 sq miles) and an approximate population of 59,000. It is one of the largest cities in the world by area – though much of it is covered by forests.
Rovaniemi have several prominent landmarks. These include the Jaatkaankynttilaa bridge with its eternal flame over the Kemijoki river, the Arktikum House by Ounasjoki river, the Rovaniemi Town Hall, the Lappia House which serves as a theatre, concert hall and congress centre, and the library. The last three mentioned buildings were designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Claimed to be the residence of Santa Claus, Santa Claus Village, is located a few kilometres north of the city centre. Rovaniemi is also home to the world's most northern branch of McDonald's. In Rovaniemi you will also find the comprehensive museum of Finland's Arctic region called Arktikum Museum.
A phenomenon also attracting numerous tourists to Rovaniemi is the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. In Lapland the number of auroral displays can be as high as 200 a year whereas in southern Finland the number is usually fewer than 20. Therefore, visitors staying in Rovaniemi a few nights can have good chances of seeing this beautiful phenomenon. During their stay, they can spend the days visiting husky dogs and riding the husky dog sledge, visit a reindeer farm or go on an exciting snow mobile safari in the beautiful Lappish wilderness.
Photo Credit: VisitRovaniemi