Visit Finland to meet Santa Claus in real life.

The village of Rovaniemi, located 5 km south of the Arctic Circle in Finland, is considered the home of Santa Claus, with an official office answering letters and welcoming visitors year-round.

Rovaniemi was originally a cluster of villages located in the Arctic Circle, where the indigenous Sami people relied on agriculture, foraging for food, and logging to help their families survive the harsh winters.

Reindeer are their only companions. The Sami have been herding these animals across the Scandinavian peninsula and Russia for hundreds of years. These herds provide them with food, warm clothing, and even transportation in the beautiful yet sometimes deadly landscape of the Arctic.

It has an area of ​​8016 km².²Rovaniemi is a city in the province of Lapland. It was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but was later rebuilt. In 1950, the First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, visited the city to inspect the reconstruction efforts. Before her visit, local officials built a cabin a few kilometers north of the city, just above the Arctic Circle, to welcome her. Today, the structure remains in Santa Claus Village.

Legend has it that Santa Claus's original home was located in a secret, remote location in Finland, known only to a select few. So, in 1985, with the help of the local authorities, Santa decided to open a public office in his cabin in Rovaniemi. There, Santa Claus welcomes children year-round and also attracts many tourists from around the world to the area.

In 2010, the village officially opened to visitors and was dubbed the official home of Santa Claus. Each year, around 500,000 tourists come here to see Santa Claus in person.

Children can go home with proof of this magical encounter to show their friends because the village sells certificates showing that the boys and girls have actually met Santa Claus.

At Santa Claus's office in Santa Claus Village, his helpers assist him in sorting through stacks of letters from children all over the world. Each letter contains a child's Christmas wish.

The letters are written in many languages ​​and come from various countries. Most are handwritten by young children, some decorated with colorful hearts and stars. Each year, he receives approximately half a million letters from all over the world. The countries that send the most letters include China, Poland, Italy, England, Finland, Russia, Japan, and others.

Every year, more than half a million children around the world write and send letters to Santa Claus's official post office, where the elves sort them by country. To date, the village has received letters from 198 countries and territories worldwide. Here, there is a post office that uses the Arctic Circle seal, featuring Santa and his famous reindeer.

The village also has several entertainment options for adults. The Snowman World bar and restaurant is located right near Santa's cabin. Everything, from the building to the glasses in the bar, is made of ice. Those who aren't afraid of the cold can book a room at the igloo-style ice hotel on the restaurant grounds. This room features an ice sculpture of Santa Claus and his reindeer-drawn sleigh flying through the air.

Kotahovi restaurant serves specialties from the Lapland region. In addition, visitors can enjoy live music.

Riding reindeer and touring the farm are among the other appealing activities in the village. However, visitors will be informed that flying reindeer are only for Santa Claus, as “they require professional handling skills honed over centuries.” It’s best to leave it to the man in the red suit to handle.

This year, visitors can even explore the village on a free Uber snowmobile ride from December 12th to 18th, at either 10 am or 2 pm.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao