Rovaniemi

Overall Score

3.7

There is a confluence of the rivers Kémérica and Ounessérica in Hellemyand, the city of Rovaniemi, the administrative center of the province of Lapland. It is located 800 kilometers from Helsinki. It is the largest European city in terms of area after being joined by several neighboring towns. It is 8 kilometers away from the Arctic Circle. At the end of winter and beginning of spring, as well as in the first half of fall, you can see a small skyline in the city.

The site of modern Rovaniemi was home to a small village in the 11th century. The first documentary records date from 1453. The name of the city comes from the Samoan origin and means a hill covered by a forest. The development of the city began almost immediately after it was founded, and it was accompanied by natural assets. Forests and forestry developments attracted new settlers. With the onset of the "golden plague" there was a significant increase in the influx of people. Rovaniemi soon became the economic center of Lland.

In the end of World War II in 1944, almost all of the citys buildings were destroyed. Only ruins and fragments of buildings remained in the streets. It was not until 1960 that Rovaniemi acquired its status as a city and its rights. ×A decade later, in 1970, it was the site of the Sixth Winter World Games.

The citys chief architect was the famous Finnish designer and architect Alvo Aalto. He designed the theater, library, and city administration buildings. Many cultural institutions, including museums and art galleries, are on display in the city.

The Peninsula Museum of Folklore & Quot;Paukelle" exhibits various items of 19th-century life and culture from northern Finland. The halls of the Museum of Art often host exhibitions of Baltic art. A unique museum is the Forest Museum of Lapland under an open sky, with exhibits describing the labors of swimmers and loggers in the early 20th century.

The site is notable for its memorial monument to a lampstand named "Swimmers Candle," where the eternal fire was built. A church dating back to the 15th century, a church with a gatehouse and an exhibition on the maritime industry, remains as a legacy from the past.

100 USD = 92.58 EUR

Overall Score

3.7
  • Tap water: Yes, safe to drink
  • Religious government: Non-religious
  • Population: 62,000 people
  • GDP: $43,339 / year
  • Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
  • Power outlets: 230V50Hz
  • Internet: 44 Mbps
  • Best wireless: Elisa
  • Pay without cash: No, cash only esp. for foreigners
  • Tipping: As said earlier, there’s no mandatory need to tip in Finland. You can pay the bill as it is or, if you want, you can round the bill up to the nearest convenient figure or leave a larger tip. All styles are good in Finnish culture.
  • Apartment listings: Oikotie
  • Apartments: Airbnb
  • Hotels: Booking.com
  • More hotels: Hotels.com
  • Online electronics shop: Verkkokauppa
  • Best hospital: Tervetuloa Lapin Sairaanhoitopiirin Kotisivulle
  • Best intl air carrier: Finnair
  • Monthly costs for expat: $2300
  • Monthly costs for family: $4000
  • Monthly costs for local: $1150
  • Meal: $9
  • Small Cola: $1.5
  • Beer 1 Pint: $7.5
  • Coffee: $3


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