Best Time to Visit Rovaniemi

Summer: light all night, mosquitoes too

June to August is when the comfort score is highest, and July is the warmest month. Days are mild, and the sun barely sets around midsummer. That's the midnight sun, and it's a great excuse for a late walk along the Kemijoki river or a ride up to Ounasvaara hill. Juhannus, Finland's midsummer weekend in late June, is quiet in town because many locals head to their lakeside cottages.

Be honest with yourself about the rain. July and August bring showers on more than half the days, though they're often short. Mosquitoes and biting flies come out in July, so a head net is worth buying for forest trails. Hiking in Pyhä-Luosto or Oulanka National Park is at its best now.

Winter: snow, Santa and the northern lights

Between December and March, it's properly cold. January and February are the coldest, and the days are very short. In December the sun hardly rises at all. What you get instead is deep snow, blue twilight and dark skies for aurora (northern lights) hunting from late August through to April, if the clouds clear.

This is also high season. Santa Claus Village, just north of town on the Arctic Circle, is busiest in December, and the weeks around Christmas are the most crowded and expensive. If you're travelling with kids, that's when the magic is thickest. If you hate crowds, aim for late January or February instead. You'll still get husky rides, reindeer sleighs and snowmobile trips, with more space around you. Late March is a good pick too. The days are longer and the snow is still thick.

Spring and autumn: the in-between months

April and October are the weakest months. April is thawing, grey and slushy. October is damp and dark, with the first snow often arriving. Many tours run at reduced hours, and it's easy to find a quiet table.

May is still patchy, with rivers swollen by melting snow, but the long days return. September is the one to watch. It's cool, and the autumn colours on the fells (rounded northern hills) are called ruska. They're at their best in the first half of the month. Hikers get cool, crisp days and far fewer bugs. Aurora season starts again too, so you can see both colour and lights on one trip.