Book Early the Activities for Winter 2026–2027 – Save 10% with code EARLY27 01.11.2026–31.03.2027 (Excludes husky & reindeer tours)

Oct 19, 2026

Alvar Aalto’s Rovaniemi reindeer antler plan: how the city was rebuilt

Guests staying with us in the centre of Rovaniemi often notice that the town feels young. Most buildings are post-war, the streets fan out in an unusual way, and there is a surprising amount of modernist architecture for a small Arctic town. The reason is one of the most striking stories in Finnish urban history: the reindeer antler plan that Alvar Aalto drew for Rovaniemi in 1945.

Because this is our home town, we wanted to explain it properly — with the facts taken from the Alvar Aalto Foundation and Visit Rovaniemi, which are listed at the end of this article.

In short: about 90 percent of Rovaniemi’s buildings were destroyed during the Lapland War in 1944. In 1945 the architect Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) drew a new town plan in the shape of a reindeer’s head: the roads leading out of town, with parks around them, form the antlers; the rivers and the city centre form the head; and the central sports field is the eye. The plan was never realised exactly as drawn, but according to the Alvar Aalto Foundation the figure of the reindeer is still recognisable today.

At a glance

• From: 169 €
• Experience type: Santa Claus Village / Culture tour
• Duration: 5 hours
• Difficulty: Very easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 4 hours before start time
• Included: A Tour Guide in English (other languages available on request: (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German & Finnish. PLEASE NOTE LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) If another language is required. Please send us an email or WhatsApp after booking.); Winter clothing (Adult & Child size), overalls, boots & gloves; Meeting Santa Claus himself!; Local lunch; Pick-ups and drop-offs are included in the price in 10 km radius from Rovaniemi city center; Photos taken with your own device; Air conditioned car
• Cancellation: We will charge a cancellation fee of 15% if the booking is cancelled 15 days or less before the event. Otherwise, the standard cancellation policy is 24 hours before the event, after which the remaining amount is also non-refundable.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible

Rovaniemi in 1944: a town that had to start again

Rovaniemi lies where two rivers meet, right on the Arctic Circle. During the Lapland War in 1944, around 90 percent of the town’s buildings were destroyed — Visit Rovaniemi, Visit Alvar Aalto and the city’s own media facts all give the same figure. Rebuilding began immediately after the war, and the town needed not just new houses but a new plan for how the whole place should fit together.

That task went to Alvar Aalto, already Finland’s best-known architect. Rovaniemi itself only became an official city on 1 January 1960, so much of what Aalto planned was the framework for a town that was still growing into its role as the capital of Lapland.

How the reindeer antler plan works

Aalto’s 1945 plan reads the landscape as a reindeer’s head seen from above. As the Alvar Aalto Foundation describes it:

• The antlers are the main roads leading out of town, with parks around them.
• The head is formed by the rivers and the city centre.
• The eye is the central sports field, Keskuskenttä.

The foundation describes the plan’s main principle as a strong commitment to nature and flexibility. Instead of forcing a rigid grid onto the riverbanks and hills, the plan used the roads and green belts to follow the land, which is part of why the town still has so much green space running into the centre.

Was the plan actually built?

Not exactly. Both the Alvar Aalto Foundation and Visit Rovaniemi point out that the reindeer antler plan was not realised as such — later development changed many details. Still, the overall figure of the reindeer is recognisable in today’s street map, and the sports field at the heart of town is still where Aalto’s “eye” was drawn.

It is worth remembering that the plan is best appreciated on a map or from above. Walking the streets, you mostly notice its effects: the way the main roads branch out and the parkland that follows them.

The Aalto Centre: library, Lappia Hall and City Hall

Aalto’s biggest built legacy in Rovaniemi is the Aalto Centre, a group of three buildings arranged in a fan-like formation that forms the town’s administrative and cultural heart:

• Rovaniemi City Library, completed in 1965.
• Lappia Hall, a congress and concert building that houses the Rovaniemi Theatre, completed in 1975.
• Rovaniemi City Hall, completed in 1986, ten years after Aalto’s death.

A bronze sculpture titled Aurora Borealis completes the red-brick complex downtown. Visit Rovaniemi notes that this is one of only two completed civic centres Aalto designed in Finland, and the city calls itself the northernmost Aalto city in the world.

More Aalto in town: Korkalorinne and Koskikatu 20

Aalto’s work in Rovaniemi goes beyond the civic centre. He also designed the Korkalorinne residential area, a garden-city style neighbourhood adapted to the northern landscape that the Alvar Aalto Foundation calls the “Tapiola of Rovaniemi”. He designed several buildings for the Aho family of local business people, for both commercial and residential use.

At Koskikatu 20, a commercial and residential building carries a bronze relief by the sculptor Heikki Häiväoja depicting the Northern Lights and salmon — two very Lapland themes on a very modernist façade.

The rest of post-war Rovaniemi

Aalto was not the only architect who shaped the rebuilt town. According to Visit Rovaniemi, his contemporary Ferdinand Salokangas designed administrative buildings, the fire station and the Town Hall that later became the Arctic Light Hotel. Korundi, originally a post bus depot from 1933 that survived the war, was converted into an art museum in 1986 and is now the Korundi House of Culture.

Later landmarks added new layers: Arktikum opened on 6 December 1992, and the 320-metre Jätkänkynttilä bridge, opened in 1989, links Ounasvaara to the town centre. Together they make a compact town where you can read almost eighty years of northern architecture on one walk.

How this shows up on our tours

Our own base is right in the middle of the reindeer’s head. Postmaster Hotel, at Postikatu 1 next to the railway and bus station, is the meeting point for many of our activities, and most of our pick-ups start from hotels in the centre that Aalto’s plan laid out.

The easiest way to combine this history with a family day is our Santa Claus Village Tour: 5 hours, from 169 €, with pick-up within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre, winter clothing, a local lunch and a meeting with Santa Claus. It starts at 10:00 or 14:00, which leaves time for a walk around the Aalto Centre on the same day. Our overview of our Santa Claus experiences explains the private alternatives, and all our culture days are on the nature and culture tours page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the reindeer antler plan?

It is the town plan Alvar Aalto drew for Rovaniemi in 1945. The roads leading out of town, with parks around them, form the antlers; the rivers and the city centre form the head; and the central sports field is the eye.

Why did Rovaniemi need a new plan?

Around 90 percent of Rovaniemi’s buildings were destroyed during the Lapland War in 1944, so the town had to be rebuilt almost from scratch.

Can you still see the reindeer today?

The plan was not realised exactly as drawn, but the Alvar Aalto Foundation notes that the figure of the reindeer is still recognisable. It is easiest to see on a map.

Which Aalto buildings can I visit in Rovaniemi?

The Aalto Centre includes the City Library (1965), Lappia Hall (1975) and City Hall (1986). Aalto also designed the Korkalorinne residential area and buildings such as Koskikatu 20.

Is the Aalto Centre far from Postmaster Hotel?

Both are in Rovaniemi’s compact city centre. Ask us at the hotel for directions when you arrive.

Can we combine Aalto architecture with a StayLapland tour?

Yes. Our Santa Claus Village Tour starts at 10:00 or 14:00 with pick-up in the city, so you can explore the Aalto Centre on the same day.

Ready to book?

You may also like

• Magical Private Santa Visit — from 249 €, 1,5 hours
• Private Santa’s Surprise visit — from 199 €, 15 minutes

Sources

• Visit Alvar Aalto — Reindeer antler city plan (Alvar Aalto Foundation)
• Visit Rovaniemi — Discover Alvar Aalto architecture
• Visit Rovaniemi — Architecture in the Arctic Capital
• Visit Rovaniemi — Facts & figures