The Wanderlust guide to the best of Finland
Northern Lights. Amazing wildlife. Magical snow-dusted countryside. Welcome to Finland…
Stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle, Finland boasts calm lakes, glorious national parks and picturesque wooden villages.
Lapland in the north is home to Santa, as well as over 230,000 reindeer. For the wildlife fanatics there’s plenty more besides: see freshwater seals in the lakes at Linnansaoi National Park, and trekthe Bear’s Ring in Oulanka National Park.
If you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of an elk or wolf as well (probably not together, though!)
In the far north, the lights of the Aurora Borealis can be seen in the spring and autumn.
Explore the cycling routes around the Åland islands, or in July, go to Sonkajäri for the nation’s strangest sport, wife carrying (it hosts the world championships!)
In Finland’s capital city of Helsinki, mix contemporary art museumswith browsing the stalls of Hakaneimi market, and let your worries melt away in the sauna. Perfect!
Brown bear in Finland (Shutterstock.com)
Looking for inspiration?
If it’s wilderness you’re after, you can’t beat Finland. It is home to part of the largest wilderness outside of Antarctica. It’s called the taiga and, but for the Bering Strait, it stretches east in an unbroken belt from Norway to Newfoundland.
Alex Robinson says the Bear’s Ring Trail there is the perfect introduction to the vast Arctic taiga forest. Only got a weekend? Tim Bird says head to Nuuksio National Park – only an hour from Helsinki. It’s an exhilarating taster of the country’s landscape, dominated by pine and birch trees, placid lakes, moody pools and steep, craggy gorges.
If it’s autumn colours you’re after, Henri Anundi reveals the best places to see them. It’s the perfect time for foraging too. Watch out for the bears though. The forest is their home too.
More information
The world’s biggest wilderness – Alex Robinson
A wilderness weekend in Finland – Tim Bird
The best of autumn colours in Finnish Lapland – Henri Anundi
How to forage for free in Finland – Visit Finland
Crossing the Finnish Line – Hayley Lawrence
Bear watching in Finland – Paul Morrison
Winter in Lapland (Shutterstock.com)
Go north for the Lights
Finnish Lapland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. Whether you want to go on a photographic safari or lie back in your very own glass igloo and watch the spectacular show play out above you, Finland is the place to go.
Having said that, there’s no guarantee that the Lights will show. No problem, says Jasper Winn. Try the abundant snow sports and saunas instead. It’s fun and therapeutic!
More information
Finnish Lapland: photographing the Northern Lights – Nick Boulos
5 warm ways to see the Northern Lights – Visit Finland
Snow sports and saunas in Finland – Jasper Winn
