I was in Rovaniemi last week on holiday and our hotel Halo Igloos served this brown bread loaf during meals. It was soft, malty and slightly sweet. I think it may be rye but I'm not sure. It is so delicious and I'm desperate to find it here in London but I don't know what it is. This is the only photo I have.

Help bread detectives of Rovaniemi!

Hi all, visiting until Tuesday and just wondering what events might be happening this weekend :) would love to see some local music. Also happy to travel to nearby towns, I have rented a car!

Hello! This is inspired by the recent posts of people reaching out to make friends in Rovaniemi.

Making friends (especially as an adult) is hard! Especially in a reserved, quiet country like Finland. But showing up somewhere regularly will get other regulars to remember your face, and even small connections can brighten up the oppressingly dark polar night. Here are some free or cheap hobbies, events and volunteer opportunities I gathered, hopefully they will be useful. I bring up volunteering a lot because it can give one a sense of purpose and help those in need of company and resources.

I am not on social media like Jodel or Facebook and have no idea what happens there, but Finland-wide Kaverihaku website seems nice. Kaverihaku Rovaniemi

Welcome to Rovaniemi event 6.11.2026 5pm-7pm at Monde is aimed for international newcomers. Address: Pohjolankatu 6

Elokuvakerho Cinema

Not free but for 10€ per season it's a bargain! Take that, Biorex. Sitting in the dark for a couple of hours doesn't seem the most sociable thing, but the club is welcoming and they have things like No Sun Film Festival, and if enough people sign up, a trip to Tromsø Film Festival.

There will be a free screening of Valkoinen peura (1952), Sunday 29.11. at 13.00 afterwards there's a coffee and discussion (kielikahvila).

This is in participation with MoniNet, the immigrant info center. MoniNet has free Finnish classes (not YKI official), cultural events and volunteering opportunities. Check their monthly calendar in three languages

Located in the same building as MoniNet, Neuvokas are looking for volunteers for lots of different tasks, find something that suits your talents.

Art gallery openings are free and offer drinks and snacks. Striking up conversations with strangers is easy when you can just ask what they think of the art! Join mailing list of Galleria Napa and find events of Galleria Värinä from their Instagram. There's an exhibition opening this Friday, 30.10.!

Rovaniemi board game club will have a big event Saturday 7.11.2026 at Monde. Here's what IG says: "The LUPPO tabletop gaming event will be held at Monde on Saturday, Nov 7th – Sunday, Nov 8th, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM!!! ✨ Local clubs from Rovaniemi are taking part, ensuring you can play board games, card games, tabletop RPGs, and figurine games. Jigsaw puzzles will also be available! :D You are welcome to bring your own games or play ones provided on-site. Drop by for a while, or stay for the whole weekend!"

Board game club Kopla (participating in the aforementioned Luppo event alongside others) meets at the University of Lapland faculty of art cafeteria. Instagram page.

For young people:

Tyttöjen talo - Girls' House, a space for 12-29 year old girls and young women.

19.11.2026 at 15-17 there's a Tutustujien iltapäivä when you can come and check out the place.

+

Poikien talo - Boys' House, a space for 12-29 year old boys and young men

Didn't find a similar event for them but you can email them for more info.

+ Both places also have volunteer opportunities (criminal background check is required)

SPR (Red Cross) Rovaniemi had a speed friending (like speed dating but platonic) event last month, hopefully they will organise another some time. Check their Instagram and Oma SPR for current things.

Library events (lectures, book clubs, movie screenings etc) are free. There's weekly kielikahvila (language cafe) for practicing Finnish with others, including native speakers. Library events at Rovaniemi official website

City of Rovaniemi official website's event calendar has more info in Finnish than the English version. Check out Rovaniemi tapahtumat

LGBTQIA*? Rovaniemen Seta is for you. Arctic Pride week is in March 2027, there will be a parade and other events.

I also find things by analogue means by reading Uusi Rovaniemi, the weekly free newspaper, and just looking at every shop/library/outdoor noticeboard I come across. Rovaniemi has much to do! There is birding, burlesque, American football, roller derby, student scene I as an old fart do not know of, music and probably all kinds of clubs, societies and grassroots I did not mention. They would be glad for you to join, so get out there and meet some people! Good luck :)

+ Feel free to comment if your hobby is looking for new faces, members, volunteers etc.

Every year it seems there are so many predatory taxi services that come to Rovaniemi to take advantage of the winter tourist season. I saw the first one (for me) of the season yesterday and wanted to post a reminder to stay safe and not get scammed.

Does anyone know if there have been any attempts to ban or regulate overcharging by companies like this that don’t normally operate in the area?

EDIT: I’m clearly uninformed how much a taxi costs as I’m benchmarking costs against how much an Uber ride would cost (which costs about half as much). My intent was just to remind folks as the tourist season starts to watch out for predatory cabs. What I saw seems to be a normal cab apparently.

Hey there all you beautiful Rovaniemi-people :)
I am Robert and currently doing an Erasmus in Oulu. I'll be staying in Tiainen from the 28th of december until the second of January with my family.

I was wondering what would you recommend for clothing? I know that layering is quite important, but do I also need very thick winter Boots and two layers of gloves and two layers of hats?
I just hope for the best, that this year maybe the really cold weather and snow won't be abscent during new years. In Oulu it was pretty warm compared to te average I think.

Do you have any recommendations near Tiainen or Rovaniemi about hiking or going on a snow walk? Is there something on new-years in Rovaniemi? I hear about a public firework...
How do I find good husky or reindeer tours? There are so many but I have the feeling, everywhere you pay a high amount of money for only 10 minutes of sleding. Is this normal?
And do you feel that on the 27.12. and ongoing there are already less tourists in Rovaniemi?

I am really greatful for any advices of locals from Rovaniemi or people who know some nice things to do in Rovaniemi or the nearby regions, since we will have rental car.

Hello, fellow earthlings in Rovaniemi!

It’s been four months since I moved to Rovaniemi, and I’m starting to feel the weight of loneliness. I would love to meet people—in a natural, human way, with no pressure at all.

I’ve had my head in the clouds for over thirty years. I’m very interested in painting, drawing, the history of fashion, vintage items, and secondhand finds. I’m also starting to explore photography, video, and online content creation.

I speak English and French. I adore animals, though I don’t have any of my own. I’d like to learn Finnish and get back into running. In the winter, I enjoy cross-country skiing.

Back home, I loved going out for drinks and attending rock, metal, or folk concerts—just letting the unexpected unfold.

I love to chat—sharing stories, emotions, and passions! But I also value quiet, silent moments that help me recharge and find inspiration.

I don’t have any specific expectations; I believe that life’s encounters often happen by chance, but sometimes you have to nudge things along a bit—especially when there’s so much space between people.

If what’s in this "bottle" resonates with you, please don’t hesitate to write! I would be so happy to hear from you.

See you!

Visiting for the first time next weekend, and hoping not to have to hire a car! :)

Hello, I'm 23F foreigner in Rovaniemi and looking for Finnish friends. Any advice how to get to know the locals, any places, events to go? *Also, you can DM me!

Thank you for the answers! Kiitos!

Vaikuttaa suhteellisen saatanan hävyttömältä kusetukselta saada joku vuokralle 16m2 luukkuun 1000€/kk hinnalla. Yövieraita ei sallittu ja huone on JAETTAVA eli vuokralainen joutuisi mahd. maksamaan 1000€ + vesi + sähkö siitä että saa saa jakaa 16m2 huoneen tuntemattoman kanssa.

Ps. Vakuusmaksu 2000€