#1. Rovaniemi
Situated right by the Arctic Circle, the ‘official’ terrestrial residence of Santa Claus is the capital of Finnish Lapland and a tourism boom town. Its wonderful Arktikum museum is the perfect introduction to these latitudes, and Rovaniemi is a fantastic base from which to organise activities.
Thoroughly destroyed by the retreating Wehrmacht in 1944, the town was rebuilt to a plan by Alvar Aalto, with the major streets in the shape of a reindeer’s head and antlers (the stadium near the bus station is the eye). Its utilitarian buildings are compensated for by its marvellous riverside location.