The home of Santa Claus
How Rovaniemi, a small town in Lapland, became the centre of Christmas tourism.
Witness History · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
Rovaniemi, a small town in Lapland, is home to dozens of Christmas tourist attractions and is widely considered the unofficial home of Santa Claus. The town had to re-invent itself after being flattened during the Arctic campaign in World War Two, and was inspired to become a Christmas destination by a visit from the American first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Rovaniemi now gets more than half a million visitors a year. Petra Zivic talks to two local residents.
PHOTO: Father Christmas in his "office" near Rovaniemi (Getty Images)