When I was a kid, I wanted to meet Santa Claus so desperately, I would stay awake as long as I could on Christmas Eve, in the hopes of meeting the big man himself. It never happened. Until now. Cut to “Adult Rachel”, and I was now able to travel halfway around the world to the North Pole, to meet Santa Claus for myself!
Gettting to Lapland Finland
We had actually driven to Rovaniemi, Finland from London, up and over Sweden (and yes, we stopped at the world’s most Northern Ikea, but didn’t buy anything) and crossed the border just an hour or so away from the township.
This was July, mind you, so there was no snow, only perpetual sun. Which made for interesting dinners each night… going to sleep at 10 pm with the sun still blazing was unsettling.
The Santa Claus Village is located within the Arctic Circle, in Lapland, Finland, and is universally known to be the home of Santa Claus. I can only imagine how magical it looks in winter with a dusting of snow!
Looking for alternative Christmas destinations in Europe?
We wandered around the complex. And made sure to visit the North Pole Post Office- the very place all of the letters who get sent to Santa end up! We were able to send postcards to friends and family back home to be delivered in December. Around the post office were letters from children all over the world and Santa’s elves had picked out the best ones to display for all to see!
Meeting Santa at Lapland Finland
There were a lot of families visiting, I can see it being a trip of a lifetime for the little ones! But we looked a bit silly, standing there, two adults, with the immaturity of 10-year-olds, waiting to meet Santa.
It was worth it- around 20 minutes in line for a quick 2-3 minute photo session, and 50 Euros for the photo pack… If we had been while a child we would have had a least 10 minutes with Mr Claus. We could hear some kids crying, and others confidently listing to their heart’s desires everything they wanted for Christmas.
You can also get the über touristy picture of the Arctic Circle Line… or Many…!! And they kept reindeer in the paddocks next to the entrance for pictures- but you had to pay 10 Euros for them, and we were poor after giving Santa all of our money, so I don’t have pictures of that! sorry!
St Nick even has his own website at http://www.santaclausvillage.info/ where you can plan your visit.
Rachel Cunningham is a Superyacht Chef and World Adventurer.
With over 110 countries visited in the past 15 years, Rachel wants to you to come along for the ride! Bring a bottle of rum, and a bikini, oh yeah, and your passport. You could end up losing all three items by the end of this journey!
Round the world Rachel takes you off the beaten track to beaches, bars and restaurants of the unknown!
