Lapland: Meet Santa and explore his village on your next visit

Lapland has a lot more than just Northern Lights. Here's a list of things that you can try out on your next visit:

SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE, ROVANIEMI

If youfve been often quizzed by your child where does Santa come from, you now have the answer. The Santa Claus Holiday Village, sitting by the boundary of the Arctic Circle, is Santafs official home. Stop by Santa Clausf Office, where the festive season runs all year long; meet Santa and get your passport stamped. If you wish to make Christmas special, you can leave your address in Santa Clausfs Main Post Office and have some special gifts assigned to be sent next Christmas.

YLLAS

The historic settlement of Yllas offers 63 varied slopes that are a skiiers delight. The magical escape, wrapped by a national park, boasts of a varied network of cross country trails. The terrain is perfect for beginners and intermediate level of skiers and also offers other fun-packed winter sports. To further up your adventure quotient you can also stay in a ice hotel or a glass igloo, unique to the region.


COSY COCOON: When in Lapland, stay in a glass-domed igloo to be one with nature (Pic: Dr Nilima Kheraj)

ARKTIKUM SCIENCE MUSEUM

The Arktikum Science Museum is perfect for those who wish to understand the phenomena of the North better. The glass tunnel stretching out to the Ounasjoki, Arktikum offers a glimpse into the Arctic flora and fauna through its interactive display. You can also walk through a display of canoes, dwellings, fishing material and their tradition costume.

THE SAUNA GONDOLA

The best way to beat the Arctic chill is to hop onto a sauna gondola. Operated by Sport Resort Yllas at the ski resort in Yllas, the gondola floats on a 2kmlong cable, carrying you from the base station to the top of Yllas. Furthermore, you can enjoy a beer and dip in the jacuzzi, part of the resort too.

ADVENTURE SPORTS

Lapland packs in a lot of adrenaline kicking activities too. With the thick snow cover, husky sled safaris, snow shoeing or Nordic walking excursions are common in the region.