In Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle runs through Santa Claus Village, located eight kilometres north of the city centre, where it is clearly marked. Santa Claus Village in Lapland is a popular place to cross the Arctic Circle: here the line is marked, and you can even get a certificate confirming the feat.
The Arctic Circle is a circle of latitude that runs 66°33′45.9″ north of the Equator. It marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can stay continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours – these phenomena are known as the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Polar Night (“Kaamos”) in the winter.
The cottage was constructed in 1950 to honour the visit of Eleanor Roosevelt in Rovaniemi. Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat and activist. She served as the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s terms in office. Eleanor Roosevelt served as US Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952, which explains her visit to Rovaniemi, destroyed by the war.
The area around Santa Claus Village offers a good setting for seeing the Northern Lights, because the Village is located on the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. The season for Northern Lights happens between end of August and early April. Please keep in mind that the sky above the Arctic Circle does not get dark enough from mid-April to mid-August to see the Northern Lights.
Now you can also cross the Arctic Circle line virtually thanks to our 360 degrees virtual panoramas!
See the livestream showing the Arctic Circle in Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.
