Rovaniemi

From Wikitravel

January in Rovaniemi
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January in Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland.

Table of contents
1 Understand
2 Get in

2.1 By plane
2.2 By train

3 Get around
4 See
5 Do
6 Buy
7 Eat
8 Drink
9 Sleep
10 Get out
11 External links

Understand

Razed to the ground by the Germans in the final days of World War II in 1944, today's Rovaniemi is a featureless expanse of concrete blocks, albeit one built on a slightly whimsical city plan intentionally shaped like reindeer antlers. (See below, section "See")

Get in

By plane

Rovaniemi Airport (http://www.ilmailulaitos.fi/airport_rovaniemi) (RVN) is the largest in northern Finland and also fields a limited number of international flights, mostly to northern Russian destinations like Murmansk. There are also direct charters during Christmastime.

By train

Rovaniemi is the terminus of most trains from the south. The line only extends to Kemijärvi a little further northeast. The journey from Helsinki takes 9-12 hours and is reasonably comfortable in a sleeper. You can also take your car with you.

Get around

See

  • Arktikum. Pohjoisranta 4, tel. 016 322 3260, [1] (http://www.arktikum.fi/index_eng.html). One of the best museums and science centers in Finland, focusing on life in Lapland through the ages. Admission € 11, open 10 AM-5 PM daily (but closed Monday in winter).

The rebuilding of Rovaniemi after World War II was largely planned by famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto - particularly it's reindeer antler lay out. He also designed the Administrative and Cultural centre consisting of several buildings including the Lappia Hall (culture and congress centre), public library and city hall.

Do

Buy

Eat

A traditional meal is a dish made of:

  • reindeer meat cut in slices
  • sliced potatoes with garlic (looks like "gratin dauphinois")
  • cranberries

It's worth trying out once at least. You should be able to find this dish in most restaurants around town.

Drink

Sleep

Get out

  • Santa Claus Village (http://www.santaclausvillage.info/eng/main.htm), 8 km north of Rovaniemi right on the Arctic Circle, is a tourist trap if there ever was one, but few tourists can miss the chance to meet Santa himself

External links