All aboard! Much like the passengers on-board the Polar Express, Kara and I were on our way to see Santa Claus by rail. The same day we returned to Helsinki from Tallinn, Estonia, we departed on a 12-hour train for
Santa Claus Village in northern Finland. This was my first time on a sleeper train. The gentle vibration of the wheels against the track rocked me to sleep until a vision of sugar-plums danced in my head. The next morning I sprang from my bed. From outside the cabin window, heaps of snow were covering everything. I knew we had arrived.
Santa Claus Village is the official hometown of St. Nick. It is located in
Rovaniemi in the Lapland region of Finland. The village crosses the Arctic Circle, which explains all of the snow! On our way from the railway station to the bus stop, we crossed a bridge that was suspended above the world’s largest white blanket. It was in fact a river, frozen solid from the Lapland winter. As the ice continues to thicken, the city will eventually allow people to cross the river by foot. Until then, Kara and I did some walking over snow and ice of our own. We went snowshoeing.
The snowshoes distributed our weight over a larger area so that our feet did not sink into the snow. We walked around an entire small island and atop a small frozen river. With all the snow, the only way you knew you were on ice was when the tree line stopped. Back in the forest, the guide prepared a fire and hot chocolate to complement our toasted honeybuns. Most tourists in Lapland take reindeer sleigh rides or drive snowmobiles. Yes, I am sure these are quite fun, but I enjoyed snowshoeing immensely. It gave me the chance to experience Lapland’s magic first-hand.
That night we went on a Northern Lights excursion! A bus took us far away from the city lights to a campsite. The tour guide informed of the three things you need to see the lights: darkness (you will not see the Aurora Borealis during Rovaniemi’s summer when daylight lasts nearly 24 hours), low levels of light pollution, and a clear sky. This last criterion was our biggest obstacle. It had snowed practically all day and the clouds continued to linger. We waited around a campfire where we were treated to hot fruit juice, marshmallows, cookies, toasted sandwiches, and sausages. To help pass the time the guides demonstrated snow swimming, which is when people crawl on their bellies across freshly fallen snow. Even with all the distractions, our eyes kept looking towards the sky—but to no avail. The skies remained heavily covered with clouds. Kara and I decided to wave our cell phone lights around in the dark. That is kind of like “Northern” lights, right?
Now, the moment you have been waiting for…Santa Claus Village!
When I first read about Santa Claus Village in a travel book several months ago, I immediately added it to my bucket list. The attraction has a fairytale like allure. I mean, who doesn’t need a break from reality? One can do a ton at Santa’s Village. I most enjoyed walking around outside among the cabins, evergreens, lights, and snowmen. It was particularly special because it snowed both days we were there.
Santa Claus Main Post Office:
Since 1985, Santa Claus has received 15 million letters from 198 countries (
Source). The post office is operated by Finland’s national postal service. Kara and I wrote postcards to our families and to ourselves. Every letter sent from here gets a special Arctic Circle postmark to make the greeting home extra special.
Santa Clause Office:
At Santa Claus Village there is a meeting place where hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world come to meet Santa Claus on every day of the year. You can view a live feed of people meeting Santa at this
LINK.
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| I hand delivered student letters to Santa. |
I suggest adding Rovaniemi and Santa Claus Village to your bucket list. White landscapes, Northern Lights, reindeer, frozen rivers, elves. What more can you ask for?
