Rovaniemi, life 30 degrees below zero
LIFE IN THE ARCTIC
The best museum on this side of the world explains in great detail how the peoples have historically been able to survive in the midst of the blackness, cold and desolation of the Great North. arktikum It is a beautiful building presided over by a glass window of more than 150 meters that houses several rooms dedicated to to explore the past of the Sami but also to wonder what climate change has in store for them . Animations, touch screens, models or even a room to simulate the northern lights explore a culture almost as inhospitable as it is unknown.
Arktikum or life in the arctic
LORDI HARD ROCK LEGACY
One of the most important groups in Finland is from Rovaniemi. They're called Lordi (it's the name of their leader), and since they managed to win the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest against all odds, their rise has been unstoppable. Six hard rock albums in the purest Nordic tradition and a monstrous staging have established them as a national product. Like the sauna, Lordi is authentically made in Finland . All the members of the group are favorite sons of Rovaniemi and even have a square named after them. Lordi's Square is the main meeting point in Rovaniemi and one of the busiest places for residents and tourists since it is the entrance to the Sampokeskus shopping center. Its charm is proportional to your degree of geekiness. It is mandatory to take a photo next to the plaque on which the printed hands of the Lordi are.
SPECTACULAR NATURE
If we say that the best of Rovaniemi is outside we are not wrong: fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, husky sledding safaris, skiing, northern lights, reindeer riding, bush camping ... everything is possible. The only condition is to be well equipped and oriented so as not to get lost in the dark. It is advisable to contact a specialized company that advises us on the activity to choose. In Rovaniemi the best is safari , specialists in nature activities either for specialists or for the whole family. There is something for all tastes and I am sure that with any of you you are going to freak out.
Finnish Lapland: Christmas in the Arctic Circle
COLLEGE ART
A look at the galleries of the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland gives an idea of the artistic level of the region. Visual arts, industrial product design or art media are some of the disciplines that are shown. Students create artwork for their thesis or other work that takes the form of exhibitions, performances, or art events. is also Varjo Gallerian (Shadow Gallery), the only private gallery in Rovaniemi and a point of reference for artists of a very different nature who seek to publicize works . A good place to put the artist in contact with the patron. His exhibits change every three weeks.
RAVINTOLA NILI
This centrally located restaurant (Ravintola in Finnish) is worth more for its careful decoration than for its food. The Nili recreates a typical Sami construction almost perfectly , including even the lichen on the wood that surrounds its walls. It has more in common with the Prancing Pony inn from The Lord of the Rings than it does with a restaurant in a city of 50,000. Rather cave-like tables and chairs covered with reindeer fur convey the warmth of a hunting lodge. There is also no lack of wooden utensils and all kinds of manufactured cutlery. Ideal to try smoked salmon with arctic alders and the traditional Reindeer meat with lingonberry jam.
One of Ravintola's dishes
COFFEE HOUSE
Kauppayhtiö It is the trendy place for young people like Ed Chigliak, the young Indian from Doctor in Alaska. It is the meeting place for many of the students of the Lapland university, which is based in Rovaniemi. A warm and welcoming place to chat, study, read, listen to music or shop. Its peculiarity is that everything inside is for sale. Decorated with a hodgepodge of 80s memorabilia , also houses vintage handmade clothing and products. It has free Wi-Fi and some scary salads for eight euros . At night the tables are folded, and to dance.
SEE SANTA CLAUS
Don't wait a year. If Santa Claus hasn't been to your house this year and you're in Rovaniemi, he'll go ask him for an explanation. He lives five miles away, in Santas Claus Village right on the Arctic Circle line, and he's there year-round. Reindeer, lights, fir trees...365 days of Christmas a year. oh, and there are also goblins who are there at your service.
Santas Claus Village: Santa Claus all year round
KORUNDI
This building is the only thing that remains of the original Rovaniemi after the Nazis destroyed the city (and much of the Finnish Arctic Circle). Located in an old bus station restored by Juhani Pallasmaa, today it is a museum that transports the avant-garde to this side of the arctic border . Opened in 2011, the Korundi House of Culture belongs to the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. The central axis of its exhibitions is the North.
Works exhibited at Korundi House of Culture
MARCHING
Despite the intense cold, at night it is quite easy to find a place in which to have a drink and watch live music. The best for the quality of its performances and its large capacity is Café Tivoli , an old theater-nightclub where, before the current young people of Rovaniemi, their parents already danced. The Tivoli regularly schedules concerts and is the only venue in the city where Lordi has performed. From Wednesday to Saturday it opens until 4 in the morning.
Much smaller but very cozy and central is the Paha Kurki, a rock music venue decorated with electric guitars and other musical fetishes . Variety in drinks, free Wi-Fi, board games, darts and very good music to spend a pleasant evening while the cold gets worse outside. Another option is El Grande, a typical bar-brewery to listen to metal. With a room for smokers and a subdued atmosphere, it also occasionally hosts live performances by groups that are just starting out. To dance, the best option is Doris Night , located in the central Sokos Hotel Vaakuna and with several VIP rooms.
One night at Cafe Tivoli