WHY VISIT FINLAND

If a dive into nature seduces you then you should go to Finland! Frozen landscapes, sleigh rides, dense forests, lakes, and marshlands, this country will take you into a wild and peaceful dimension.

The capital, Helsinki, remains a city with a very human dimension: The market square, parks, canals, museums, the Rock Church, and the lively cafes make it a very pleasant destination.

Turku is the oldest city of Finland: The medieval district of Luostarinmäki will seduce you with its wooden houses where craftsmen use their skills to make handicrafts in front of you, and you will be charmed by its unique castle.
The province of Aland is a great stopover on your trip: It boasts 6,400 islands and has a very original identity, you can explore this place by bicycle to enjoy its beautiful landscapes.

Rauma city has been declared as a Unesco World Heritage site: It is built of wood and has several museums, many active trades can be found here with craftsmen using their ancient skills in old workshops. Feel free to stroll along the narrow streets of the old city.

Finally, go to Lapland to go trekking on the bear trails in the Oulanka National Park, or extreme sports fans may enjoy a rafting expedition in the Kitkajoki, the culturally minded may prefer to explore the cave paintings in the Hossa area.

Source: http://www.thebesttimetovisit.com/

WHAT TO SEE IN FINLAND

Top destinations in Finland are:

• Helsinki
• Turku
• Tampere
• Jyväskylä
• Savonlinna
• Rovaniemi
• Oulu
• Vantaa
• Lappeenranta
• Lahti
• Kotka
• Porvoo

WHEN TO GO TO FINLAND

Weather in Finland

The best period to visit Finland is from May to August.

In the south, spring usually begins around mid-April, though it can remain chilly in a number of places until May, especially in Lapland, where it’s not unheard of to find snow hanging around nearly until the beginning of summer.

Definitively the best time to visit Finland is during the summer months of June, July and August, when the climate is warmest, the days are longest and the blossoming landscape at its prettiest, and when tourist facilities and transport services operate at full steam. Bear in mind though that August is vacation month for Finns, who tend to head en masse to the countryside or the coast just after midsummer – though even then, only the most popular areas are uncomfortably crowded. Summer is almost always sunny and clear, with temperatures rarely stifling: the warmest month is July, which averages 17°C (62°F), though highs of 26°C (32°F) are not unheard of, especially in the interior. The best times to visit Helsinki are May, early June, and September – though you’ll find plenty going on throughout the year.

Visually speaking, autumn is a superb time to visit the country, especially in Lapland during ruska-aika (russeting): the lower fells become bathed in golds and oranges, bracken and beech glow bronze, poplars cloak the hills in yellow and the higher hills turn a deep crimson. Bear in mind though that the coastal waters can be fairly nippy as early as September, and that most sights and attractions have reduced hours outside of the high season, from mid-September onwards.

Long, dark, and cold, Finnish winters are nevertheless far from inordinately severe or intolerable. Although temperatures can drop as low as minus 7°C (19°F) – and at times colder – things generally tend to hover just below freezing. The best part about the chillier months is the amazing variety of outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice diving, jumping off an ice breaker into freezing cold waters and – of course – that most quintessentially Finnish of pastimes: broiling in a rural sauna before cooling off in the frigid waters of a nearby lake. During the darkest months, when daylight is in short supply, pints of beer and slugs of national drinks such as salmari and fisu – admittedly extremely acquired tastes – help to keep the cold at bay, and Finns muster up no small amount of charm and hospitality, especially if it involves passing on their quirky traditions and wry humor to the unsuspecting visitor.

Source: http://www.roughguides.com/

Following a list of typical festival and celebrations of Finland

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April Jazz Espoo. Held in Tapiola in the greater Helsinki area, the Jazz Espoo brings together big names from Finnish and international jazz for five days of performances. Top musicians frequently top the bill with past stars including Nina Simone, Ray Charles, and Joe Zawinul.

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Kalott Jazz & Blues Festival. Held in Tornio and Haparanda, this event sees various venues showcasing the best of Finnish and Swedish talent as well as famous international performers in the genre of jazz music. The event is exceedingly popular and is renowned for its uncompromising quality.

Sideways. A two-day festival at Teurastamo, Helsinki with a wide variety of good music, food, drinks, and side program including, for example, arts, talks, and arcade games. www.sideways.fi

Sauna Open Air. Sauna Open Air Metal Festival, held in Tampere, Lakeland has become one of the largest music festivals dedicated only to metal and related styles of music in the Nordic countries. www.sauna-open-air.fi/

Nummirock. Metal music festival held in Kauhajoki. www.nummirock.fi/

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Summer Up. Hip-hop music festival in Lahti. http://summerup.fi

Amateur Dramatics Festival. Held across the country, this event sees amateur theatre groups, which have been selected by competition, present various performances in traditional styles of theatre, dance and music.

Pipefest. Hip-hop music festival in Himos. www.pipefest.fi

Bättrefolk festival. Is a funky culture festival specialized in music and literature, located in beautiful Hailuoto – an island and a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region. http://www.battrefolk.fi/

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival. A three-day metal festival in central Helsinki. www.tuska-festival.fi

Jalometalli. Metal music festival held in the northern city of Oulu. http://www.jalometalli.net/

Swamp Soccer World Championship. Messi-esque technical moves are not likely to pay off here. The pitch is a swamp, there’s no offside rule and, as is customary, whoever scores the most goals, wins. Well, now you’re prepared for the swamp footy World Cup in Hyrynsalmi, North-East Finland. Don’t lose your boots in the mud… http://www.suopotkupallo.fi/

Wife Carrying World Championships. This “discipline” dates back to the 19th century if the legend is to be believed. Local villain Ronkainen used to swing his favorite girl on his shoulders and leg it, an act duplicated by competing couples at the World Championships, staged annually in Sonkajärvi, Eastern Finland since 1992. The length of the official track is 253.5 meters. Its surface is partially sand, grass, and asphalt and it has two dry obstacles and one water obstacle, about a meter deep. www.eukonkanto.fi

Kaljakellunta – Beer Floating. Kaljakellunta, also known as “Beer Floating”, is an annual open festival that has no official organizer. During this silly event, thousands of participants float down the Kerava or Vantaa river in various kinds of inflatable boats and self-built rafts, whilst enjoying a drink or two. The festival has been carried out yearly on either the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August. www.kaljakellunta.org

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Eteläpohjalaiset Spelit at Suupohja. Held in southern Ostrobothnia, this annual festival is a celebration of dance and folk music and sees a variety of performances in both genres as well as numerous poetry recitals.

Blockfest. Hip-hop music festival held in Tampere. www.blockfest.fi

Flow Festival. Indie music festival in central Helsinki’s Suvilahti. www.flowfestival.com

Air Guitar World Championships. So you act and party like a rock star but never bothered learning to play an instrument? Here’s a chance to strut your stuff on stage, no musical talent needed! According to the ideology of the Air Guitar, wars would end, climate change stop and all bad things disappear if all the people in the world played the Air Guitar. www.airguitarworldchampionships.com

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Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships. That smartphone made the old Nokia redundant now, did it? We beg to differ. Let that piece know who’s boss and hurl it towards the Milky Way! Contestants may be relieved to learn that there will be no doping tests. www.mobilephonethrowing.fi

Helsinki Festival. Commencing in August and running for 17 days until the beginning of September, the Helsinki Festival is the country’s biggest annual event and sees a wide variety of culturally-inclined proceedings which include brass band and classical music performances, photography exhibitions, dance exhibitions and more.

Monsters of Pop. Music festival in Tampere.

World Berry Picking Championship. Say what? Can’t compete in berry picking? Sure you can. The current record will be a tough one to beat, though – 27,98 kilograms of lingonberries in an hour! There’s prize money, too, and entering is free, so why aren’t you heading to Suomussalmi in Eastern Finland already? www.arctic-flavours.fi

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Oulainen Music Week. Oulainen Music Week is one of northern Finland’s leading cultural events and presents seven days of musical performances from genres such as classical, folk, and jazz as well as music and entertainment aimed at children.

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HOW TO REACH AND TRAVEL THROUGH FINLAND

To travel within the country, airplanes, trains, and buses are both frequent and efficient. The bus is the most comfortable method to reach the more inaccessible places. Riding a bicycle is also very practical. Ferries enable you to cross rivers and lakes almost everywhere.

by plane, the main airports are:

• Helsinki
• Turku
• Oulu
• Kittilä
• Joensuu
• Jyväskylä
• Kajaani
• Kokkola-Pietarsaari
• Marienhamn
• Pori
• Savonlinna
• Rovaniemi
• Vaasa
• Tampere-Pirkkala
• Kuopio
• Joensuu
• Lappeenranta

by train

by car

GENERAL INFORMATION ON FINLAND

health tips & vaccination: none

local currency: European euro

local time zone: GMT+2 (+3)

electricity: [su_lightbox type=”image” src=”http://www.traveltv.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/C_plug.png”]type C[/su_lightbox] and [su_lightbox type=”image” src=”http://www.traveltv.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/F_plug.png”]type F[/su_lightbox] (230 V – 50 Hz)

mobile phone operators:

• Sonera
• Elisa
• DNA
• Alcom
• Ukko Mobile

WHAT TO DO IN FINLAND

typical food in Finland

• Kalakukko: A thick rye loaf filled with lake fish.
• Karjalanpiirakka: A savory pastry stuffed with rice pudding and eaten with egg butter.
• Lihapullat: Beef and egg meatballs, traditionally served with lingonberries and gherkins.
• Poronkäristys: Sautéed reindeer eaten by the Sámi.
• Pullat: Sweet cardamom-flavored buns – a traditional accompaniment to coffee.
• Leipäjuusto: Cow’s milk cheese oven-baked or fried leaving it brown on the outside with a squeaky interior.
• Vispipuuro: A cold whipped semolina porridge flavored with berries.
• Silakat: Breaded pickled herring seasoned with salt and fried.
• Perunarieska: A flatbread made from potato, often served with gravlax.
• Kirelian Piirakkas: traditional sweet and tasty pasties.
• Lakkakakku: A cloudberry (a tart Arctic berry) cake.
• Koskenkorva: A clear, distilled grain spirit usually served ice-cold and straight up.
• Berry liqueurs: Try mesimarja (arctic bramble), lakka (cloudberry) and polar karpalo (Arctic cranberry).

Source: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/

souvenirs from Finland

• Takana and Marimekko wall hangings
• Iittala glassware
• Arabia ceramics
• Knitwear
• Lapp hat
• Ryija rugs
• Wooden sauna bucket and ladle
• Kuksa wooden drinking cups
• Kantele, a traditional string instrument native to Finland
• Moomin Trolls
• Christmas ornaments
• Puukko, the Finnish hunting knife
• Fazer candies, salty licorice candies or Salmiakki chocolate candies with a salty taste
• Finnish Vodka and liqueurs

SIMPLE DICTIONARY

Hello: Hei

Goodbye: Hyvästi

How are you?: Kuinka voit?

Thank you: Kiitos

What is your name?: Mikä sinun nimesi on?

How much is it?: Paljonko se on?

Sorry: Anteeksi