Finland

Overview

Finland ( Finnish : Suomi , Swedish : Finland ) is a country with vast areas of unspoiled nature speckled with comfortable small towns and cities. Scraped flat by sheets of ice during several ice ages, Finland lacks the dramatic mountains and fjords of its Nordic neighbours but makes up for it with 188,000 lakes and a similar number of islands. Finland extends into the Arctic , where the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun can be seen. The mythical mountain of Korvatunturi is said to be the home of Santa Claus , and there is a Santaland in Rovaniemi .

While Finland is a high-technology welfare state, Finns love to head to their summer cottages in the warmer months to enjoy all manner of relaxing pastimes including sauna , swimming, fishing and barbecuing during the short but bright summer. Finland has a distinctive language and culture that sets it apart from both Scandinavia and Russia . While Finnish culture is ancient, the country only became independent in 1917, shortly after the collapse of the Russian Empire.

Not much is known about Finland's early history, with archaeologists still debating when and where a tribe of Finno-Ugric speakers cropped up. The earliest certain evidence of human settlement is from 8900 BC. Roman historian Tacitus mentions a primitive and savage hunter tribe called Fenni in 100 AD, though there is no unanimity whether this means Finns or Sami . Even the Vikings chose not to settle, fearing the famed shamans of the area, and instead traded and plundered along the coasts.

Places to explore

The current formal divisions of the country do not correspond well to geographical or cultural boundaries, and are not used here. Formerly regions and provinces did correspond; many people identify with their region (maakunta/landskap), but mostly according to historic boundaries. These regions include Tavastia ( Häme / Tavastland ), covering a large area of central Finland around Tampere, Savonia ( Savo / Savolax ) in the eastern part of the lakeland, Karelia ( Karjala / Karelen ) to the far east and Ostrobothnia ( Pohjanmaa / Österbotten ) comprising most of the west coast and some of the northern inland.

Sights and landscapes

Tourist commonly head for Helsinki , Lapland , the Lakeland or the Archipelago Sea . While it is more easy to find package tours and businesses used to foreigners at those locations, there are many interesting places elsewhere, and you can pick destinations off the beaten path also in those regions.

Experiences

Notably lacking in craggy mountains or crenellated fjords, Finland is not the adrenalin-laden winter sports paradise you might expect: the traditional Finnish pastime is cross-country skiing through more or less flat terrain. If you're looking for downhill skiing , snowboarding etc., you'll need to head up to Lapland and resorts like Levi and Saariselkä .

The national sport of Finland, though, is pesäpallo , which translates literally as "baseball", but looks and plays rather differently to its American forebear. The single most notable difference is that the pitcher stands at the home plate together with the batter and pitches directly upward, making hitting the ball easier and catching it harder. The Superpesis league plays for the yearly championship in summer, with both men's and women's teams. More about pesäpallo, see Pesäpalloliitto .

Parks, beaches and other natural attractions are generally unfenced and entry is free around the clock. Still, be considerate of people, livestock and wildlife. For protected areas, restrictions on entry may apply. Off-road driving, other than by bike, requires landowner permission, and also bikers should avoid leaving traces.

Culture and food

Finnish cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbours (see Nordic cuisine and Russian cuisine ), the main staples being potatoes and bread with various fish and meat dishes on the side. Dairy products are also important, with a wide variety of cheeses, and milk a common beverage even for adults. There was a culinary revolution in the 1990s, with a boom in classy restaurants experimenting with local ingredients, often with excellent results. Contemporary Finnish cuisine includes tastes and influences from all over the world, and the dining scene in larger cities has become quite cosmopolitan.

The agricultural products might suffer of the cold climate, but in summer many products benefit from the nearly eternal sunlight. The fish, while small in size, are tasty.

In working days locals typically eat a substantial breakfast, lunch (at a workplace cafeteria, a nearby restaurant, or packed), dinner after work, and a light evening meal before going to bed. If eating the dinner out, it is eaten later and the evening meal skipped. In weekends lunch and dinner are often combined. Full board lodging may include the evening meal, sometimes as a basket to eat at your room or in communal areas.

Planning your route

Finland is a large country and travelling is relatively expensive. Public transportation is well organised and the equipment is always comfortable and often new, and advance bookings are rarely necessary outside the biggest holiday periods, but buying tickets on the net in advance (preferably as soon as you know your plans) may give significantly lower prices. Trains are usually the most comfortable and fastest method of inter-city travel, while bus may be needed for smaller towns and the countryside.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.