Guide by locals -Living in Rovaniemi

Our town

People come to Rovaniemi from all over the world, some deciding to stay beyond their studies or holidays. Many come seeking tranquility, escaping hectic life in a metropolis. Others settle here to establish something new and exciting. Rovaniemi has room for fulfilling all kinds of dreams, desires and ambitions, whether in an urban or rural setting. Due to the town’s excellent connections, Rovaniemi is only one hour further away from the world than Finland’s capital, Helsinki.

Our town and the rest of Lapland are known for their close connection to nature. During the Ice Age, the region was covered by a thick sheet of ice, which then melted and formed the landscapes the region is known for. You can even spot ancient shorelines on the top of the hills and fells. With a little imagination, you can still hear the waves of ancient waters crashing against the rounded stones in the forests. The Rovaniemi region covers an area of over 8,000 square kilometres, making it the largest city in the European Union by land area.

Nature is always just around the corner. Even though walking in the surrounding forests is safe, it’s always good to carry a bit of common sense with you.

The Rovaniemi you see today was essentially built from scratch. When World War II ended, the town was left in ruins and needed to reinvent itself. On occasion, the brutal humour of the locals may well draw its inspiration from those events. Even in the middle of a crisis, there’s hope and determination to make things better for future generations. With a dash of dark humour, any obstacle can be overcome.

This guide has been made to inspire you to explore the city of Rovaniemi. It doesn’t have any straight answers, as we believe that meaningful relationships form and trust is built when people ask each other questions and exchange information face to face. Rovaniemi is home to over 60,000 people (including Santa Claus), so that’s the same number of different points of view on this town located at the Arctic Circle.

Living with the seasons

Summer

Summer is the season to explore, experience and stay up late. People enjoy the endless days under the midnight sun in various ways. Relaxing on a beach or a terrace, spending a day on the water enjoying a fresh breeze or organizing a spontaneous barbeque party with friends, are just a few of the options. The village communities around Rovaniemi are also very active, particularly during summer, and it’s definitely worth going to their lively and authentic events and sampling the local hospitality.

Autumn

Autumn has always been the reason that people from all over Finland visit Lapland. Nature's display of colour creates a unique setting for hiking and enjoying the sound of silence. Breathing is pure joy, with the air here being invigoratingly fresh and clean. The sudden delicate scent of smoke in the air is a sign of people taking a break to warm up by the campfire whilst having a bite to eat and
enjoying a hot drink. But how to find the perfect spot for a perfect autumn day out? The person standing next to you might just know the cosiest lean-to (there are nearly 100 of them here) or the forests displaying the prettiest autumn colours at the moment, so why not start a conversation?

Winter

The best way to enjoy frosty temperatures, besides spending time outdoors, is to put on some hand-knitted wool socks and just enjoy the sounds of winter. As well as lighting candles indoors, a great way to create a cozy atmosphere outside is to build snow and ice lanterns with friends, family or neighbours

Spring

When spring arrives, it’s inspiring to see how the increasing amount of sunlight energises people after the long and dark winter. Before the ice departs, people soak up the sun by walking and skiing on the rivers and lakes. Once the big melt begins, ice starts breaking up in blocks creating a display of abstract shapes and sounds passing by in the strong flow of a river or floating on the lake shores. Strong floods are not unusual. Nature’s power during the change of the seasons is fascinating to observe.

Getting Around

Rovaniemi is surrounded by stunning Arctic nature all year round, so it’s safe to say that the forests, swamps, and hilltops are basically in your backyard. Getting around and commuting might require some creativity from time to time, but that’s part of the deal when living in the North. Each way of getting from A to B — whether by car, foot, kicksled, bike, snowmobile, or skis — has its own seasonal variation. There’s no single right answer for how to get around. How refreshing it is to have so many different options! You just need to find the most enjoyable way to reach your destination. Of course, there’s always public transport, where you just hop on the bus with the right number on the front… after getting your head around the schedules.

Spending Your Free Time in the Arctic Capital

Spend an evening like a local

In Rovaniemi flavours from all over the world blend with the local food culture. Bars and cafés organizing special events play their part in creating a multi-faceted town with an international vibe and its own distinctive twist. During recent years there have been numerous openings of new restaurant, bar and café concepts in Rovaniemi, ranging from traditional dinner and fine-dining rooms to street food joints, veganfriendly establishments and cat cafés.

Food brings people together and new flavours are always worth trying. The best place for catching up and having a discussion about the day’s hot topics is at the dining table. However, unexpected encounters and inspiring ideas are as likely to happen in the queue for the grill kiosk as at a white tablecloth restaurant.

Arctic Design Capital

The Arctic region is a great playground for designers due to the harsh weather conditions, sparsely populated areas and challenging infrastructure. Service design, industrial design and strategic design form the core of design practices here. It is in the nature of people in the region to find solutions for, improving their way of life.

The University of Lapland, the University of Applied Sciences and the vocational education facilities all have Arctic design incorporated in their strategies. If there’s a challenge, there’s a solution; ideate, refine, test, share your thoughts with others and get involved!

Lifelong learning

Opportunities to teach and learn new things add value to a community. Libraries have been the backbone of people’s education, helping the progress of literacy and building interest towards reading. In Rovaniemi, the libraries organize dozens of different events and get-togethers, which are very popular among all ages. The adult education college offers a wide variety of different courses, where you can socialise with new people while learning new skills. In Rovaniemi the threshold for taking part is low, giving you the chance to thrive, share knowledge and try out new things.

Get active

Whether you have a longtime passion or are looking for a potential new hobby for the family, in Rovaniemi you’ll certainly have options. Physical exercise not only keeps you fit, but is also is a great way to nurture your mind and get to know people. Starting a conversation about different sports-related hobbies might lead to a very long list including sports you wouldn’t even imagine existed!

Cultural events

An art viewing, whether of a local’s works in a cozy café or an internationally known artist’s exhibition in the art museum can
evoke strong feelings and offer opportunities to meet new people, as well as widen your perspective. Rovaniemi has a vivid culture scene, brought to life by a small yet active community of creative producers as well as larger scale artistic houses. Our city's museums, art galleries and theatre performances offer moving and fascinating experiences on a local and international level, from intimate clubs and alternative galleries to art events dedicated to children.

The City's look and feel

Listening to the stories of older people, who have witnessed Rovaniemi after World War II, makes one feel as empty and hollow as the town was after it was burned to the ground. Keeping this in mind, when fast-forwarding to the current day, we can see a thriving town where new buildings are being realized alongside the ones constructed in the post-war rebuilding phase.

In terms of look and feel, Rovaniemi is mostly a mix of modern and brutalist aesthetics. It might not be as picturesque as the Amalfi coast or a medieval town in the Alps, but its ‘phoenix rising from the ashes’ history is enough to warm anyone’s heart.