Want to be soaked up in the Christmas spirit? How about heading to the most Christmassy places ever for the holidays? And if you're so inclined, you can live out the season's cheerful vibe the whole year round at these yuletide-themed travel destinations.
Rovaniemi, Finland
This has been declared as the official home of Santa Claus, or Joulupukki in Finnish, according to Conde Nast Traveler.
"These days, Santa resides at the Christmas House, greeting visitors with a display of Christmas traditions from around the world and answering children's letters from his own post office," the travel pundit said. "This 'real' Santa even offers a tour of his elves' toy factory."
Rovaniemi, which is in Lapland, is just north of the Arctic Circle and has a zoo that houses baby polar bears, moose, and wolverines. There's also the Arktikum - a science facility that highlights the region's unique phenomenon, the northern light. CNN also relayed that the place has the Arctic Snow Hotel, which is, you guessed it, made of snow and ice. Thankfully, it has hot tubs and saunas within.
Santa Claus, Indiana
It's always Christmas at this place, which is aptly named after the red-clad man popularly associated with the season.
"The lights are up year-round," The Huffington Post noted. :And Christmas music pretty much never stops playing. Even local businesses boast festive titles: Santa Claus Hardware, Holiday Foods, Kringle Place shopping center and Santa's Candy Castle are all staples."
North Pole, Alaska
This town is the a suburb of Fairbanks, found about 1,700 miles south of the real North Pole, USA Today said.
"Visitors come year-round to visit Santa's workshop and snap photos of candy cane-colored street signs for St. Nicholas Drive, Snowman Lane, Santa Claus Lane, and Kris Kringle Drive," the publication relayed. "The annual Winter Festival features fireworks, a candle lighting ceremony, and the Christmas In Ice Contest, which attracts ice sculptors from around the world."
Drobak, Norway
This "picturesque" place has a local post office packed with Christmas wishes sent by kids all over the globe. And its manager looks like Santa's doppelganger too. You'll relish in the various Scandinavian folktales about Santa in this destination, Conde Nast Traveler said.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
It's yuletide season all year round here, which is why it's been called "Christmas City." There s a Historic Bethlehem exhibition that let history buffs have their fill of Christmas history. There also is the Trees of Christmas Past display to gush over, plus one of the most impressive Christmas markets in the country to shop at.
"Open during the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem is an ideal one-stop destination for those looking to stock up on holiday gifts and cheer while enjoying authentic German cuisine and the sounds of holiday tunes," USA Today recommended.
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