Have you ever imagined what the northernmost part of Europe looks like?
Everything is silent yet full of energy.
Despite the heavy snowfall, the place remains full of vitality.
You and your lover are screaming loudly in the boundless snow.
It seems as if the whole world only has your voices.
The most important thing is
There is the most dreamy aurora there.
Aurora Belt – Lapland
There live the Sami people who keep company with deer
Lapland, in a broad sense, is a vast area within the Arctic Circle of northern Russia, northern Finland, northern Norway and northern Sweden. Before the national border was artificially demarcated, the Sami people, a nomadic ethnic group living here, along with their reindeer that accompanied them, roamed, hunted and lived together with the seasons in this harsh and cold land where winters were particularly long.
Later, as human civilization continued to expand, the territory of the Sami people was vertically divided by several countries, and they became Sami people of different countries, replaced by more crude and direct terms such as “Russian Sami”, “Finnish Sami”, “Norwegian Sami”, and “Swedish Sami”.
Thus, the “narrow sense” of Lapland came into being. The Lapland region, which belongs to Finland, is the northernmost province of Finland and is directly named “Lapland Province”. It occupies one quarter of the entire land of Finland and is also the coldest land within the country.
This place is covered by vast forests and interspersed with countless lakes, making it an excellent spot for aurora viewing and thus highly desirable.
In a broad sense, Lapland, of course, does not refer to that tiny bit of land within the Finnish border. It is the land that the Sami people have traversed for thousands of years.
Lapland means “a distant place”, and this name originated from the nobles in the heart of Europe. The Sami people say that although they have accepted it, they do not like the name. This is their hometown. How could they talk about distant places?
Santa Claus Village
The most fun place in Finland is undoubtedly Rovaniemi, which is known as the hometown of Santa Claus. The world-famous Santa Claus Village is located on the edge of the city 8 kilometers north of Rovaniemi, within the Arctic Circle.
Tourists who come here all do three “big things” : First, they all have to cross their feet on the North Pole line at 66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude to take a souvenir photo. Second, it is to receive the certificate for entering the Arctic Circle. Third, take a photo with Santa Claus.
In Rovaniemi, there are simply too many activities to do: wild husky sleds and reindeer sleds, free and unrestrained alpine skiing, aurora saunas full of snowfield charm, and you can also visit the legendary Santa Santa-themed restaurant.
Santa Claus Village – A real fairy tale
All the Santas here are certified to work. They are recognized worldwide as registered Santas, and there are less than 40 of them in the world.
Located 8 kilometers north of Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, on the eve of Christmas, this place is covered with thick snow. The exquisite houses, soft lights and clean snow scenery make it feel like entering a fairy tale world.
Santa Claus Village has a dedicated deer park where elk are raised. During Christmas, Santa Claus drives the reindeer sleigh to deliver gifts and blessings to people.
They have their own office to receive guests from afar. Every Christmas, they become big stars.
They have to receive about three years of specialized education in college to learn how to be a Santa Claus. For instance, Santa Claus has to travel around the world to deliver gifts to children, so they need to learn and understand the languages and traditions of many countries.
In Santa Claus Village, encountering the aurora for the first time, perhaps this is nothing more than a fairy tale.
Snow aurora
Within minutes, the aurora meandered and leaped, suddenly scattering and reuniting, its brightness doubling, and the faint dark red at the edge transformed into a dazzling red like a fox’s tail
Far from the city lights, the aurora here is nearly perfect. Even professional photographers might not be able to express its grandeur. It is a natural wonder that is completely beyond words.
Reindeer Park
Getting close to reindeer is the most important thing when coming to Lapland. Reindeer and the Sami people are the masters of this land, and everything here is closely related to them.
The visit to the reindeer park is roughly as follows: introducing the characteristics of reindeer, trying to feed reindeer by hand, taking a reindeer sled ride, having refreshments, and introducing the Sami people.
