From sleigh rides to the age of the Concorde
Permanent residence began to form in Rovaniemi during the 11th and 13th centuries. Judging from the archaeological finds, distant travellers from the east, south and north have already journeyed here much earlier, after the 4th century A.D. Since Rovaniemi was situated alongside the route of the Gulf of Bothnia and the White Sea, wayfarers have arrived here throughout history. It also has not avoided the plundering raids of enemies.
In the 1800s, life became busier as commercial trade and communications improved. The work at logging sites and in log-floating attracted people to the north, and Rovaniemi developed its own timber industry. During the same period, Rovaniemi grew to become the centre of commerce and the official marketplace of Lapland.
The rivers were the main traversable route right up to the end of the 1800s. The road network developed slowly. The winter wheel routes were kept open by pulling sleds through them. At the outset of the 1900s, road connections extended all the way to Kemi, Kemijärvi, Sodankylä and Kittilä. Passenger provision functioned well, and Rovaniemi boasted several inns. In 1896, the number of rides provided was 5,800 and in 1906 it was about 16,000
Transportation on the waters of Rovaniemi was provided by ferryboat, raft and steamship. The Wiiri and Wanttaus steamships offered regularly scheduled traffic to neighbouring villages from 1909 to 1926. Ferryboats and steam-driven floats carried passengers over the Ounasjoki River. Public transport provided by Lainaan liikenne from Färinranta to the ferryboat shore of Saarenkylä was in busy use.
One hundred years ago, river transit conveyed the locals, while the current ship in use transports tourists. River cruises were initiated in 1973 with a vessel called Wanttaus. These days, the name of the ship is Kemijoen Helmi, the “Pearl of the Kemi River”.
Route connections developed dynamically when a railway transport was established from Kemi to Rovaniemi in 1909. During the first years, it was possible to get to the local market as well by means of special market trains which transported visitors at suitable times. The 1920s introduced motorcar and coach transportation. The busy Petsamo traffic increased the connections, and permission was obtained to build a road network. Long trips were made by taxi even as far as Norway. Air services to Rovaniemi were launched in 1940.
During the summer of 1926, a total of 2,000 travellers had spent the night in Rovaniemi, whereas 20,000 is cited at the end of the 1930s—half of whom were foreign. The largest proportion of these visitors regarded Rovaniemi as a transit site to spend the night and then continue towards the ’real’ Lapland. Only during the last few decades has Rovaniemi developed into an actual travel destination for tourists. Individual admirers of the midnight sun and the white snows have evolved into groups of adventure tourists conveyed by Concorde Airlines for Christmas and Midsummer.
Land of the Arctic Circle
--------------------------Mountain of the
Midnight Sun
--------------------------Finland’s Klondike
--------------------------From sleigh rides to the
age of the Concorde
--------------------------The nearest real hotel
--------------------------Santa Claus Land
--------------------------A city called by many
names - and the heroes
take the spoils
--------------------------
