Finland is a northern European country whose culture and language are quite different from its eastern neighbour, Russia, or its western Scandinavian neighbours, Sweden and Norway. The Vikings did not conquer Finland until the 12th century, but Finland was Swedish territory between 1249 and 1809, while Russia occupied it during most of the years between 1809 and WWII. Finland is now one of the world's wealthiest and safest nations. At least one daily non-stop flight travels the 7,882 km from Bangkok to Finland's national capital, Helsinki, taking under 10 hours 30 minutes.
Don’t MissFinland, like its Nordic neighbours, is famous for freezing cold winters when the sun sets early and temperatures can plummet to -30°C or -40°C. The spring months of April and May are when most Finns prefer to do winter sports. Summer is the busiest tourism season as the sun still shines well into the night and average temperatures are a pleasantly warm 20°C to 23°C. Autumn, from September to November, is a dark and wet season in Finland.
The Walpurgis Night celebrates spring's arrival with colourful carnivals, while summer begins on the longest day of the year during June's Juhannus. Finland celebrates its Independence Day on 6 December and Christmas is a truly magical time in Lapland's Santa's Village. Helsinki's Kamppi district contains most of the city's art museums alongside the Kamppi Chapel and Temppeliaukio Church. The Suomenlinna Sea Fortress is worth the 15-minute ferry ride from Kauppatori Ferry Terminal.
Restaurants and BarsBread, potatoes, seafood, and dairy products are the main ingredients in Finnish cuisine. Signature dishes include makkara (sausage), reindeer meat, and muikku (fried fish). Kamppi is the Helsinki district where tourists are most likely to find vibrant nightlife and affordable restaurants. Nightlife in Rovaniemi, Oulu, and Kemi is also quite lively.
ActivitiesForests form nearly 70 per cent of Finland's landscape, and 10 per cent of the country is covered by 188,000 lakes. Most Finns take advantage of their country's natural beauty by spending the brief summers at lakeside cottages. Linnansaari National Park is a favourite camping and kayaking getaway in the heart of Finland's northeast Lake District. Turku, Finland's historic third biggest city, is a popular cycling spot, while Urho Kekkonen National Park is one of Lapland's eco-friendly wildlife preserves. Saariselka is a spectacular place to enjoy reindeer rides and Northern Lights sightings.
ShoppingShops with Sámi Duodji certification are the easiest places to find authentic ryijy rugs, Marimekko clothing, Puukko knives, and other Finnish souvenirs in this notoriously expensive country. Helsinki's Market Square is one of Finland's biggest open air markets, but nearly every Finnish community contains kauppahalli indoor markets. Kuopio's Pikku-Pietarin market alley is famous for its refurbished red wooden shop houses.