Rovaniemi, Lapin Lääni, Finland
Lying just south of the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi
is the capital of Lapin Lääni, (Finland's 'Lapland Province'). It is believed to have been continuously populated since the stone age, and had a population in 2001, of around 35,500.
The Kemijoki and Ounasjoki rivers meet here.
Rovaniemi houses the Arktikum centre, a museum of science and natural history as related to the arctic culture.
The city was razed to the ground by retreating Nazi soldiers in 1944, and so a new plan was devised by Alvar Aalto. The map of the main streets is in the shape of reindeer antlers. While looking great on maps or by helicopter, this unfortunately means you have to walk much further than expected to reach anywhere.
Sources:
http://www.rovaniemi.fi
http://www.safa.fi/europan/vanhat/english/e5/rovaniemi.html
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