22nd – 26th April 2015 – WINTER IS SLOWLY LEAVING US , SPRING is on it’s way …
Rovaniemi – a MUST visit for Santa Claus Village, Winter Wonderland & Summer Atmosphere
 
Flight:
I flew with Finnair from London to Rovaniemi, via Helsinki with luggage checked in throughout to Rovaniemi. The connecting time in Helsinki is supposed to be 1 hr 10 min (landing 15:15, departing 16:25 in my case). Once I got to the terminal, it’s straight through passport control and to the gate (no security checks for domestic flights). The flight to Rovaniemi departed from gate 31D downstairs, where a bus took passengers to the plane, so quite easy to connect.
Arrival in Rovaniemi:
Rovaniemi is a small airport with only two luggage belts, both located in the arrivals hall. While waiting for your luggage, you can already see drivers with the name-boards. I took a taxi straight to my hotel, the newly renovated Chalet Hotel, which was great, with a number of different sizes of chalet, pending your wallet and number of people, from more simple to luxury.
Check-in at the Chalet Hotel:
Igor at Chalet Hotel welcomed me and he was very informative. In high-season (winter) they provide porter services, in all other seasons you have to take your own suitcase to the cabin, but the cabins are very close. There is a kick sleigh to help you transport the suitcase(s), on the snow, which is quite funny and hugely helpful. The lobby is very cosy with low lights, lots of candles and quite a few fireplaces – in the lobby, restaurant and also one outside on the restaurant’s terrace. Wonderful, I love the smell of the wooden logs, probably from the forest just around the Hotel. The view of the river is stunning and there is an outdoor space with fire by the lake, so cozy!
 
The Chalet Hotel’s Location:
The Chalet Hotel is just about 10 – 15 minutes from the airport, 10 minutes’ drive or about 30 – 40 minutes’ walk to the centre of Rovaniemi (there is a separate path for pedestrians and cyclists) and my transfer worked perfectly, I just had to look out for the sign with my name. Santa Claus Village also about 10 – 15 minute drive.
Cabins in Chalet Hotel:
Standard cabins are small and cosy, located on one side of the road closer to the main building. All with twin beds, but they have mattresses to make them double (advisable to request at the time of the booking). Each bed is bigger/wider than the Finnish average – 110 cm instead of usual 90 cm. The stairs leading up are fairly steep and the roof has quite a sharp angle, which makes the upstairs space quite small but great for kids/teens, but probably not adults. There is a gate which locks upstairs so that kids wouldn’t fall off at night, no door, just balcony, like a nook and it would suit a family with one or two kids, but probably not to four adults, but it would be possible.
Superior cabins: all located across the road and there are two types – red and yellow. The yellow cabins have a bedroom separated with a foldable sliding door and an extra bed is available as a pull out sofa in the living room. There are 2 more beds available upstairs. The red cabins have a bedroom separated with a wooden sliding door and two beds attached to the wall (making bunk beds if pulled down) and two more beds upstairs. There is one bathroom / toilet / sauna in each cabin and might be a bit tight for 6 people. Perfect for 4.
Villa Apartments: Villa 71 is a bigger building situated by the river and houses two apartments, each with 8 beds. Cosy, big living room, kitchenette (foldable door can hide it away). Two balconies, one on the ground floor leading straight to the river and the second on the first floor, smaller one. Three toilets, two showers and one sauna. There is also another villa which is a bit older and more open plan without bedrooms on the ground floor, better if someone wants to have a break with friends, party in the evening. The older ones are a bit cheaper than the newly built ones.
There are also 2 Junior Suites and a Master Suite in a log building by the river, I did not view them as they were occupied but they look great and the Master Suite has a fireplace.
All cabins have coffee machine and teapot, fridge, microwave, cups, plates, glasses. The bathroom also has a hairdryer. Sauna in each cabin, flat screen TV. The villa apartments also have an oven. The future plan is to build a new hotel next to the main building with 15 – 16 suites of a higher standard 4+.
Facilities:
Lobby bar &cosy restaurant. Breakfast really good and extensive, in summer you can eat on the terrace and enjoy a spectacular view.
The fireplace on the terrace has wood prepared and guests can light it if they fancy sitting by the fire. Blankets are provided if it gets a bit chilly outside. It is also possible to request a bathrobe from reception.
Lappish hut or kotka, kind of wooden Sami tent, very cosy and traditional with a fire in the middle. This is mainly used for groups, but if a family wants to have an evening there it is also possible. They also have shaman shows there and Juka from “I dig gold†also does a show there.
Riverside sauna with Jacuzzi and outdoor summer restaurant.
Golf course is about 650 meters from the reception. 18 holes, opens on the last week of May and closes in late September. There is popular during the Midnight Sun period. The Log building with a restaurant has a spacious terrace. The Restaurant is run by the Chalet Hotel.
Manor House: located on the Arctic Circle, right next to the Santa Claus Village, primarily used for group events as well a Christmas and New Year’s celebration for the Chalet Hotel guests. Beautiful building from 1916 or so with wooden beams, beautiful tapestry, chandeliers, a lovely style.
Skiing is 5 minutes’ walk from the hotel, right in front of the main building. Lifts, slopes, ski rent and ski school. Closed now, but locals are still enjoying the slopes for some skiing and snowboarding, sometimes into May. Cross country skiing right outside the hotel and tracks are maintained daily and there are kilometres of tracks, enough to get you tired.
Winter activities:
- Skiing ( downhill )
- Snowshoeing (shoes available from the reception)
- Activities
- Cross country skiing
- Dog Sledding
- Snow Mobiles
- Reindeer Sledding
Summer activities:
- Swimming
- Kayaking
- Paddling
- Boats
- Nordic walking
- Hiking
- Cycling (bicycle hire – appx. 25 Euro per day). There is a cycle path leading all the way to Rovaniemi, so very safe.
Rovaniemi attractions:
 The city has 3 museums and it is possible to purchase one ticket for all of them: a culture pass costing  appx. 25 Euro which you can use it for 3 days:
- Arktikum: science centre and museum focusing on Arctic research and the history and culture of Lapland. Interesting expositions of Sami photography, Sami costumes, stuffed animals (polar bear, brown bear, moose and many smaller ones), some old time leather canoe boats, Northern Lights room and information, etc. There is also a glass tunnel across the road from the museum to look for the Northern Lights.
- Pilke: Science Centre where you can learn, in a fun way, about the sustainable use of Northern forests throughout experimenting and experiencing with all senses. Located right next to the Arktikum. Interesting for children, very interactive. Not too big, just one hall.
- Korundi: House of Culture hosts exhibitions of Finnish modern art that astound and delight visitors, and the acoustically unique concert hall provides a wonderful venue for enjoying music. My favourite! Some interesting stuff there and impressive installations.
 
 Santa Claus Village:
Bus number 8 departs from Rovaniemi Railway Station and also has a stop in the city centre, right in front of the Lapland Safaris and just about 3 minutes’ walk from the Arctic Light Hotel. It’s about 20 minutes’ drive and return ticket cost appx. Euro 8.
At the village there are souvenir shops, lots and lots of them. Entrance to see Santa is free and the path leading to the photo stop is interesting – you open a big door, lights are dimmed, there is a path with some mythical creatures and birds on the side and a huge clock mechanism in the ceiling. An Elf meets and greets you and assume he knows “hello†in all the languages! He leads you to Santa and then gets behind the camera, all is filmed and streamed online live. Santa takes few minutes to chat, you have a picture taken and you leave. It’s your choice whether to purchase the picture or not. Internet download costs Euro 40. You get a code and log into their website and can download your pictures or share on social media. There is free WiFi.
Santa’s Main Post Office is interesting and you can see on the board how many letters Santa has received and which countries are on top of the list. For appx. Euro 8.50 you can also order a letter to be sent from Santa at Christmas time. You can also send postcards with their special stamps. The Arctic Circle goes through the village, just a line, nothing much…
Accommodation, the cabins are about 5 minutes’ walk from the main building. There are quite a few restaurants there as well as a husky park, reindeer and Snow mobile Park.
Excursions:
We can book all Excursions for you and the local provider have all the gear for Activities including even an extra pair of socks. If more than one activity is booked with them, clients can keep the thermal suits and other stuff and return it after their last tour, very good service and handy.
Arctic Light Hotel:
One word – beautiful! Absolutely stunning and so cosy inside! Lobby area has a bar, comfy seating, fireplace at the end and a swing by the reception. There is also a door leading to the glass covered winter garden which looks amazing.
The rooms are cosy and beautiful, even the smallest magic room felt spacious. Special attention has been paid to the lights and chandeliers and there is a light control panel in each room. Bathrooms dark with polar bear picture and some have saunas.
The restaurant is dark in a nice way and very, very cosy.
Overall I really enjoyed by trip to Rovaniemi, despite the fact the snow was melting for spring to arrive – and in the wintertime it is absolutely lovely. For Christmas and New Year it is a fantastic place to go, but book early as flights sell very quickly.
