Finnish Lapland is the northernmost province of Finland — and Europe's last true wilderness. Half a million reindeer outnumber the 200,000 human inhabitants. The landscape is all lakes, rivers, birch forests, and fell mountains, with tiny villages scattered across an enormous territory. It is the home of Santa Claus (officially, in Rovaniemi), and the Aurora Borealis on a clear winter night is among the most extraordinary sights on earth.
The provincial capital Rovaniemi sits just south of the Arctic Circle and makes a good base. The Santa Claus Village and the Ranua Wildlife Park are nearby. In summer, the Midnight Sun means continuous daylight for three months — festivals, hiking, and fishing without darkness. In winter, the landscape is deep snow and silence, the temperatures can drop to -30°C, and the northern lights perform overhead.
The four main towns — Rovaniemi, Kemijärvi, Tornio, and Kemi — each have their own character. Beyond them, vast areas of fell and forest are essentially untouched.
