Hidden away by the Scandinavian Peninsula and bordering Sweden, Norway and The Russian Federation, Finland straddles the Arctic Circle and is home to the largest wilderness areas in Europe.
Drawn in summer by the promise of midnight sun, and in winter by the snow, and organised trips to visit Santa Claus in the Northern wastes of Lapland, visitors come throughout the year to Finland for many different reasons.
In the North of the country, where reindeer roam freely across the tundra scrub land and in spring, the landscape erupts in a riot of wildflower colour as plants take advantage of the ling sunlight hours and grow everywhere. The Lemmenjoki National Park in the far north of the country is a great place to go trekking in summer, with thousands of KM of hiking trails to explore the desolate wilderness and arctic scenery. Right in the North, and best seen in spring when the snow is melting is the famous Ravadaskongas waterfall.
Traditional Sami culture has survived intact in many parts of Finland for centuries, and one of the best places to experience it for the traveller is in the Northern settlement of Inari in Lapland. Here visitors are often welcomed into taking part in some of the customs and at the open-air museum, are given a chance to try the local crafts of the indigenous people.
Off the main coast, and accessible by ferry from Helsinki is the Aland province comprised of several thousand small islands. These are autonomous from the mainland and visitors who take a holiday that includes them can expect to see the charm and insular customs of the people living there.
Facts for the Traveller:
Name: Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki
Area: 377,030 sq km
Population: 5.19 million
Language: Finnish, Swedish, English
Flight Time: 2 Hours from London
Currency: Euro
