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Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and serves as the center of the country’s northernmost region. The city is just six kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, which is exactly why Rovaniemi is a particularly well-visited city. In winter, it is dark and snowy, and with such a northern location, Rovaniemi is an excellent place to visit if you want to experience the northern lights.
The area in Lapland has been inhabited for many centuries, and Rovaniemi was mentioned in official documents as early as 1453. At that time, the population lived from agriculture, hunting and fishing, but it all changed in the 1800s. Throughout this century, interest in Lapland’s natural resources increased, and both timber and mining created growth in Rovaniemi, which became the commercial center of the area.
Today it is a relatively new city that you can explore. This is because around 90% of Rovaniemi was destroyed in 1944 when German troops during World War II retreated and destroyed most of the city in their move. In addition to that, an ammunition train blew up, setting fire to the town’s wooden houses. The destruction gave way to new thinking and designs, and Finnish Alvar Aalto’s new city plan was laid out along the lines of a reindeer.
You can visit Rovaniemi all year round. Nature is always beautiful, while in winter there are often northern lights. You can also enjoy modern architecture, because Alvar Aalto not only devised the new town plan, he also designed the city’s new town hall, library and the Lappia-talo building, which functions as a combined theatre, concert hall and conference center. You can visit the science museum Arktikum as well and see the Jätkänkynttilä bridge.
Rovaniemen kirkko was inaugurated in 1950 as a replacement for an earlier church in the city that was destroyed during the German retreat in the Lapland War in 1944. The new church was designed by architect Bertel Liljequist and was built in a combination of national romantic and functionalist features. The building was built of natural stone from Lapland and has a 54-meter-high tower, which serves as a striking landmark in the city’s profile.
The church has a rectangular floor plan with a large nave and a high, light-filled choir. The interior walls are plastered and painted white, while wooden panels and birch pews characterize the interior. The most striking work of art is the altar fresco Christ Blessing Lapland, painted by Lennart Segerstråle in 1951. The fresco is 14 meters wide and shows Christ surrounded by Lappish nature, reindeer and people, which was a clear symbolism of reconciliation and reconstruction after the war.
The church serves as the main church for the Rovaniemi congregation and is used for services, weddings, funerals and concerts. The large cemetery surrounding the building contains memorials for soldiers from the Lapland War and for the civilians who lost their lives during the destruction. The building is protected as a cultural heritage and is one of the most important examples of post-war church architecture in northern Finland.
Arktikum was inaugurated in 1992 as a combined museum and research center for the Arctic and Lapland. The institution houses both the Lapland Landscape Museum/Lapin maakuntamuseo and the Arctic Center/Arktinen keskus, which is part of the University of Lapland. The building was designed by Danish architects Birch-Bonderup & Thorup-Waade and built between 1989 and 1992. It is located on a low isthmus between the Ounasjoki and Kemijoki rivers, and the location was chosen to emphasize the connection between city and nature. The building’s longitudinal axis follows the path of the sun and symbolizes the northern location. Arktikum was funded as a national project in connection with Finland’s 75th anniversary of independence.
The architecture is characterized by the 172-meter-long glass corridor, which is the building’s most striking element. The curved glass tunnel serves both as the main entrance and as a symbol of man’s path to the Arctic. Below the glass corridor, the museum’s exhibition space is located at a lower level and partially underground to utilize the insulating properties of the earth in the Arctic climate. The building combines glass, concrete and natural stone from Lapland and has an interior where light and shadow vary according to the season. The museum has exhibitions on Lapland’s culture, nature, geology and Sami life, as well as scientific and environmental issues in the circumpolar region.
After the devastation of World War II, Rovaniemi was rebuilt according to a plan drawn up by Alvar Aalto in 1945. The city plan, called Poronsarvikaava, which means reindeer antler plan, organised streets and buildings so that they together formed a pattern resembling a reindeer antler. The plan was realised over the following decades and is a rare example of a fully-fledged city centre designed by Aalto himself. The Aalto Center area consists of three main buildings: the Lappia-talo cultural centre, the Rovaniemi City Library and the Rovaniemi City Hall.
The library was completed in 1965 and marks the transition in Aalto’s architecture from white functionalism to more naturalistic forms and the use of warm materials. The building has a fan-shaped plan that opens towards the northern lights and a belt of skylights that diffuse light into the reading room. Lappia-talo was built in stages between 1961 and 1975, and it functions as a concert and theatre hall. Its undulating roofline symbolises the mountains and snowy landscapes of Lapland. The Town Hall, completed in 1986 according to Aalto’s designs, forms the final link in the complex and is characterised by a distinctive corner tower and raw concrete surfaces.
Aalto Centre is formally called Rovaniemi Administration and Culture Centre/Rovaniemimen hallintokeskus, and today it functions as the administrative and cultural centre of Rovaniemi. The three buildings form a coherent whole, surrounded by parks and squares, where proportions, materials and colours are carefully coordinated. The area is classified as a national cultural environment of special importance and represents one of the most complete realisations of Aalto’s urban planning ideals.
Korundi is the name of Rovaniemi’s most important modern cultural centre, and it houses both the Rovaniemi Art Museum/Rovaniemimen taidemuseo and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra/Lapin kamariorkesteri. The building was originally built in 1933 as a mail and supply depot for the Lapland Post Office. It is one of the few buildings to survive the extensive destruction caused by the Lapland War of 1944–45, when most of Rovaniemi was burned down by retreating German troops. The building stood unused for several decades until the decision was made to convert it into a cultural centre in the early 2000s. The new function as a cultural centre was realised by architect Juhani Pallasmaa, one of Finland’s most influential modernists, and Korundi was inaugurated in 2011.
The architecture of Korundi combines the original brick warehouse with modern additions. The old part consists of massive red stone walls, small window openings and simple industrial details, which have been preserved to preserve the building’s historical character. The new extension uses glass and steel in a geometric design that creates a contrast to the older structure. The building has a total area of around 4,000 m², and the interior spaces are designed with a focus on acoustics, light and flexibility. The largest concert hall, with a capacity of around 350 people, was designed with variable acoustics adapted to both chamber music and modern sound art. The exhibition halls are modular and can be changed according to the type of exhibition.
As an institution, Korundi represents modern culture in northern Finland. Rovaniemi Art Museum manages over 3,000 works, primarily representing Finnish and Lapland visual art from the 1940s onwards. The collection includes works by artists such as Reidar Särestöniemi and Kalervo Palsa, both of whom have roots in Lapland. The Lapland Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1972 and is the northernmost professional orchestra in the EU. Korundi also serves as an exhibition and conference centre and houses a café, bookshop and study hall.
The Jätkänkynttilä Bridge, often simply called Jätkänkynttilä, was opened in 1989 and was the first cable-stayed bridge built in Finland. It spans the Kemijoki River and connects the centre of Rovaniemi with the Ounasvaara district. The bridge was constructed as part of a larger infrastructure plan to ease traffic and create a landmark for the city. The name means lumberjack’s candlestick and refers to a traditional Lappish wooden lantern that forest workers lit in the winter darkness.
The total length of the bridge is 320 metres, and the main span of 150 metres is supported by two steel cables suspended from 47-metre-high pylons. The structure was built to withstand extreme temperature variations and ice slides from the river. The most characteristic element is the vertical light poles on the bridge towers, which are equipped with lighting that symbolizes flames. The lighting design was developed as part of the project and has made the bridge one of the most photographed places in Rovaniemi. This is especially visible in winter, when the light reflects off the snow.
In addition to its technical and traffic function, Jätkänkynttilä serves as a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Lapland War. The bridge was originally planned as a symbol of reconstruction and human endurance in the north. It is used for national ceremonies and festive occasions, and its lighting is switched on during holidays and commemorative events.
Tiedekeskus Pilke was opened in 2011 and is operated by Metsähallitus, the Finnish State Forestry Administration. The centre is located close to Arktikum and was established as part of a larger urban development project on the riverbank. The aim is to disseminate knowledge about sustainable forestry, environmental management and natural resources, with a particular emphasis on wood as a material and resource. The exhibitions have been developed in collaboration with the University of Lapland and use interactive installations and simulated models to explain processes in forest ecology and climate impact.
The building was designed by the architectural firm APRT (Artto Palo Rossi Tikka) and is an example of modern Finnish wooden architecture. Approximately 80% of the building materials come from Lapland’s own forests, and the construction has been developed to demonstrate the technical and aesthetic possibilities of wood. The building has a total area of approximately 2,500 m² and is energy neutral with an emphasis on passive heating and natural ventilation. The facade is made of vertical wooden slats in spruce and pine, while the interior was made of birch and maple. Large glass areas bring in natural light, and the construction takes advantage of the low sun angle in the north for even lighting.
Ounasvaara is a leisure and nature area on the east side of the Kemijoki River, directly opposite the center of Rovaniemi. The area has been used for outdoor activities since the 1920s, when the first ski slopes and wooden cabins were established by local associations. In the 1940s and 1950s, Ounasvaara became one of Finland’s first organized ski areas with both ski jumps and alpine slopes. Ski jumping tournaments were held here from 1953, and the area has since been an important center for winter sports in Lapland.
The area covers about 200 hectares and consists of forested hills, trails and sports facilities. The highest point is 203 meters above sea level, and the view from here offers a panorama of the rivers and the city of Rovaniemi. Ounasvaara today houses an extensive sports complex with a ski center, cross-country skiing trails, hotel, observation tower, spa and cycling routes. In summer, the area is used for hiking, running and mountain biking, and it is one of the few places in Finland where you can see both the midnight sun and the northern lights from the same point.
Joulupukin Pajakylä is located about 8 kilometers north of Rovaniemi and marks the official Arctic Circle (66°33′N). The facility was established in 1950 when the US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the city and a small wooden house was built to mark the spot. The area gradually developed into a tourist destination and was officially inaugurated as the current commercial Santa Claus Village in 1985. Today, it is a central part of Finland’s tourism industry and is open year-round.
The village consists of about 20 buildings, which have been built with an architecture that follows traditional Lappish log house techniques combined with modern comfort. The area includes Finland’s version of Santa Claus’s office, the Arctic Circle Post Office, gift shops, restaurants, ice cream galleries and exhibition houses. A marked line runs through the center of the facility, symbolically representing the Arctic Circle. It is widely used for photos and certified documents of Arctic Circle crossings, which are issued to visitors.
Santa Claus Village functions as a theme park and symbol of Rovaniemi. The post office handles up to half a million letters annually, which are forwarded with official Santa Claus Arctic Circle stamps. Since the 1990s, the area has developed into a year-round tourist center, where activities such as dog sledding, reindeer herding and northern lights excursions are combined with commercial facilities. Santa Claus Village has thus gained the status of one of Finland’s best-known trademarks and an international symbol of Lapland.
Oulu, which also have the Swedish name Uleåborg, is the largest city in northern Finland. It is considered a kind of northern Finnish capital, even though Oulu is about equidistant from the north and south of the country. The location by the Gulf of Bothnia and not far from the Swedish border is strategically good and has given the city rapid development through its history.
The river Oulujoki runs through Oulu, and over the centuries the river has been used for extensive trade. The city was founded by the Swedish king Karl IX in 1605, but Oulu’s town plan and city center give the impression of a later period. This is because a large fire destroyed large parts of the city in 1822, and the architect Carl Ludwig Engel was hired to rebuild it after the devastation.
Luleå is one of the largest cities in northern Sweden. It is known historically from 1327, when there was a village at the place of present day Gammelstad. The village got a church and a marketplace, and this led to the founding of Luleå by Gustav II Adolf with market town rights in 1621. In 1649, the town was moved to its current location, which happened because the harbor had proven too shallow. However, Luleå was ravaged by fires several times, but it grew slowly through the centuries.
In the middle of the 19th century, there were only approximately 1,400 inhabitants in Luleå. In 1887, large parts of the city were ravaged by a fire, but at the end of the century the railway Malmbanen opened between Gällivare and Luleå, which thereby became a shipping port for iron ore. Hand in hand with general industrialization it created great prosperity in the town, and a spacious urban plan was designed after the 1887 fire with a lot of new construction.
Rovaniemi, Finland[/caption]
Overview of Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and serves as the center of the country’s northernmost region. The city is just six kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, which is exactly why Rovaniemi is a particularly well-visited city. In winter, it is dark and snowy, and with such a northern location, Rovaniemi is an excellent place to visit if you want to experience the northern lights.
The area in Lapland has been inhabited for many centuries, and Rovaniemi was mentioned in official documents as early as 1453. At that time, the population lived from agriculture, hunting and fishing, but it all changed in the 1800s. Throughout this century, interest in Lapland’s natural resources increased, and both timber and mining created growth in Rovaniemi, which became the commercial center of the area.
Today it is a relatively new city that you can explore. This is because around 90% of Rovaniemi was destroyed in 1944 when German troops during World War II retreated and destroyed most of the city in their move. In addition to that, an ammunition train blew up, setting fire to the town’s wooden houses. The destruction gave way to new thinking and designs, and Finnish Alvar Aalto’s new city plan was laid out along the lines of a reindeer.
About the Rovaniemi travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
About the travel guide
The Rovaniemi travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Finnish city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Rovaniemi is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Oulu and Finland
Finland Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/finland
City tourism: https://visitrova-niemi.fi
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/
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