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You've probably been told the Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, right? Well rumor has it that Santa actually lives in Finland.
Vytis Tours has done their own research to find out where the real Santa Claus comes from. We sent out one of our representatives to visit his village and this is what we found.
 Santa Claus lives in Lapland, in the north of Finland. You can meet him any day of the year in Rovaniemi, in Santa Claus' Village on the Arctic Circle. Santa's secret getaway is east of Lapland, on the Korvatunturi Fell (a fell is a mountain with no trees). This was where he was first spotted in the 1920's. The secluded area of Korvatunturi, impossible to reach by anyone else, is situated on the border between Finland and Russia. Mrs. Claus lives there, and so do the elves that prepare the gifts. The Korvatunturi Fell is 483 meters high, and is the shape of an ear. With the unique shape of the fell, Santa can listen to all the children around the world.
As early as in the 1950's Santa would often enjoy visiting the Arctic Circle near the town of Rovaniemi. He would visit children and adults not only on Christmas but all throughout the year. By 1985, his visits had become so regular that he created his own village there. Today, his village includes Santa Claus' Office and Santa Claus' Main Post Office as well as the reindeer park and Santa Park which is nearby.
Santa Claus comes to the Santa Claus Village every day of the year to listen to children's wishes and to talk to people from all over the world.
 Santa Claus lives on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi for numerous reasons. First of all, elves could not permanently live south of Arctic Circle. There would simply not be enough snow! Reindeer also require Lapland's Arctic nature and snowy winters. The Arctic Circle is also the perfect place for Santa Claus to admire the midnight sun in summertime and the northern lights in wintertime.
Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, is an international city at the point where the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki meet. It has developed into one of the main centers for traffic to the arctic region to which thousands of people who thirst for adventure fly from all over the world each year. Rovaniemi consists of dozens of village centers that are spread out along both sides of the Arctic Circle. Its largest village is Saarenkyl with a population of about 8,500.
Not only does Rovaniemi offer Santa Claus, it offers unforgettable memories of snowmobile safaris. On these safaris, you can enjoy the beautiful and exotic Lappish nature. You can also visit reindeer and husky farms as well.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR NEW ARCTIC CIRCLE IMPRESSION TOUR, CLICK HERE!
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Updated Tours Section for 2009
In Other Words...
"I want you to know that the Latvian Extravaganza tour you arranged for my daughter and me was a very special success."
— TWS
"Many thanks to you for planning a lovely trip for us to the Baltic Republics earlier this month."
— J&J D
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