View of Porvoo in autumn with its colorful wooden buildings
The Republic of Finland is located in northern Europe and is part of the Nordic countries and, geografically, Scandinavia. From a touristic point of view Finland is famous for its 200.000 lakes, its capital Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Rauma (Unesco site) and the small Santa Claus Village, in Rovaniemi.
There are 19 Finnish regions and at least 12-14 days are required to visit them all.
Obviously the best time to visit Finland is during the summer (June, July and August), when the temperatures are a bit milder.
How to best experience Finland?
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The country of Finland
| Capital | Helsinki |
| Time in Finland |
UTC +2 (EET) Summer (DST) UTC +3 (EEST) |
| Language spoken | Finnish, Swedish, Sàmi, Karelian |
| Religion (2020) |
69.8% Christianity (67.8 % Lutheranism, 1.1% Orthodoxy and 0.9% Other Christian) 29.4% No religion 0.8 % Others |
| Population | 5.536.146 (2020 estimate) |
| Unesco World Heritage Sites | 7 |
Finland has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sophisticated Helsinki is fast becoming one of Europe’s top destinations (but it is still far from being overrun with tourists) and the historic cities of Turku and Savonlinna have a lot to offer to the traveler.
Then there is the amazing Lapland, with the Sami reindeer herders, the links with Santa Claus, the Northern Lights and completely wild and untouched area. Instead of sprawling cities are forest, lakes, rivers and, in the north, the flat, shapeless expanse of the Artic tundra. Certainly in this country you will be able to enjoy stunning natural landscapes and breathe fresh air.
Where is Finland?
Finland is surrounded by Sweden, Norway and Russia. For a long stretch it is washed by the Baltic Sea
The charm and magic of the Northern Lights
In Finnish Lapland, the Northern Lights show can be seen around 200 nights a year and create a surprisingly light and magical nightscape. When the sky is clear there is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights so lift your head and look at the stars. The chances of seeing it are greater in Lapland and scarcer in the south of the country. The best time to hope to see this phenomenon is from September to April. Your chances of seeing it can be increased by signing up for Northern Lights forecasting services such as Auroras Now!
The rite of sauna
Who at least once has been in a wellness center knows what a sauna is. At first glance we could define it as a wooden room where high temperatures are reached thanks to incandescent stones. For Finns, however, it is much more, it is part of their lifestyle and it is said that almost every house has one. It is a question of alternating short sessions of about 5-20 minutes with cold water baths. The sauna offers significant benefits but one must be careful not to exceed a certain amount of time or temperature level as it can become harmful to health. The sauna is used to eliminate stress and insomnia, to relax and purify the body, to dispose of lactic acid and relax the muscles and facilites weight loss.
Are Finnish people lovely?
Given the configuration of the Finnish territory, its inhabitans show genuine amazement in front of visiting tourists. They are extremely curious and friendly to visitors, so much so that many of them have told they were invited to summer cottages or to share a sauna. Finns and Finland are reputed to be quiet, reserved and mysterious but if you have the time to dig beneath the surface, you will discover some of the warmest and most welcoming people you have ever met.