Lapland, Finland (file photo)

10 Lapland, Finland

Lapland in Finland is the ideal destination for the nostalgic traveler in all of us. After all, who doesn't remember writing letters as a kid and addressing them to the North Pole? Now you can visit Santa at home. With the Arctic circle cutting right through its heart, Lapland is the closest you're likely to get to the North Pole you imagined as a kid, and that makes it one of Finland's busiest tourist destinations. Visitors of Lapland will want to get tickets to at least one of the area's Christmas theme parks: Santa Claus Village and Santa Park. These parks live out their themes to the fullest, complete with staff members in elf costumes and reindeer sled rides. But the real draw to these parks is Father Christmas himself, who will even meet privately with families who have made a reservation.

（Shanghai Daily）