Korundi House of Culture, Rovaniemi

Korundi House of Culture is Rovaniemi's cultural centre, set in a brick building that began as a mail-truck depot completed in 1933 and is one of the few structures in the city to survive the Second World War. After the war the depot was extended with bricks salvaged from ruins across the town, and the building was later transformed by the architect Juhani Pallasmaa, with the Rovaniemi Art Museum moving in during 1986 and the full House of Culture opening in 2011. Today it holds changing exhibitions of Finnish contemporary art and visiting shows from across the Arctic, a courtyard concert hall with excellent acoustics and the base of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra. There is also an art workshop corner where children can draw and make things, a shop selling northern design and local goods, and a kitchen and cafe popular for lunch and for vegetarian and vegan options. It is a good-quality, low-key attraction that gives visitors a sense of Rovaniemi as a real city rather than only a Santa destination.

Korundi is best thought of as a half-day cultural stop, particularly useful when you want something warm and unhurried between outdoor activities. The exhibitions rotate, so what you see depends on the season, but the building itself is a draw: the old depot's brick walls, the contrast with new additions and the courtyard hall make it one of the most architecturally interesting places in town. Check the event calendar for concerts and guided tours, because evening performances by the Lapland Chamber Orchestra and visiting artists are a pleasant alternative to a late-night aurora hunt if the sky is cloudy.

Practical details: the exhibitions, ticket sales and shop are open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 18:00, and the museum is closed on Mondays. The kitchen and cafe serves lunch on weekdays. Korundi stands at Lapinkävijäntie 4 near the city centre, around eight kilometres from Santa Claus Village, so it is easily combined with Arktikum on a single town day. The Culture Pass gives seven days of unlimited access to both venues for a single price that is lower than buying two tickets, and it makes sense if you plan to return for a concert.

Expect a quiet visit. Korundi does not have the interactive displays of a science centre, and it will not suit very young children for long, although the art workshop corner helps. For adults, couples and anyone interested in design and Nordic art, it is a pleasant and uncrowded hour or two, with a good lunch option attached. Winter hours can change around public holidays, so check the venue's pages before you go, and allow extra time to wander through the shop for gifts that are not Santa themed.