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The Finnish portion of the region of Lapland is a sparse place any time of year. Imagine then what it's like in winter. Well actually, it's fantastic! This is the traditional home of Santa Claus, and right now his village is positively glowing with festive cheer and goodwill—albeit under a blanket of sparkling white snow.

Got a wish list? Then browse the gallery and head north to a winter wonderland that's as magical as it is beautiful.

▲Dancing aurora borealis, or the northern lights, illuminate the skies above Arctic Lapland. Frozen in winter, the region has been associated with Christmas and Santa Claus for many years.

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Lapland's stark winter beauty lures adventure tourists, lovers of the wild outdoors, and hundreds of Santa fans.

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The region is characterized by traditional log cabins that in winter are blanketed with snow. They look super cozy, don't they?

▲Riisitunturi National Park in Posio, southern Lapland, is renowned in wintertime for its eerie landscape of snow-clad trees.

▲In winter, the spruce trees that embroider many of the park's hillsides are clad with a thick coating of condensed frost, creating an extraordinary photogenic white forest.

▲Santa's willing beast of burden is also much-loved by locals.

▲Lapland inhabitants have ingenious ways of illuminating dark forests with seasonal cheer.

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Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park in subtle wintertime twilight.

▲Lordi Square, the Lapland capital's colorful hub, glowing in neon at dusk.

▲Santa Claus Village twinkles in chilly twilight. The Arctic Circle cuts right through the amusement park.

▲The warm glow of winter in Santa Claus Village at dusk. It doesn't get more magical than this.

▲Letters to Santa Claus from around the world are displayed at the Santa Claus Office in, you guessed it, the Santa Claus Village.

▲Don't be surprised to see this jolly fellow out and about in Rovaniemi as he makes his daily rounds sleigh-style.

▲Blink and you'll miss daylight this far north. The Lapland winter is long and dark, with the sun making just a brief daily appearance.

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The city of Tornio is known for its church, constructed in 1686. Make sure you peek inside—the decorative woodwork is quite outstanding.

▲You'll see a lot of these cone-shaped houses, their familiar outlines carpeted with snow. These are modern versions of the traditional lavvu, the temporary dwelling used by the Sámi people of northern Scandinavia.

▲With a design similar to a North American tipi, a lavvu is favored by the Sámi people, who are well known for their semi-nomadic reindeer herding.

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For an unforgettable evening, gather up some friends and enjoy drinks and good conversation in the same cheerful way Laplanders do.

▲Hiking one of the many trails that follow rivers and streams rewards the more intrepid traveler with some memorable picture opportunities.

▲A unique and beautifully decorated snow room in the Snow Hotel at Lumilinna Snow Castle, located at Kemi.

▲Also known as Ranua Zoo, this area in the untamed Arctic is home to polar bears and 50 other different animal species.

▲Saana Fell in Enontekiö, with a frozen Lake Kilpisjärvi in the foreground, is one of the most recognized landscapes in Finland.

▲Located inside the Arctic Circle, Kittilä is distinguished by its historic church and the renowned Levi ski resort. It's also the location of Europe's largest gold mine.

▲Why walk around Rovaniemi when you can take a reindeer sled? This charming mode of transport is also one of the most practical ways of getting around.

▲Lapland's winter landscapes appear as if sprinkled with icing sugar.

▲There's a good chance of seeing this handsome Lapland resident, a great gray owl, the world's largest species of owl by length.

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Don't leave Lapland without purchasing a Christmas gift or seasonal souvenir.