Rovaniemi Favorites

Favorite thing: Try to connect finnish people. Speak to them, do it on their language. If you know just ten words in finnish, they will love it and they'll be honored.
Respect them, and they'll respect you !

Fondest memory: How could I choose ? I love it as it is.
I'm sure, I'm going to go back.

Favorite thing: The Battle of Rovaniemi was an event during the Lapland War. The actual fighting between the Finnish Armoured division and the troops of the German Twentieth Mountain Army took place to the south of the town. The notoriety of the encounter derives from the destruction of the town by the Germans.
The town of Rovaniemi was the capital of Lapland, the northernmost province of Finland. During the Second World War it was an important transport hub since it lay on the road to the Petsamo area and the only free port in the north, Liinahamari.

When the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union started in 1941, the Finnish government allowed German troops from the German 20th Mountain Army in Norway to be stationed in Lapland to help defend the long border. The objective of the Germans was to control the nickel mines in Petsamo and to conquer the Russian port of Murmansk, cutting the Soviet Union off from Allied supply convoys. Rovaniemi was the German HQ in Lapland and also the base of Luftflotte 5 of the Luftwaffe.

Relations between the German garrisons and the local populace in Lapland were in general cordial during the war. However, when the Finns signed a separate peace with the Soviet Union, relations soured. The Germans had some 200,000 troops in Finland and they were still at war with the Russians. The Soviet Union demanded that the Finns remove all German troops from their territory in two weeks, which was a logistical impossibility. However, the Finns did move against the Germans in the Kemi-Tornio region to convince the Russians of their intention to live up to the treaty.

The Germans felt betrayed by the Finns and the German general Lothar Rendulic gave the order that Lapland be destroyed. In many settlements Wehrmacht garrisons were replaced by SS troops who would have less scruples carrying out the order. The mostly wooden town burned for 6 days and nights, with only 13 buildings left standing.

Fondest memory: Back to my childhood....

Favorite thing: Below few words in Finnish that you can use while visiting Finland.

How do you do or Hello Hyvää päivää (literally: Good day)
How are you? Mitä kuuluu?
Hi Hei
Welcome = Tervetuloa
Nice to meet you = Hauska tavata
Good morning = Hyvää huomenta
Good evening = Hyvää iltaa
Good night = Hyvää yötä
Nice weather today = Kaunis ilma tänään
Excuse me or Sorry = Anteeksi
Goodbye = Näkemiin
Sorry, I don't speak Finnish = Anteeksi, en puhu suomea
Do you speak English? = Puhutteko englantia?
Could I have the menu please? = Saisinko ruokalistan?
Could I have the wine list please? = Saisinko viinilistan?
What is this? = Mitä tämä on?
How much does this cost? = Paljonko tämä maksaa?
Could I have a beer please? = Saisinko yhden oluen?
Some water please? = Saanko vettä?
Can I buy you a drink? = Saanko tarjota sinulle drinkin?
Can I call you tomorrow? = Saanko soittaa sinulle huomenna?
Could I have a cup of coffee please? = Saisinko kupin kahvia?
Can I have the bill please? = Saanko laskun?
Excuse me, do you know where the youth hostel is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on retkeilymaja?
Excuse me, do you know where the post office is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on posti?
Excuse me, do you know where the railway station is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on rautatieasema?
Excuse me, do you know where the harbour is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on satama?
Excuse me, do you know where I can find a pharmacy? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on apteekki?
Excuse me, do you know where the nearest bank is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on lähin pankki?
Straight ahead = Suoraan eteenpäin
To the left = Vasemmalle
To the right = Oikealle
Excuse me, do you know where the taxi rank is please? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on taksi-asema?
Excuse me, do you know where the stadium is? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö missä on stadion?
Excuse me, could you tell me the time? = Anteeksi, tiedätkö mitä kello on?
Excuse me, I'm lost = Anteeksi, olen eksynyt
Thank you = Kiitos

Favorite thing: Want to have general information about the city, events, shops, restaurants etc...
I suggest to go and check out the official Rovaniemi city web site, you can also download brochures, maps, etc...

http://www.rovaniemi.fi/?deptid=17958

Favorite thing: This is one of the buildings of the University of Lapland, located here in Rovaniemi. Logically, it is the most north university in the European Union

The University of Lapland

Favorite thing: I've seen queries on the weather of Rovaniemi so I've decided to put the links for 'live' pictures of Rovaniemi. Yes, sometimes, you need to take a look at that place to realise how cold it can be!

Click here to look at 'live' pictures of Rovaniemi.

Or here to look at Santa's Village.

For more information on the weather, click here to look at a visual map of Lapland. You'll need a flashplayer for this.

Favorite thing: Did you know that these genuine
letters from Santa Claus are
collector’s items? Many people
frame theirs and hang them on
the wall.

You can buy the letter from well-equiped shops at the Arctic Circle or order it from the Internet-pages of Santa Claus Greeting Center

Santa Claus’ letter costs 6.95 €.

In his letter, Santa Claus tells about his life here at the Arctic Circle. Also he tells something about his elves hobbies and all nice things that happen in Santa Claus Land.
There is also a little surprise besides the letter.

Santa Claus sends out this beautiful Christmas Greeting Letter in a choice of 13 languages and you can order it for a friend, child or adult anywhere in the world.

Favorite thing: Far, far away in the north, amid the endless wilderness of Finnish Lapland, is a mysterious mountain called Korvatunturi. Right at the foot, hidden from human eyes and ears, lives Santa Claus with his wife, his elves and his reindeer. He’s in fact been living there so long that he can’t quite remember when he first moved in. He doesn’t actually say much about his home, but he does let on that, as its name - Ear Mountain - suggests, it’s an excellent place for hearing and receiving the hopes and dreams of people of all ages.

Santa is anxious to keep his secrets; they are, after all, an important part of the Christmas story. But a traveller who happened to be passing about a hundred years ago brought news that soon spread of the mountain and its inhabitants. Santa wanted to make sure his hiding place was not invaded with visitors and hit upon a brilliant idea that would allow all his friends and anyone who loved Christmas to come and meet him. About half a century ago he began making regular visits to the Arctic Circle just outside the town of Rovaniemi.

Korvatunturi lies far, far away in the wilds of Lapland, but then if you live down south, the Arctic Circle may seem a long way away. And because Santa doesn’t want anyone to be disappointed, he has promised to be at his Office on the Arctic Circle every single day of the year, ready to receive friends from near and far.