Rovaniemi Itinerary 5 Days: Lapland, Santa and Northern Lights

The airport is 10 minutes from the centre. After check-in, start at the church rebuilt in 1950: retreating German troops burned 90% of the town in 1944. Inside, the altar fresco shows Christ among Lapland landscapes and people. Twenty minutes.

Six hundred metres northwest, Alvar Aalto drew the plan of rebuilt Rovaniemi in the shape of reindeer antlers, and the civic centre with Lappia Hall, the library and the town hall. The wavy roof echoes the Lapland fells. The library next door is free to visit.

Five minutes on foot, the 1930s brick warehouse, one of few buildings to survive the war, houses the city art museum with contemporary northern art. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm. One hour and fifteen minutes.

Walk 1.2 km along the Kemijoki to the bridge that symbolises Rovaniemi. Its pylon copies the log torch of the lumberjacks who floated timber down the rivers, and a flame burns on top at night. Ounasvaara begins on the far side. Twenty minutes.

Bus 8 runs from the centre to Santa Claus Village in 20 minutes. The white line across the square marks the Arctic Circle: crossing it is the must-have photo, and the post office stamps a certificate. Fifteen minutes.

Entry is free. Santa receives visitors every day of the year in his office; the visit is free, the official photo is not. In December the queue tops an hour, so arrive at opening. The post office sends cards with the Arctic Circle stamp, and the shops sell Marttiini knives, Iittala and Marimekko. Three hours is plenty without children.

In the evening, book a husky safari or an aurora hunting tour from Rovaniemi. SantaPark, the themed cavern 2 km away, opens only from 31 October to 23 January and suits families best.

Pick up the car at 8:30am and drive 70 km east on road 81. At Auttiköngäs, a short boardwalk leads to the 16 metre rapids and the wooden flume that carried logs in the timber floating days. In winter the water runs under the ice. Half an hour.

Forty minutes further you reach the Korouoma canyon car park in Posio. The winter trail is a loop of about 5 km past the three largest frozen falls, walls of blue ice used for ice climbing. Allow three and a half hours with a break at a fire shelter.

In December daylight lasts only a few hours: start by 11am, bring a head torch and wear shoe spikes, as the descents get slippery. Without a car, go with a guide: there is no public transport.

Ranua is 80 km south, one hour by car. The park keeps around 50 Arctic species along wooden trails through the forest, and the polar bears are the stars. It opens daily from 10am to 4pm, and online tickets cost €24.50. Three hours.

Back in Rovaniemi, cross the bridge to Ounasvaara, the town hill. Rent snowshoes or cross country skis at the resort and climb the lit trails to the lookout. Away from the city lights, it is also a good spot to wait for the aurora on a clear night. One hour and a half.

Check out and walk 1 km to the Arktikum, Lapland's best museum. The glass gallery points north, and the exhibitions cover Arctic nature, the Sámi people and the destruction and rebuilding of Rovaniemi. Tickets cost €22. It closes on Mondays outside peak season, so check. One hour and forty five minutes.

Next door, in the neighbouring wooden building, Pilke presents Lapland's forests with hands-on exhibits that children love. Half an hour. The airport is 10 minutes from the centre.