I spent the very last weekend of my exchange semester in Finland together with my flatmate Marielle in Rovaniemi, the heart of Finnish Lapland. It was a good decision to go there for three days, otherwise I guess we would just sit around in our flat and start to get depressive because the days went so slowly… ;)

Sleeping in the night train was a real challenge because the small cabin was heated up to 27 degrees!! Uff, it felt like sleeping in a sauna.. Unfortunately the train to Rovaniemi was also in delay so that we had to stay in there two hours longer than expected. But finally we arrived in Rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi is the administrative capital of Finland’s northermost province, Lapland. The city is situated near the Artic Circle and at the meeting point of the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki. Therefore Rovaniemi is and was an important trade center and settlement. During World War II the city was destroyed, after the war the Finnish arcitect Alvar Aalto designed the new face of Rovaniemi.

Well, and now to our stay in Rovaniemi. On the first day, on Friday 18th of December, we looked around in the city making some pictures (as long as it was bright *g*) and then we went to the Arktikum museum. I’m really excited by the museum as it is very comprehensive and gives a lot of information about Finland’s and the world’s Arctic regions including the melting of glaciers, the phenomena of Northern Lights and the indigenous population. Moreover the museum was designed very interactively so that people don’t get bored.

At the evening we did another walk through Rovaniemi up to the ski resort at the Ounasvaara hill. Afterwards we were too tired to do anything else.

On the next day, on Saturday, we had booked a snowshoeing trip. Orginially the trip should be in Korouoma National Park, 100km east of Rovaniemi. But there was too less snow, so our guide Hugues decided to drive more northwards where there was enough snow for snowshoeing. Oh, it was a lot of fun! :D There was just forest and snow and silence around us! A real paradise! The way up the small hill.. äh “mountain” (how the Finns would probably call it) was worth to take because from the top of it we had a great view although it was very cloudy and foggy on this day. But we had luck and for a short time the fog disappeared so that we could overlook the huge lake nearby. On the top Hugues made a fire and we grilled some Makkara (Finnish sausages). On the way back we walked over the frozen lake which is even larger than I thought! This day was absolutely great! And I can’t imagine how Lapland will look like when there is more snow and sunshine *dreaming* One day I will return…

On Sunday, our last day in Rovaniemi and Finland, we walked on our own thorugh the hills of Rovaniemi towards the top of Ounasvaara where we found a wonderful view northwards. The colors the sun made on the clouds were very impressive! The last three hours Marielle and me spent in the city by drinking hot tee and eating a bit. At 17:17 we entered the night train back to Helsinki where we headed to the airport and back home on the next day.

Summa summarum it was worth coming to Rovaniemi. I guess we have seen a lot more of Lapland and Finland in general than most of our other fellow Erasmus students. And I took a fancy to snowshoeing ;D