Guests on our Santa tours often ask a very reasonable question: if Finnish tradition says Santa Claus lives on a remote fell far up in Lapland, why does everyone meet him in Rovaniemi? The answer is a mix of folklore, geography, a famous visitor and a good deal of Finnish persistence.
As a Rovaniemi company that takes families to meet Santa every winter, we have put the story together here — using only the dates and figures published by Visit Rovaniemi and by Finland’s official information site, thisisFINLAND, listed at the end of the article.
The short answer: in Finnish tradition Santa’s original home is Korvatunturi, a remote fell in Finnish Lapland. It is almost impossible to visit, so Santa’s public life grew up in Rovaniemi, right on the Arctic Circle: the first building of today’s Santa Claus Village, the Roosevelt Cottage, was completed there in 1950; Santa moved his office to Rovaniemi in 1985; and in 2010 Rovaniemi received the status of the Official Hometown of Santa Claus.
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
StayLapland · From 169 €
5 hours · Very easy · Cut off: 4 hours before start time
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Korvatunturi: Santa’s secret home in Finnish folklore
According to Finnish tradition, Santa’s original home is on Korvatunturi, a remote peak in Finnish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The idea is younger than many people think: Finland did not claim Santa as a resident until 1927, when the radio personality Markus Rautio declared Korvatunturi to be Santa’s home.
The Finnish name for Santa, joulupukki, means “Christmas goat” and has its roots in old pagan traditions — a reminder that the Finnish Christmas figure had a long history of its own before he became the red-suited Santa known worldwide.
Korvatunturi is remote, and that is the point of the legend: Santa’s workshop is meant to stay hidden. What the world needed was a place where children could actually visit him.
The Arctic Circle and a famous visitor in 1950
Rovaniemi sits on the Arctic Circle, at the confluence of the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki. Santa Claus Village, about 8 km from the city centre, lies right on the line; Visit Rovaniemi gives its latitude as 66°33′45.9″ north.
The village grew from a single building. The Roosevelt Cottage was completed on 11 June 1950 and became the first attraction of what is now Santa Claus Village. Visit Rovaniemi’s history of the village remembers Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, and the cottage carries her name.
A clearly marked Arctic Circle line now runs across the village square — a spot many visitors want to cross with their own feet.
A city rebuilt, and an office for Santa
The Rovaniemi that welcomes Santa’s visitors today is a young city in many ways. Ninety per cent of Rovaniemi was destroyed during the Second World War, and after the war the architect Alvar Aalto designed its new “reindeer antler” city plan. Rovaniemi officially became a city on 1 January 1960.
In 1985, Visit Rovaniemi tells us, Santa Claus relocated his office to Rovaniemi so that he could be accessible to visitors from around the world. Since then, Santa has lived in Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle year-round and welcomes visitors every day.
StayLapland · From 249 €
1,5 hours · Very easy · Cut off: 12 hours before start time
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Santa’s Main Post Office and the letters
A hometown needs an address. Santa Claus’ Main Post Office in the village is described by Visit Rovaniemi as the only official post office of Santa Claus, and mail sent from there carries a special postmark available only at the Arctic Circle. Santa’s postal address, published by thisisFINLAND, is: Santa Claus, Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Arctic Circle, Finland.
The volume is remarkable. According to Visit Rovaniemi, Santa Claus receives about 500,000 letters from all over the world every year, and thisisFINLAND notes that they come from more than 190 countries.
2010: the Official Hometown of Santa Claus
The status that gives this article its title arrived in 2010, when Rovaniemi received the status of the Official Hometown of Santa Claus — today written with a registered-trademark symbol by the city’s tourism organisation. More than 700,000 people visit Santa Claus Village each year, according to Visit Rovaniemi’s facts and figures.
So the two stories sit side by side quite happily: Korvatunturi is where Santa’s secret workshop is said to be, and Rovaniemi is where his office, his post office and his official hometown are — the place where children can actually meet him.
How this shows up on our tours
We run several ways to meet Santa, and the Santa Claus Village Tour is the one that walks you through this history in person. It is a 5-hour guided tour from 169 €, with pick-up and drop-off included within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre. Our guide shows the family the most interesting parts of the village and tells its story, you meet Santa Claus himself, and a local lunch is included. We also lend winter clothing — overalls, boots and gloves in adult and child sizes.
According to the product page, the tour starts at 10:00 and at 14:00 daily; the recommended minimum age is 3 years, as winter conditions can be too harsh for infants. The guide speaks English, and other languages can be requested (availability is limited).
If you would rather meet Santa away from the village, our Magical Private Santa Visit takes your family to Santa’s Secret Hide-out for a 30-minute private meeting, and guests at our Postmaster Hotel and Aurora Hill Resort can book the Private Santa’s Surprise visit in their room. Our overview Meet Santa Claus in Rovaniemi explains all the options, and you will find them together on our Santa Claus activities page.
Beyond Santa: the reindeer connection
No Santa story in Lapland is complete without reindeer. Visit Rovaniemi estimates the number of reindeer in the Rovaniemi area at around 15,000–20,000. If you would like to meet them after meeting Santa, read how our reindeer safari works.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Santa Claus live according to Finnish tradition?
According to Finnish tradition, Santa’s original home is on Korvatunturi, a remote fell in Finnish Lapland. His office, post office and official hometown are in Rovaniemi.
When did Rovaniemi become Santa’s official hometown?
Rovaniemi received the status of the Official Hometown of Santa Claus in 2010, according to Visit Rovaniemi.
When did Santa move his office to Rovaniemi?
Visit Rovaniemi states that Santa Claus relocated his office to Rovaniemi in 1985.
What was the first building of Santa Claus Village?
The Roosevelt Cottage, completed on 11 June 1950, was the first attraction of Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle.
How far is Santa Claus Village from Rovaniemi city centre?
Santa Claus Village is about 8 km from Rovaniemi city centre, right on the Arctic Circle. Our Santa Claus Village Tour includes pick-up and drop-off within 10 km of the city centre.
Can we visit Santa Claus with StayLapland?
Yes. Our Santa Claus Village Tour (5 hours, from 169 €) includes a guide, meeting Santa, a local lunch and winter clothing. We also offer a private Santa visit and an in-room Santa visit for our hotel guests.
Ready to book?
StayLapland · From 169 €
5 hours · Very easy · Cut off: 4 hours before start time
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Questions before you book? Email booking@staylapland.com or message us on WhatsApp +358 40 128 7846.
You may also like
- Magical Private Santa Visit — from 249 €, 1,5 hours
- Private Santa’s Surprise visit — from 199 €, 15 minutes
Sources
- Visit Rovaniemi — Facts & Figures
- Visit Rovaniemi — Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle
- Visit Rovaniemi — Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas
- thisisFINLAND — Laying claim to Claus: Santa is from Finland
- thisisFINLAND — Yes, Santa Claus is from Finland: ten top facts