Explore Finland’s top 9 wonders for 2014: Sauna culture in Tampere, LGBTQ+ celebrations in Helsinki, … [+]
Why not get the new year off to a great start by visiting Finland, often said to be the happiest country in the world. The country has an endless supply of amazing adventures tailored for every kind of traveler. The enchanting landscapes, teeming with thousands of lakes, millions of saunas, and a bounty of fresh, forest-inspired cuisine, provide a perfect backdrop for well-deserved rest and holistic wellbeing. Here’s a curated list of the best nine experiences in Finland to add to your travel bucket list for the upcoming year.
Taiga forest and lakes in the Saimaa Region in Finland.
Dine and forage in the Saimaa Region – the European Region of Gastronomy 2024
Located in Finland’s Lakeland region, Saimaa is rapidly gaining recognition as a premier international destination for aficionados of fine cuisine. In the upcoming year of 2024, Saimaa is poised to receive the prestigious European Region of Gastronomy Award in acknowledgement of its dedicated emphasis on the significance of cultural and culinary distinctiveness. Such dedication is reflected in the region’s beloved produce grown deep in its forests and freshly caught from one of the largest lakes in Europe, Saimaa. The region is a true treasure – as it remains a hidden gem for international travelers, it is a place where Finns like to spend their holidays in a summer cottage foraging for berries and mushrooms.
2. Watch films for 24 hours above the Arctic Circle
In mid-June, Sodankylä, a tiny town in Lapland, comes alive. Though it has a population of less than 10,000 people, Sodankylä is the center for world-class cinema and culture. The Midnight Sun Film Festival was founded in 1986 by Finnish filmmakers, Aki and Mika Kaurismäki, along with the municipality of Sodankylä. You might just even see celebrities like Francis Ford Coppola and Wim Wenders. Movies are shown in four venues around the town.
Aerial view to Lahti city and harbor at autumn morning, Finland
3. Cross-country ski in the Green Capital of Europe, Lahti
Finns love cross-country skiing, in fact, it’s a national hobby. The season starts in October and can run as late as May in Finland’s northern most region, Lapland, where you can have the chance to ski under Northern lights. The European Green Capital 2021, Lahti has hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships seven times. The area has world-class ski tracks in the forest and is only an hour train ride from Finland’s capital city, Helsinki. Each year in March, Himos Ski Resort hosts a unique bikini skiiing event, Simmarihiihto, which combines skiing and sauna.
4. Travel regeneratively and build an insect hotel
Regenerative traveling encourages visitors to travel in a more meaningful way to help the well-being of the community. Haltia Lake Lodge, awarded Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland award and the Best Sustainable Hotel in Europe 2022, is helping travelers fight biodiversity loss. In summer 2024, Haltia Lake Lodge will offer planet-positive conservation holidays for groups for the first time. These special holidays involve things like combating the spread of invasive plants and rejuvenating meadows. Hawkhill Cottage Resort, a pioneer of regenerative travel lets guests build insect hotels. Lapland-based company, Wild Out, invites visitors into the woods for lunch and to build a birdhouse.
Finland, Lappland, Kilpisjaervi,
5. Hike in three Nordic countries in 10 seconds
In Kilpisjärvi, a small but vibrant village in northern Finland near the Norwegian border, the Midnight Sun lasts for more than two months. The village is home to Saana fell, which is the Sami people’s sacred sacrificial site. At Midsummer, you can even ski the heights of the Saana fell and take a dip in the clear waters of the Kilpisjärvi Lake. You can also hike the neighboring countries of Finland, Sweden and Norway, within 10 seconds!
6. Enjoy a sauna
It may surprise some people to learn that Finland has a population of 5.6 million people, but it has over 3 million saunas. Finnish sauna culture is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. The sauna is one of the few places left in the world where mobile phones are not welcome, allowing visitors to enjoy tranquility and deep relaxation. The most public saunas are in Tampere, the sauna capital of the world. In Mänttä, one-hour from Tampere, is the only Art Sauna in the world. The Lonna Sauna, handcrafted by a wooden log structure, is on a nearby island in front of the city center of Helsinki – it can be reached by a public boat and is only open during the summer season. The northernmost public sauna, Arctic Sauna World is located above the Arctic Circle by the holy Jerisjärvi Lake and offers blissful moments after a hike in the Ylläs-Pallas National Park.
Helsinki Pride
7. Celebrate love in the capital, Helsinki
Helsinki is one of the world’s most LGBTQ+-friendly cities. The city comes together at the capital’s pride festival at the end of June. Helsinki Gay Pride attracts more than 100,000 visitors and is celebrated across the city through a week-long series of cultural events, parties, demonstrations, and exhibitions. Activities for LGBTQ+ visitors are not solely limited to the once-a-year pride festivals. Recently re-opened DTM, the biggest gay club in the Nordics, celebrates all things queer.
8. Go ice fishing, embark on an ice cruise, or sleep in an ice hotel
The Lakeland region, with thousands of frozen lakes, is a great area for ice fishing from January to March. The legendary and world’s only icebreaker cruise, Sampo in Kemi, takes you to the frozen sea where the scenery is one of a kind. Finish the “cold exposure” with a once-in-a-lifetime experience by night in the Arctic SnowHotel. If you dare to take it to the next level, take a dip in the frozen lake or sea like locals love to do to boost the happy hormones and improve your health.
Reindeer sledge caravan in Lapland, Finland
9. Admire and photograph wildlife in the last wilderness of Europe
Reindeer are the most common inhabitant of Lapland. In summertime, these cute animals roam freely and cause the only traffic jams in Lapland. Bear watching season starts at the beginning of May and runs until September. The pristine and picturesque landscapes of Finland are also home to many wild animals and birds, including wolves, lynxes, eagles, cranes, and swans. While traditional photography tours in the wild are widely available, one unique way to experience the local wildlife is from the heat of a sauna. Hossan Karhut’s Bear Sauna Safari welcomes you to the only “hide sauna” in the world, giving visitors the chance to watch bears and other wildlife through a window while relaxing in the sauna.