Summer Rovaniemi offers world's cleanest tourism spot

Although Rovaniemi is one of the world's best winter tourist destinations, the summer here has also been more and more popular by the day due to a series of attractive round-the-clock activities.

Attractions such as the Midnight Sun, Quad Bike Safari in the Wilderness or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride, river cruises, fishing, extravagant accommodation facilities, husky dogs, reindeer, open public sauna on the bank of Kemijoki, picking wild berries, enjoying Arctic waters, and of course Santa Claus in summer time – all these are boosting tourists' interests in summer Rovaniemi too.

“We are expecting a livelier summer this year than in the previous year. The summer has been dominated by Finns travelling to north but Lapland and Rovaniemi inspire even more visitors nowadays thanks to their beautiful pure and clean Arctic nature and the wonder of Midnight Sun,”

said Managing Director Sanna Kärkkäinen of Visit Rovaniemi, the organisation that promotes tourism in the city.

She, however, said it is hard to estimate the growth of travellers in numbers yet, adding that one key factor escalating tourists' interests in Rovaniemi to boom is the new exclusive and unique accommodation units (glass huts and igloos etc) , that have proofed extremely popular during the Northern Lights season. “The facilities are also making great offers throughout the summer season, enabling exclusive summer holidays for all travellers,” she added.

A large number of accommodation facilities have recently been built in Rovaniemi using glass igloos and glass houses with glass roofs and walls bringing nature right indoors. There are many reputed hotels that also serve original Lappish food in their restaurants.

In addition to the igloo charms, summer's round-the-clock sunshine keeps the opportunity always open of spending a pleasure vacation amid the world's cleanest air. A 15-month exhaustive study conducted by Nab Labs Oy from January 2016 to May 2017 bears it out that Rovaniemi justly boasts of its pollution-free air. The samples measured contained nitrogen oxides, respirable particles, fine particles and sulphur dioxide. For both 2016 and 2017, the fine particles were found to be below the limit set for annual average in both the points of measurement.The Midnight Sun fever prevails in Rovaniemi from June 6 to July 7.

Quad Bike Safari in the Wilderness is another great attractive way of enjoying nature. Quad bikes or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a nice way of exploring rich natural sites like ponds, rivers and pristine forests.

Although husky dogs pull a sledge on snow, they work in summer, too. Not is also a suitable season to see the cutest puppies.

Reindeer is not an ordinary animal in Rovaniemi as it has become almost a mascot of the official home of Santa Claus. Reindeer give birth in May and during summer people may witness the beauty of the birth of a little reindeer. Many reindeer farms keep their doors open in this time.

Finnish Sauna being another traditional luxury of summer, it too now offers plenty of options including sauna ferry that cruises the rivers of Rovaniemi.

In summer, Lapland's forests are full of blueberries and cloudberries just waiting to be picked, and the rivers offer excellent fishing opportunities and cruising on Ounasjoki and Kemijoki rivers. Rovaniemi is also great in summer for riding fatbikes, mountain bikes, traditional bikes, electric mountain bike or even e-fatbike on rent.