A fabulous trip to visit Santa Claus in Lapland. Santa Claus Village Finland: invitation to Joulupukki Santa Claus Village in Finland tours

How to celebrate New Year in Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village (Joulupukki) in Finland

Mysterious and unique Lapland

And we will begin our journey with Rovaniemi

Santa Park - the magical cave of the elves

What else can you do in Lapland?

Where to live and how to get there?

Joulupukki Residence

Santa Park

Arctic Winter World Park

How to get there

Story

Opening hours, ticket prices

Letter to Santa Claus

Winter fun

Shops and restaurants

Father Frost or Santa Claus

Where does Santa Claus live?

How it all started

Visiting a fairy tale

Santa Claus Mail

Fabulous entertainment

Santa park

Zoo

Road to Santa Claus

Where Santa Claus lives, childhood lives

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

Santa Claus Mail

Santa Park opening hours:

Cost of tickets to Santa Park for 2019-2020:

Cost of visiting the zoo:

Santa Claus Village Websites:

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 all the winter entertainment: real frosts, fluffy snow, skating, sledding and skiing, building 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).

Lapland, an inexplicable and fabulous province located in Finland, with fantastic nature and unique culture, is, of course, 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. To these places with primeval nature with forests and mountains, many rivers and lakes, clean air, polar night every time under New Year Crowds of tourists come here, dreaming not only of enjoying local beauties, but also to return 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 heroes from the book “Nils’s Wonderful Journey with wild geese"in Lapland - the first acquaintance with this northern country, which, without a doubt, requires continuation.

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 the beloved New Year's character, Santa Claus (in Finnish - Joulupukki), spends most of his time worrying about and preparing for the Christmas holidays. 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 give 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:

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.

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

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, fabulous border of the 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 notable geographical landmark in the village: a large pillar with direction signs for the largest cities in the world.

Santa Claus Post Websites:

santagreeting.net

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 Cave of Adventure has a variety of fun and varied activities for everyone. 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 and 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 train “Seasons”, play in a huge ball filled with snowflakes, or playground Angry Birds.

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 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

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.

Everyone, from young to old, enjoys sledding and cheesecake rides down the ice slides.

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

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.

You can’t leave these places without riding reindeer and dog sleds or 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 right time in the right place.

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.

There is a railway station in the city, and only 10 kilometers from the city and 2 kilometers from the village of Santa Claus - international Airport Rovaniemi.

Cheap flights to Rovaniemi

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 complete immersion in 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, in a cozy house by the fireplace in a 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, you can go there from St. Petersburg different types transport.

The easiest way is to get to Helsinki by high speed train"Allegro" or by car, bus, plane and even by 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 end 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!

There is about Santa Claus's house (Joulupukki) interesting legend: since it is in this place that the earth’s crust is very thin, 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. The reindeer camp is 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 with their requests and wishes come here from all over the world, 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.

santaclausvillage.info
santaclausholidayvillage.fi

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 so he was captivated by the beauty local nature that right here in the Arctic Circle Santa and his elves have 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- 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 huge building 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.

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 the 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. Can buy 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 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 is located next to the international airport, there are direct flights from Helsinki to the airport and the city's 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.

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 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 fairy village literally in 10 minutes.

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.

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 are working there and in summer period. 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, where the scoundrels of the whole country and obedient children who receive gifts from Santa every year are listed. 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.

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 the exact schedule of 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.

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 electronically.

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.

Santa Park Rovaniemi is designed like a fairyland. 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 and in Rovaniemi 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 I advise you to come there winter period. 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 fabulous place gotta meet Santa's reindeer. They live not far from the magical grandfather's house.

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 at competitive 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.

New Year in Rovaniemi - the village of Joulupukki - Finnish Santa Claus. Traditions. How to get there. Santa Park. Things to do. Prices for New Year's tours and hotels.

A well-known saying says: how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. If you want your life to be bright and eventful, give yourself and your loved ones an unusual holiday - a trip to Santa Claus in Finland.

Every person knows from childhood that Santa Claus lives far in the north. For the New Year, he appears with his fabulous retinue, gives gifts, fulfills cherished wishes and returns to his mansion in the snowy forest.

To visit Santa Claus is the dream of every child. But not everyone knows why in Europe they call him Santa Claus, and where he lives Finnish Grandfather Freezing.

According to legend, his prototype was the Christian Saint Nicholas, known in Russia as Nikolai Ugodnik. In his earthly life, the saint helped everyone who found themselves in difficult situations, and especially favored the poor and children. To please them, he secretly left gifts for them. This is where the tradition comes from: at Christmas, under the tree, everyone finds a gift from Santa Claus, as Father Frost is called in Finland.

If the Russian home of Father Frost and his retinue is located in Veliky Ustyug, the European Santa Claus lives in Finland, and not in magical palaces, but in real life. His homeland is distant Lapland. And the official residence is located near the city of Rovaniemi. The village of Santa Claus lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Or rather, the geographical parallel runs precisely through the territory of the settlement. Its coordinates are 66° 33" 07", and vacationers have fun crossing the Arctic Circle line several times a day.

There is a legend that real home Santa Claus is located in one of the caves of the three-headed Korvatunturi hill, 78 km from Murmansk on the border of Russia and Finland. So that no one would try to disturb his secluded home, Joulupukki (that’s his name) local residents) decided to move closer to people. Now the village of Santa Claus is open to guests, and anyone can see him and tell him about their wishes. A fairy-tale character comes to the office every morning on a reindeer sleigh, receives guests, reads letters and sends gifts. And at the end of the working day he returns to the mountains, to his secret workshop.

The history of the village is surrounded by legends mixed with real events. It all started in 1950, when the wife of the American president, Eleanor Roosevelt, visited the local region. To entertain the high-ranking guest, and at the same time show the beauty of northern nature, a fabulous trip was arranged for her. They built a cozy wooden house in a deep forest, decorated a live spruce, hung lanterns and installed Santa Claus.

I liked the idea. Over time, they built a whole village here, thought out entertainment program, and tourists from all over the world bring their children to visit Santa Claus. Now he has a new residence, but the first temporary home still exists.

Fabulous Lapland, the domain of Father Frost, amazes the imagination with its pristine beauty from the first minutes. Tall snow-covered spruce trees, deep snow, ringing silence and, if you're lucky, the mesmerizing northern lights - the landscapes create a feeling of unreality from the first minutes. Even adult tourists willingly immerse themselves in a fairy tale and begin to believe in miracles again.

The Finns assure that the place was not chosen by chance. Allegedly, this is where the earth's crust is so thin that the Finnish Santa Claus is able to control time and slow down the rotation of the earth. Time manipulation is needed so that Santa can visit all the houses on the planet in one night. There is a clock mechanism installed in his house. Visitors make their way to the treasured door along passages and suspended walkways, while gears spin under their feet and molten lava gurgles.

Joulupukki House is open to everyone from 10 am to 5 pm every day absolutely free. Santa Claus is especially busy at Christmas, but the line moves quickly.

Holidays in Santa's village in Finland are possible in summer and winter. But the New Year in Lapland will be especially interesting for young travelers.

The estate of Father Frost, the Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi hotel complex, the post office, cafes and restaurants stand around the square, in the center of which rises a decorated Christmas tree. There is no charge for visiting the village and visiting Joulupukki, but all other services are paid.

First of all, guests go to Santa Claus's house. At the entrance they are greeted by elves and dwarves in colorful costumes. After asking the adults what kind of toy their child would be happy with, the elf puts a badge with the desired image on his neck. Please note that you will have to pay for the gift!

Finally you enter. In a small room, a kind Finnish grandfather sits at a table covered with candles. You give him a prepared list of your cherished desires, take a photo, and receive a gift. This ends the audience. The next baby comes into the office, and other entertainment awaits you. By the way, a photo with Santa Claus costs 25-30 euros. It is prohibited to use your own camera.

Leaving the house, you find yourself in shopping arcades where Christmas souvenirs, decorations, dolls in national costumes, Finnish knives, and designer dishes are sold. Having bought a souvenir they liked, tourists go to the main post office.

It is not difficult to send a letter to Santa Claus in Finland. Even if you don’t know the exact address, just write on the envelope: Santa Claus Village, Finland. Rest assured, the letter will reach its fabulous recipient. The elves sort the mail and convey your wishes to Santa. The exact address Santa Claus in Lapland for letters: Joulupukki, 96930 Arctic Circle, Finland. Every year, about 600 thousand letters arrive at the local post office.

Official website of the fairytale village – santaclausvillage.info.

If you are lucky enough to visit Santa Claus, the same elves will help you compose a congratulatory letter in the desired language and send it to your family and friends anywhere in the world. Each letter or card will have a special Santa Claus stamp on it. Correspondence is sent on the same day.

What else will make a visit to Santa Claus enjoyable? If you see a line with a mysterious inscription under your feet "Arctic Circle" know that before you is the border of the Arctic Circle. You will have to go through it more than once. In memory of this significant event, you can purchase a confirmation certificate.

Children and adults will find it interesting to visit:

Husky dog kennel. Entrance costs €5 per person or €15 per family. Dog sledding is an additional cost;
Deer farm. You can ride a reindeer for €28 (1 km) or €60 for a 3 km loop. Children's tickets are cheaper – €25 and €50;
An exhibition of snowmobiles with rarities from the 60s and 70s.

Every year, with the onset of frost, the Ice Kingdom is rebuilt - snow figures, palaces of the ice princess, hotel and bar made of ice. Twice a season - on one Saturday in November and on December 23 - Santa Claus invites guests to the free attraction Snowman World - the world of snowmen. Tourists are taken for a ride in a reindeer sleigh, invited to ride down a hill on a “cheesecake”, and offered drinks from ice mugs.

Not far from the village there is an underground Santa Park; Finland built it to attract tourists. Price entrance tickets in winter – children 25 €, adults 33 €.

Guests descend through a magical tunnel built deep into the rock. Here they are met by elegant elves, and fun entertainment awaits them:

Mrs. Claus's bakery, where Joulupukki's wife will teach you how to decorate gingerbread cookies;
a school of elves that teaches magical wisdom;
the Nativity House, where exhibitions are held, products made from felt and wool are sold from reindeer skins;
Angry Birds children's attractions;
ride on the magic train “Seasons”;
costume show;
ice cave.

You can satisfy your hunger in a cozy, warm cafe, and buy a memorable souvenir in a local shop.

Take the time to visit the world's only zoo located above the Arctic Circle. Just an hour by bus separates Rovaniemi from the kingdom of reindeer, bears, foxes, wolves and almost 200 other species of animals. Spacious enclosures stretch for 2.5 km in the middle of the forest. To prevent children from getting tired, sleighs and strollers are offered to guests at the entrance.

Tired visitors are welcome at Mur-Mur Castle, where elves and dwarves invite you to enjoy sweets and delicious cloudberries.

Information about the work of the Ranua Zoo can be found on the website www.ranuazoo.com. The entrance ticket will cost adults 14 euros, children – 12.50 euros.

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On the map you will not find a point called “Santa Claus Village”; Finland is represented by several major cities. You will find the capital on south coast country, and the city of Rovaniemi is 800 km from Helsinki.

There are several ways to get to the place yourself:

By plane. A modern international airport has been built in Rovaniemi, receiving flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg. If in November a one-way flight will cost at least 8,840 rubles, then before the New Year prices rise to 15,600 and higher. An option with a transfer in Helsinki is possible.
By railroad. Get to Helsinki by high-speed express " " from St. Petersburg (RUB 6,500 one way) or by train "

© timo_w2s / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

What is the price of the issue

To make your dream come true, you need to decide on your finances. So, a trip to Lapland to see Santa Claus, cost:
1. Organized tourists are offered bus tours from St. Petersburg from 26,000 rubles for 4 days;
2. A children's tour from St. Petersburg costs 20,000 rubles;
3. A tour to Lapland for 6 days with departure from the capital will cost €1,100.
Independent travelers must take care of the roof over their heads themselves. During the holidays prices go up. Having studied the reviews of predecessors, tourists prefer to stay in Rovaniemi or in one of the roadside hotels. In the village itself, housing is expensive. Judge for yourself: “Santa Claus Holiday Village”, cottage - for 5 nights with breakfast you will have to pay 217,482 rubles. for two. And this does not take into account the New Year's program.

The Santa Claus Hotel, Rovaniemi will cost less. Per night in standard room parents with a child under 13 years old must pay 3,900 rubles. (with breakfast) or 4270 rub. (half board). Gala dinner is included in the price.

The New Year will not lose its charm if you celebrate it outside the home. New Year's tours to the estate of Santa Claus will give you a cozy evening by the fireplace and a unique atmosphere of a fairy tale.

I continue to talk about our New Year holidays in Finland. So, we decided to go to Lapland and see the Finnish Santa Claus.

We looked on the Internet that you can get there from Helsinki by train, the journey will take 12 hours. Destination: Rovaniemi (the capital of Finnish Lapland). The day before the trip we booked a hotel room. If you decide to go spontaneously like us, then I still advise you to calculate your time so that you book two or three days in advance. Because it was already difficult to find the number within a day. Prices there are higher than in Helsinki.

Train tickets were purchased immediately there and back. There were only seats left, like on an airplane. Not the most convenient option, but there’s nowhere to go.

So, we bought tickets for night Train. Still, I don’t want to waste precious vacation hours. Trains in Finland are double-decker. Their compartments are designed for two people. And seating. The train is clean, comfortable, and there is a place to connect to charge your phone. And there is also Wi-Fi! The only thing that darkened the trip was that I would have to sit for the entire 12 hours.

We arrived in Rovaniemi in the morning, at an ordinary small station. And we got a little lost. Everywhere you look there is snow. And nothing else is visible. We followed the crowd and somehow made it to our hotel, fortunately it was nearby. Therefore, I advise that if you book a hotel, make sure that it is located in the center, not far from the station.

We slept all day and walked around the town. It gets dark very early in Lapland. It starts to get brighter around ten o'clock in the morning, and at two o'clock in the afternoon it gets dark.

Our hotel was located in the center, we walked a lot, went to shops and bought souvenirs. By the way, in one store we met a Russian woman; she has been living in Rovaniemi for more than ten years. And she told us that best souvenir from Lapland this is cloudberry tea and this bookmark.

Bookmark made of deer skin, with its fur and antlers. When you buy such a bookmark, you can say that you are buying a whole deer))) We decided to listen to it and buy it.

The next morning we went to Santa Claus's village. In the morning, we came back to the station where we arrived and there is a nearby bus stop, where the bus to the village departs.

We didn't drive for long, about 30-40 minutes.

And so we arrived. Of course, the beauty is breathtaking. Fabulous.

Music is playing, all the houses are beautifully decorated, the Christmas trees are illuminated.

The border of the Arctic Circle passes through the village. Let's cross it)))

Let's see what's there. There is a "Christmas House" where you can see various exhibitions dedicated to the New Year.

"Santa's Mail" Elves work here, they will help you send a beautiful card to your friends and relatives for Christmas. There are many beautiful postcards and cute souvenirs here.