For me, travelling to the Arctic Circle conjures up magic and adventure. With its huge forests, huskies, Northern Lights and Father Christmas, there's something for everyone

Rovaniemi in the north of Finland, is the capital of Finnish Lapland. It's a land of extremes; in summer the sun never sets and winters are long and cold. It's wrong, though, to regard the winter as dark. The snow reflects either the sun or moonlight, making it surprisingly easy to see. And if you're really lucky, your night might be brightened by one of nature's own spectacular light shows - the Northern Lights.

Rovaniemi itself isn't a very pretty town. Destroyed by the Germans in 1944 (only about seven of the original buildings remain), its architecture is functional and modern. The central area was restored to a plan by Alvar Aalto and is meant to look like a reindeer's antlers, but you need a good imagination to see this! It is, however, a friendly and welcoming town and makes a great base from which to explore the wild and beautiful surrounding areas.

Historically, Rovaniemi was important because it is built on the confluence of two rivers. When lumberjacks worked the forests, they floated their logs downstream to the town. In memory of this, the lumberjack's bridge now spans the river. It's worth taking a boat trip along the river as you get lovely views of the town and islands.

Getting back to nature

Depending on what time of year you visit, you can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. There are plenty of opportunities to go walking, cycling, rafting, canoeing or fishing. If you visit in autumn, or ruska as it's known there, as the leaves change colour, you'll be treated to a vivid display of reds and golds. In winter, you can ski, try your hand at snowmobiling, or drive a husky sledge, and of course, visit Father Christmas. And in summer, you can enjoy your outdoor activities throughout the day and night, as it's the land of the midnight sun.

One of the highlights of my visit was a trip to a husky farm. Nothing quite prepares you for the sound of up to 60 dogs all wildly excited and keen to be included in whatever is going on! Nine huskies joined us for a walk in the forest with Teuvo Mikkonen, the owner of Hirvaan Husky. He explained that the dogs loved to run and could pull the sledges for miles. They were all very pleased with themselves as they streaked through the forest, racing each other and bounding and bouncing around. It's not a trip for the faint-hearted, or those who are unsure of dogs, but their obvious pleasure, and total devotion to their owner, was lovely to watch.

Outdoor life plays a big part in Finnish culture, and hiking trails are clearly marked and maintained. The rivers are clean and the water good enough to drink. We walked in the park around Vaattunki. At regular intervals along the way you'll find huts stocked with firewood and a stone circle in which to light your fire. There are even toasting forks and grills, so make sure you pack a kettle and some snacks with you as nothing tastes quite so delicious as coffee and cakes around a camp fire.

Another Finnish tradition that's well worth investigating is the sauna. I've always thought it masochistic to beat yourself with birch sticks, but it turns out that they use the tender young shoots, complete with leaves! Luckily for me, these were not available at the sauna we tried (a simple hut with views overlooking the river), nor was it cold enough for snow so I didn't have to think of an excuse as to why I couldn't run out of the sauna and roll in the snow! But after a quick rinse under a shower I did manage to brave the huge outdoor barrel-shaped hot tub which our kind hosts had thoughtfully heated by burning logs in a furnace to one side. Wallowing there, with a glass of champagne in one hand, while watching the sun set over the river, it's easy to forget your stresses and just kick back and relax.

Meeting Father Christmas

No visit to the Arctic Circle would be complete without meeting Father Christmas and luckily for us, he's hard at work all year round. All Finnish kids know that Father Christmas lives on Ear Mountain near the border with Russia, so it's just his workshop you can visit, but he makes time to greet visitors whenever they drop by. Some 310,000 tourists visit Santa's office each year and even though I'm a hardened cynic, I was impressed by the care and detail at the Santa Claus Village. There's no charge to meet Santa, but you do have to pay if you have your photo taken with him. There are plenty of souvenir shops nearby to pick up trinkets and mememtoes. Alternatively, if you travel with Canterbury Travel, you can meet him at Vaattunki, where he also works in his post office.

Need to know
We travelled with Wild North who arrange wilderness holidays and packages to help you explore the area.
Phone: +358 203 44122
www.wildnorth.net

If you're travelling to see Father Christmas or planning to visit in mid-summer, in time for the midnight sun, contact Canterbury Travel (London) Ltd.

Christmas charters
www.santa-holidays.com

Midnight Sun charter flight programme
www.midnight-sun-lapland.com

For bookings, contact:
Canterbury Travel (London) Ltd
42 High Street
Northwood
Middlesex HA6 1BL
By phone: 01923 822 388

By email: info@midnight-sun-lapland.com

Our flights were with Finnair, who fly to Helsinki. You can then get a connecting flight to Rovaniemi.

Finnair: www.finnair.com, bookings online.