Lapland: Santa Claus and Northern Lights. New Year in Oulu

Breakfast buffet.

Three wonderful days in a Finnish winter fairy tale!

The surroundings of the SPA hotel are a real winter fairy tale whitest snow, picturesque panoramas of snow-covered lakes and green pine forests with snow-white caps! Right in the relic pine forest, along picturesque lake laid numerous ski slopes . This is a unique opportunity to spend the whole day in the crystal fresh air, and after intense active walks enjoy a hot sauna park, swim in outdoor or indoor pools or relax in an excellent SPA center! At your servicerenovated SPA complex “Blue Lagoon”, which has 10 swimming pools of different temperatures, including Jacuzzi and children's pools, an outdoor hot pool, water slide, Finnish sauna and aromatic Turkish bath (hammam), wellness center offering massages, therapeutic and relaxing baths, physiotherapy, beautician services, gym and sports halls, badminton hall, climbing wall and bar. (Visiting the SPA center is without restrictions and is included in the price, services health center for extra fee)
Pearl of the SPA hotel "" is the largest black steam room in Europe. The unusually fragrant steam of a bathhouse heated with specially dried birch firewood for 8 hours and swimming in the snow or (for the bravest) in an ice hole, give an incredible charge of vigor and health! (Visiting hours from 16.00 -20.00, price for guests " " - 8€ / adult, 4 € / child. 4-14 years old.)
There is also a magical Santa Claus House where you can enjoy traditional Finnish treats and Christmas entertainment! You can take part in master classes on making Christmas tree decorations and baking Christmas gingerbread, sing to the accompaniment of an accordion, treat yourself to hot Christmas mulled wine or ice-cold beer, have lunch in Santa Claus's hut, and try hot sausages from the fire and the freshest smoked Finnish salmon outside. (master classes and refreshments - additional fee)
To enjoy traditional Christmas shopping, you just need to take the city bus that stops next to the hotel, and in 15 minutes you will find yourself in the central square of the Finnish city of Kuopio.
Kuopio is the “capital” of Eastern Finland, a charming and calm Finnish town. Along the perimeter main square Kuopio has many large shopping centers, where you can do traditional European Christmas shopping and buy yourself some great Finnish souvenirs! (transfer to Kuopio and Christmas shopping on your own)
In Kuopio, you can experience a tropical island in the middle of winter by visiting the luxurious, modern water park Fontanella. 10 swimming pools with cold and hot water, the longest water slide in Finland with light effects and a gentle slide for calmer descents, a jacuzzi, massage showers, saunas, a Turkish bath, an infrared sauna, children's pools with funny animal fountains and a play pool - here You can have a great rest and relaxation even the whole day! (additional fee)
The picturesque ski resort of Kasurila is 20 km from the hotel.. Magnificent illuminated slopes, the most modern equipment and lifts, rich infrastructure and a variety of entertainment - the Finnish resort of Kasurila is not inferior to the most famous European ski resorts. (On one's own)

Santa Claus Village in Finland is located next to small town Rovaniemi. A small village called Joulupukki invites you to visit Finnish Santa Claus all year round. Fabulous Lapland is not only a place where you can see the northern lights, but also the permanent habitat of the real Santa Claus.

People no longer want to celebrate the New Year in tropical countries, but rather head to the snowy region to Santa’s homeland. Even teenagers who have not believed in Santa Claus for a long time will believe in the fairy tale again when they find themselves in Lapland. They'll want to write a letter to Finnish Santa Claus and enjoy the kaleidoscope of entertainment this magical place has to offer.

Even if the New Year's celebration is planned at one of the ski resorts in Finland, visiting Santa Claus is very simple and does not take much time. From any city you can buy a plane ticket and fly to Rovaniemi, and there any public transport will take you to the fairy-tale village in just 10 minutes.

How to get there

The address of Santa Claus in Lapland is the village of Joulupukki, which is located 8 kilometers from the Finnish town of Rovaniemi. It is located 1000 kilometers from Russian border. From St. Petersburg, with a visa, you can get there by train, plane or bus in just a few hours. First you need to get to the capital of Finland, then to Rovaniemi, and from there there are buses every hour.

Rovaniemi has an airport and a railway station, so residents of St. Petersburg have the opportunity to buy tickets to Santa Claus Village directly. From the railway station in Rovaniemi you need to take bus number 8. If tourists decide to travel to Finland in their own vehicle, then enter the name of the village of Joulupukki into the navigator device and you will arrive exactly at Santa’s house.

Story

Everyone knows that the real birthplace of Santa Claus is Lapland. They say that it was this magical symbol of the New Year that created the famous Northern lights. The first tourist to visit this place was Eleanor Roosevelt. In her honor, the Finns built a hut, which can still be seen today.

Visit the village of Santa Claus better in winter, but Santa Park and the elves work there in the summer. After all, there are many children on earth and everyone writes letters that need to be processed and delivered to their destination. Santa reads every letter without exception, even if it was sent by email.

Santa Claus's summer house is located in the same village as the winter office; it began operating in 1950. There, on the shelves, volumes of books are crowded, containing the scoundrels of the whole country and obedient children who receive gifts from Santa every year. Finnish Santa Claus is helped by fairy-tale elves. To get to this magical house, you will have to go through a clock mechanism.

On a note! In the village you can always go with a group, where the guide will talk about the history of this place, and buy memorable souvenirs. Be sure to write a letter from Lapland and send it to your family, the envelope will have the seal of the Arctic Circle.

Opening hours, ticket prices

Finnish Santa Claus receives guests all year round, but there are also days when it is not possible to enter the village. To plan a train, it is better to know exact schedule reception days:

• From September to the end of November: from 10 am to 5 pm.
• From January 7 to the end of May - from 10 am to 5 pm.
• From June to the end of August - from 9 am to 6 pm.
• From December 1 to January 6 – enhanced schedule from 9 am to 7 pm.

Children under three years old can see Finnish Santa Claus for free, adults will pay about $40, and children from three to 18 years old will pay $35. This price includes not only a meeting with Santa Claus, but also a visit to Santa Park.

Letter to Santa Claus

In the village of Joulupukki, not far from Santa's house, there is a post office, which is crowded at any time of the year. Here you can write and send a letter to anywhere in the world with an imprint of the Arctic Circle, and also leave a message to Santa Claus. Be sure to purchase unique cards with the wonderful landscapes of Lapland and the Northern Lights.

Santa Claus' assistants, fairy-tale elves, work at the post office; they will help you compose an interesting text. If the child is small and does not yet know how to write, the elves will write a letter for him in any language in the world. Each visitor will have the opportunity to have a photo session with all the village residents, warm up by the fireplace and watch the elves deliver mail bags to Santa.

The residence of Father Frost in Finland has an official website, where every inhabitant of the earth also has the opportunity to send a letter to Santa Claus at in electronic format.

Write down the addresses of the resources and be sure to send the treasured message:

• santaclausvillage.info;
• santaclausholidayvillage.fi.

On a note! Sending one letter costs about $15. Remember, no matter what time of year the letter was written, if you put it in the red box, Santa Claus will read it on Christmas Eve.

Winter fun

Santa Park Rovaniemi is designed like Dreamland. It will be interesting for people of any age. There you can go on rides, visit an elf school, and take part in games and competitions. Each child can attend calligraphy writing classes and Mrs. Claus's bakery, which bakes fragrant Easter cakes. You can not only try delicious gingerbread cookies, but also take part in the process of their preparation.

Near Rovaniemi and in its territory there are many ski resort. You can organize your holiday there and visit Santa Claus on one of the days of your stay on Finnish territory. If you forget your equipment at home while on vacation, it’s no problem, you can buy it in any Finnish store.

Although the village is open all year round, experienced tourists It is recommended to come there in winter. Snow-covered paths and New Year's lights perfectly highlight the eve of the New Year. Walking along snow-covered paths, you involuntarily begin to believe in magic. You can make snowmen and play hockey with your whole group.

The village of Joulupukki offers entertainment for all ages:

• You can go ice skating on the frozen lake.
• Ride on snowmobiles, reindeer or dog sleds.
• Visit ice houses and even have a tea party there.
• Try Finnish traditional dishes.
• Go ice fishing or take a steam bath in a Finnish sauna.

On a note! Every visitor to this fabulous place should meet Santa Claus's reindeer. They live not far from the magical grandfather's house.

Shops and restaurants

Dress warmly if you visit Finland in winter and after seeing the local attractions, go shopping. In each you can buy New Year's souvenirs for favorable prices.

If children visited the elf workshop, they will be able to take all the handicrafts they made with them. Be sure to buy Christmas decorations, slide paintings of the Northern Lights and Finnish delicacies.

Visit Santa Claus: Rovaniemi and Ranua Zoo, 4 days
(departure from Helsinki)

Additionally upon request:

• Transfer to regular bus St. Petersburg-Helsinki-St. Petersburg - from 70 euros RT
• Transfer to high speed train allegro SPb-Helsinki-SPb - from 140 euros RT
• Transfer by train Repin Moscow-Helsinki-Moscow - from 190 euros RT
• Air flight Moscow-Helsinki-Moscow - from 200 euros

We ask you to check availability before booking your tour.

For this trip you must have a valid Schengen visa and health insurance.

Tour program:

1 day
Meeting with the group in Helsinki. Sightseeing tour in Helsinki. Departure to Oulu. Accommodation in a 3* hotel in the vicinity of Oulu (accommodation in double rooms). Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2
Breakfast. Excursion trip to Lapland to visit Santa Claus in the city of Rovaniemi.
Near the city of Rovaniemi, Joulukka is hidden in the forest - this is a magical forest village inhabited by elves and trolls - the most important helpers of Santa Claus! And right on the Arctic Circle, in underground cave in the Syväsenvaara hill, guests from all over the world are greeted by Santa Park (entrance tickets for an additional fee).
In Santa Park you can visit a myriad of secret places and attractions, such as the Giant Snow Globe, Elven Post Office, Elven Toy Factory Gift Shop, Christmas Gingerbread Bakery, Secrets of the Elven Toy Factory Show, Santa Park Dance Show (3 times a day), Magic Train “Seasons”, Elven Workshop, Calligraphy School, Playground Angry Birds, School of Elves (5 times a day), Ice Gallery and Bar accompanied by the Ice Princess, you will also have the opportunity to visit the Champagne Bar and Kota Cafeteria, you will be able to cross the Arctic Circle, and do not forget to send a personal Christmas video card through JoinMe Tube!
Return to the hotel. Rest.

Day 3
Breakfast. Free day in Oulu or, if desired, transfer to the northernmost natural Park world - Arctic Zoo Ranua (optional).
The zoo has a wide variety of services for the whole family - not only from the world wildlife, of which there are approximately 50 species of Arctic and northern wild animals: polar and brown bears, lynxes, wolves, moose, owls, reindeer and other representatives of northern fauna, the habitat of which is as close as possible to the natural habitat. Especially in winter, life changes completely in a wildlife park. For many animals, the Arctic winter is their natural habitat and can be easily observed in the snow-covered park.
In winter, snow and ice sculptures are erected in the park, which form an integral part of the Polar Wildlife Park. Also at the zoo there is the opportunity to go skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding and reindeer sledding (additional charge).
After a walk around the zoo, you can soak up the cozy warmth of the Lapland Chum restaurant, where you can have lunch and warm up near the fireplace.
At lunchtime, departure towards Helsinki via Oulu. Checking in transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

4 day
Breakfast. Arrival in Helsinki ~ 10:00.

Additionally, the following must be paid:
. If you are traveling alone: ​​mandatory supplement for single occupancy at the hotel - 105 € (12/29/2019 - 135 €)

Additional payment upon request:

• Entrance fees to Santa Park - ~34.00€ \ ~28€ children from 3-12 years old, under 3 years old free
• Visit to Husky Park (without a trip) - 10€ \ 5€ for children 4-12 years old
• Visit to the Husky Park + sleigh ride pulled by Husky dogs - 30€ \ 15€ for children
• Sleigh ride drawn by reindeer - 18€ \ 14€ for children
• Trip to Ranua Zoo - 10€ and additional fee for admission ticket(adults~15€, children~12€)
• Upon request, we offer you accommodation in a 4* hotel - ON REQUEST

Hello, friends! What to do if newfangled routes for celebrating the New Year under palm trees on the seashore and ocean no longer tempt you. And I want a real Russian winter with everyone winter activities: real frosts, fluffy snow, skating, sledding and skiing, construction of snow fortresses and towns and a cheerful New Year celebration under a real Christmas tree in a real forest.

But there is a way out: you need to go not just anywhere, but to Lapland - the kingdom of the Snow Queen and to the habitat of Santa Claus. In one of the articles, I already talked about traveling with children and how, having visited this country, it is impossible not to visit where Santa Claus lives. This amazing place is located far to the north beyond the Arctic Circle, 9 kilometers from the capital of Lapland - Rovaniemi in the village of Joulupukki (Joulupukin Pajakyla).

Mysterious and unique Lapland

Lapland is an inexplicable and fabulous province located in Finland, with fantastic nature and unique culture - of course, is close to us in many ways. We are also accustomed to severe frosts, like the Finns, and we have loved winter fun since childhood.

But what you can see in Lapland will undoubtedly evoke many unexpected emotions. Crowds of tourists come to these places with primeval nature with forests and mountains, many rivers and lakes, clean air, and the polar night every New Year, dreaming not only of enjoying the local beauties, but also of returning once again to a distant fairy tale from childhood.

And for children, this is an opportunity to see in person those places about which so much is already known from the books of Hans Christian Andersen and the Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf. The adventures of Kai and Gerda, a reindeer who comes from Lapland, in the land of the Snow Queen and the characters from the book “Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese” in Lapland - the first acquaintance with this northern country, which, without a doubt, requires a sequel.

And we will begin our journey with Rovaniemi

The history of this northern city, the largest in area in Europe, begins in the 15th century. It is located 8 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, 800 kilometers from Helsinki and 1025 kilometers from St. Petersburg. This one northern city in winter it becomes the most beloved resort in Lapland by children and adults.

And it's easy to explain. These are exactly the places where most time in worries and preparations for the Christmas holidays, the beloved New Year's character by many is Santa Claus (in Finnish - Joulupukki). After all, it is here, just a few kilometers from the city, that the famous Santa Claus village is located.

It is clear that Santa Claus is almost the same as ours, but in a European manner. But the history of its origin is somewhat different. It is assumed that Saint Nicholas became his prototype: Santa - “saint”, Klaus - “Nicholas”. During his lifetime, this common Christian saint secretly helped poor people and children. And the tradition of giving gifts on St. Nicholas Day later transformed into the tradition of giving gifts to children at Christmas. And this is what modern Santa Claus does with great pleasure.

According to legend, Santa's permanent home and secret workshop, where Christmas gifts are prepared for children, are located on Mount Korvatunturi. But, since rumors began to spread among people about his secret place of residence, Santa Claus, in order not to be completely declassified, decided to appear to people and chose a place for this on the Arctic Circle not far from Rovaniemi.

Here in Lapland, in a small village, Santa established his working residence, which is now known throughout the world. He comes here every day, receives visitors from all over the world, reads letters from all over the world (which can be sent to: Santa Klaus, 96930 Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Finland), and from them he learns what children dream of and what gifts they waiting for Christmas.

But in fact, Santa Claus Village appeared back in 1950. And this was connected with the visit of the wife of the American President Eleanor Roosevelt to these places. For her arrival, a small wooden house was built as Santa's temporary home. It has survived to this day and is located near Santa Claus's office.

That’s how, somewhere far beyond the Arctic Circle, among forests and snow sparkling in the sun, Santa’s village appeared many years ago. I'm glad what it is wonderful place You should definitely eat and visit it at least once in your life.

Santa Claus Village Websites:

Where Santa Claus lives, childhood lives

This is the kingdom of Santa Claus, where reality and fairy tales are so closely intertwined, and on its territory, inhabited by fairy-tale characters, such amazing events take place that they make you believe in the reality of what is happening and in the possibility of miracles and happiness not only for small children, but also for adults aunty and uncle.

The village of Santa Claus is the office and post office of Santa Claus, Santa Park, cottages for tourists, many shops and restaurants, and a small deer farm. In winter, numerous slides are built on the square, from which you can ride for free. Near the village there is another amusement park - Arctic Winter World.

According to one of the hypotheses (I don’t know, scientific or also fairy-tale), the place for this magical village was not chosen at all by chance: since it is in this place that the earth’s crust is very thin, then with the help of special mechanisms Santa Claus learned to control time and in particular, slow down the speed of rotation of the Earth. And this little trick helps Santa visit everyone in the world on the eve of Christmas in one night and give everyone gifts.

The village is small, but not small either. In the center of the Village there is a large Christmas tree decorated with small flags different countries peace. Everything around you sparkles in festive attire, which immediately improves your mood.

Entrance to the village is free, but, of course, you have to pay for various services.

Santa Claus's office is the main attraction of the village

You can get to Santa's office in the office through a long fairy-tale corridor. The famous wizard himself and his constant assistants, the gnomes, joyfully greet the guests, and in the minutes allotted for the visit, you should try to tell Santa Claus about what is most important to you in this life, make a wish and sit next to him.

This is not difficult to do, since Santa has studied many foreign languages ​​well, including Russian. Santa gives gifts to good and obedient children.

Entrance to Santa's house is free. But if you want to capture yourself in a photo next to Santa Claus, then you will have to pay his assistants - gnome photographers - for this.

Playful and restless gnomes and elves help Santa entertain the guests.

In addition, they work in Santa's workshop, where they make amazing gifts for children.

Santa is a tireless worker himself. It receives guests every day, including weekends and holidays. Office opening hours depend on the time of year and holidays (in December, opening hours are longer and there may be queues).

Official website of Santa Claus office: santaclauslive.com

Santa Claus Mail

This is a must visit place after Santa's office. Almost half a million tourists come here every year.

Here you can order a letter from Santa Claus anywhere in the world. The cheerful elves will help you compose and send such a letter in the desired language (options are offered in 11 languages). Letters from children with their requests and wishes come here from different parts of the planet, which the elves parse and then pass on to Santa. Interesting statistic: Since 1980, Santa has received more than 16 million letters.

From Santa's post office you can send a Christmas card with good wishes to your family and friends. All letters and cards are stamped with Santa's special seal and are immediately sent to their destination. Here you can buy various souvenirs and postcards.

Santa Claus' post office, like the office, is open all days of the year.

There is another attraction in the Village, which is associated with an interesting ritual that everyone who visits this place likes to perform: crossing the geographical and, to some extent, fairy-tale border Arctic Circle, depicted as a white line with the inscription "Arctic Circle".

The most “brave” (that is, those who cross the Arctic Circle) will receive a solemn presentation of commemorative certificates in memory of this event.

There is another remarkable geographical landmark in the village: a large pillar with signs indicating the directions of the most big cities peace.

Santa Claus Post Websites:

• santagreeting.net

Santa Park - the magical cave of the elves

Near the Village there is an underground (at a depth of several tens of meters) Santa Claus Park, inhabited by cheerful elves. This structure is in the form of a series of tunnels that are laid right inside the rock. Before you are greeted by elves and fairy tale characters, you have a long descent ahead of you.

Santa Park's Adventure Cave offers a wide variety of... fun entertainment for each. Children especially have fun here. At the elf school you can master all sorts of elven wisdom and learn how to sign Christmas cards in calligraphy.

And those who especially distinguished themselves will even be given a diploma on successful completion of the young elf course.

In Mrs. Claus's bakery and kitchen, you can not only try delicious gingerbread cookies, but also learn how to make them yourself. Besides, this kind woman has so many sweets in store.

It wouldn’t hurt to visit Santa Claus in his office, or visit the Elven Post Office again (in case not all your friends have received postcards yet).

And the kingdom of the Ice Princess (not scary at all, rather the opposite) will simply surprise you with sculptures of northern animals and fairy-tale characters in the Ice Gallery.

You can also go on a fun journey with the elves on the magical “Seasons” train, play in a huge ball filled with snowflakes, or on the Angry Birds playground.

The annual colorful costume show will add to the long list of amazing adventures.

Delicious food awaits everyone who is hungry in the underground cafe, and those who did not have time to buy gifts for their relatives can do so in the local shops and souvenir shops.

Santa Park opening hours:

Santa Park is not open every day, but only during certain periods.

From 9 to 30 November 2019 – daily from 10:00 to 17:00. From December 1, 2019 to January 5, 2020 - daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (December 24 - from 10:00 to 16:00). From January 6 to January 11, 2020 – daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (January 11 – from 10:00 to 15:00).

Santa Park website: santapark.com

Cost of tickets to Santa Park for 2019-2020:

Unlike free entry to the Village, entrance here is paid.

• From 9.11.2019 - 30.11.2019: adults – 34€, children (3–12) years old – 28€
• From 1.12.2019 - 21.12.2019: adults – 35€, children (3–12) years old – 29€
• From 12/22/2019 - 01/11/2020: adults – 36 €, children (3–12) years old – 30 €.

Children under 3 years old can enter Santa Park for free. The price of the ticket, which is valid for two consecutive days, includes all the entertainment in Santa Park, and you can buy tickets at the ticket office from the elf.

Another wonderful place for children and their parents is located very close to the village of Santa Claus. But this amusement park is only open in winter - from early December to late March.

And every year this complex, which consists of a unique igloo hotel, slides for children and adults in fantastic lighting, a cafe and bar, beautiful sculptures, is rebuilt from snow and ice.

WITH ice slides Everyone, from young to old, enjoys sledding and cheesecake riding.

You can conquer more and more slides all day long for a single entrance fee to the amusement park.

And after riding, you can take a break. The Ice Cafe or Bar will offer you delicious berry drinks - for children, and something stronger for adults. And all this in ice-cold glasses.

For a more complete picture of Ice world, daredevils can spend the night in a sleeping bag in one of the snowy rooms decorated with ice objects at the Arctice Igloo Hotel.

There are no other zoos in the world located this far north.

It is located approximately 80 kilometers (or an hour's drive) from Rovaniemi. More than 200 different animals and about 30 species of birds live here, including polar and brown bears, wolves and, of course, reindeer.

Excellent conditions have been created for the animals: spacious enclosures, good feeding and care. The zoo stretches out in a long strip, about 2.5 km, in the forest. Therefore, children can borrow a stroller or sled for free at the entrance to the zoo. Children usually enthusiastically prefer sleds.

In addition to the zoo, you can also visit the children's fairy-tale park – the “Mur-mur” castle (or the castle of the elves), where gnomes and elves make Christmas gifts for children, where you can enjoy delicious sweets from the local confectionery factory “Fazer” or a rare northern berry - cloudberries.

The zoo is open daily. Opening hours and ticket prices depend on the season. You can travel from Rovaniemi to Ranua by car or bus.

Ranua Zoo official website: ranuazoo.com

Ranua Zoo opening hours:

• From September 1 to May 31 – from 10:00 to 16:00
• From June 1 to August 31 – from 9:00 to 19:00

Cost of visiting the zoo:

From 01.10 – 09.12 and from 11.01 – 31.03:

• For adults – 15€
• For children 4-14 years old – 13.50€
• For pensioners – 14€
• Family ticket – 51€
• For students – 13.50€

From 10.12 - 10.01:

• For adults – 18.50€
• For children 4-14 years old – 16€
• For pensioners – 17€
• For students – 16€
• Family ticket – 59€

From 1.04 - 30.09:

• For adults – 17€
• For children 4-14 years old – 14€
• For pensioners – 14.50€
• For students – 14€
• Family ticket – 51€

For children under 4 years old, visiting the zoo is free.

What else can you do in Lapland?

You can’t leave these places without riding in reindeer and dog sleds or on powerful snowmobiles.

More information about this can be found on the websites:

• wildlifesafaris.fi
• gulo.fi

There is a reindeer farm near Santa Claus's office in winter.

It is small, but sufficient for organizing wonderful sleigh rides pulled by reindeer.

And, of course, you will be very lucky if you manage to admire, according to eyewitnesses, the extraordinary beauty of the Northern Lights.

The time of this inexplicable appearance natural phenomenon difficult to predict. But still, suddenly you find yourself in the right place at the right time.

Where to live and how to get there?

There are no problems with accommodation or transportation in these places. Despite all the harshness of these places, the conditions for tourists here are excellent. You can stay on vacation in a hotel or in a separate comfortable and cozy cottage.

The city has railroad station, and just 10 kilometers from the city and 2 kilometers from the village of Santa Claus is Rovaniemi International Airport.

Cheap flights to Rovaniemi

Where	departure date	Return date	Find a ticket
Helsinki
Moscow
London
Copenhagen

From the center of Rovaniemi to Santa Claus Village there is a regular bus service “Santa’s Express” (route no. 8), the trip takes approximately 20-30 minutes. The cost of a one-way ticket per person is 3.80 €. A taxi from the center to the village will cost several times more – approximately 25 €.

And for total immersion into the local atmosphere, you can get from the city to Santa Claus Village by reindeer or dog sled.

And if you want to celebrate the New Year as a family, cozy house by the fireplace in fabulous atmosphere – best place You can't find anything better than fabulous Lapland.

A trip to Finland is also good because of what we have with this country common border. Therefore, the opportunity to travel to Finland from the northwestern part of our country is very simplified. For example, from St. Petersburg you can go there by different means of transport.

The easiest way is to get to Helsinki by high-speed train “Allegro” or by car, bus, plane or even ferry. You can also get from Russia by bus from Murmansk and Kandalaksha. Those who live in the central part of Russia can use the services branded train Moscow-Helsinki “Leo Tolstoy”.

The second advantage of this tourist destination– this is the relative ease of obtaining a visa. Finns willingly give Russian tourists visas.

Don't forget to take warm clothes with you! Happy holidays to you!

New Year is a magical time. Adults expect holidays and changes for the better, children expect magic and gifts. If you want to give your child a real New Year's fairy tale and plunge into the atmosphere of children's happiness, you need to go to the ends of the world - to Lapland! New Year's Eve in the homeland of Finnish Santa Claus - Joulupukki - is real magic; such a trip will be remembered for a lifetime.

In Finland, as in Europe in general, the main event of winter is Christmas, and according to the old style, December 25th. New Year is not celebrated so widely. So by the time the New Year arrives, Joulupukki will have already given Christmas gifts to Finnish children and will be entirely occupied with us, the guests. Joulupukki Residence is located 9 km from the city of Rovaniemi, right on the border of the Arctic Circle.

Santa Claus Village (Joulupukin Pajakylä) – this is the office and post office of Santa Claus, Santa Park, cottages for tourists, many shops and restaurants, a small deer farm. In winter, numerous slides are built on the square, from which you can ride for free. Near the village there is another amusement park - Arctic Winter World.

In the center of the Village there is a large Christmas tree, sparkling in festive attire, this immediately improves your mood!

Joulupukki Residence

There is an interesting legend about Santa Claus's house (Joulupukki): since the earth's crust is very thin in this place, with the help of special mechanisms Santa Claus learned to control time and, in particular, slow down the speed of the Earth's rotation. And this little trick helps Santa visit everyone in the world on the eve of Christmas in one night and give everyone gifts. In order not to disturb the structure of the clock mechanism, guests move along suspended bridges;

Here you can watch and even pet a deer completely free of charge. Parking reindeer located behind the main house;

You can get to the office to meet Santa Claus through a long fairy-tale corridor. The famous wizard himself and his gnome assistants joyfully welcome the guests. This happens every day, without weekends or holidays. There may be queues in December. Finnish Santa Claus speaks many languages, including Russian!

After the office, be sure to visit Santa Claus Post Office. Letters from children come here from all over the world with their requests and wishes, the elves sort them out and hand them over to Santa. You can find yours among the stacks! Write a letter with your child in advance and send it to the central Santa Claus post office: Santa Klaus, 96930 Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Finland. You can send cards to family and friends from Santa Claus's post office. All letters and cards are stamped with Santa's special seal and are immediately sent to their destination. A nice souvenir for your beloved grandmothers.

Entrance to the residence is free. Reindeer ride - 85 euros. Snowmobiling - 150 euros. Postcard - 2-4 euros. Souvenirs from 20 euros. An audience with Santa is free, a photo with Santa in his house is 17 euros.

From railway station Rovaniemi bus number 8 takes you to Santa Claus Village.

Santa Claus Village Websites:

• santaclausvillage.info
• santaclausholidayvillage.fi

Santa Park

2 kilometers from the village of Finnish Santa Claus there is a Santa Park for children theme park entertainment.

The legend is this: Once upon a time, Santa Claus was returning from a Christmas trip, and he was so captivated by the beauty of the local nature that right here, on the Arctic Circle, Santa and his elves set up a real amusement park for their many guests. In a huge cave, carved out of the rock by tireless dwarves, there is a whole underground city. This magical place is the only place in the world where you can cross the Arctic Circle underground and receive a certificate in honor of this geographical achievement! Magic coordinates of the Arctic Circle – 66° 33" 07"

Santa Park is a huge structure in the form of tunnels that are laid right inside the rock. Before you are greeted by elves and fairy tale characters, you have a long descent ahead of you. Carousels, activities with elves, colorful costume shows, cafes and souvenir shops.

Arctic Winter World Park

This amusement park is only open in winter - from early December to late March. Every year, entertainment is rebuilt here from snow and ice: slides for children and adults with fantastic lighting, a cafe and bar where drinks are served in ice glasses, ice sculptures and even an igloo hotel (Snowman World Igloo), where you can spend the night in a sleeping area. heated bag...

Official website of the park: arctice.fi

Entrance to the park is paid

Santa Claus Village is very popular place visits by families with children, especially during New Year holidays. People flock here who dream of not only enjoying the local beauty, but also once again returning to a distant fairy tale from childhood. "The Snow Queen", "Nils's Journey with the Wild Geese" - these fairy-tale places really exist. And if you're lucky, you can see the Northern Lights!

It is necessary to prepare in advance for such a trip. You can buy a ready-made tour, but it is much more convenient and cheaper to plan the trip yourself.

Book a hotel and buy tickets.

Option 1: You can get to the Arctic Circle by your own car. From St. Petersburg to Rovaniemi is more than a thousand kilometers. Without taking into account traffic jams and crossing the border, the drive takes 12 hours, and before the New Year there are queues at the border, which means you definitely won’t be able to do it in a day, it’s better to stop overnight in the middle of the journey. This is especially true when traveling with small children. On the way there are inexpensive houses with family rooms and a sauna:

The most convenient way to get to Santa Claus is by plane. The city of Rovaniemi and the village are located Joulupukki are located next to international airport, there are direct flights from Helsinki to the city's airport and train station. From Rovaniemi train station, bus number 8 runs every hour to Santa Claus Village. Also, at Rovaniemi airport they will put a stamp in your passport in the shape of Santa Claus.

A trip with the whole family for just 3-4 days will turn into the most memorable childhood trip for your kids.