Tourism in Finland
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Tourism > Tourism in Finland
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The Nature and the Finnish Summer
In the summer the sun hardly sets in Finland, especially in the in the far north where it does not set at all. This allows activity until late in the evening, or even through the night.
Finland has very many lakes and forests, and it is very good for fishing and canoeing. There are several large lakes, including lakes Saimaa, Inari and Päijänne. Walking is quite a popular activity in the summer. There are no very high mountains in Finland, so climbing is somewhat limited. The highest mountain is Halti near Enontekiö. Halti is 1328 metres high.
Attractions
Finland is famous for its many lakes, nearly 200,000 of them, not including the small ones. Finland is also known to have the best water quality in the world, and green deep woods and forests around the sea, rivers and the water ways. Finland is a typical country for people feeling sick from civilization or big cities. It is ideal for individualists, who just like sitting on the shore of a lake, fishing, watching reindeer or moose and enjoying silence.
Alcoholic drinks form an important part of the Finnish culture. When travelling through Finland it is imperative to try national favorites like: the national vodka Koskenkorva, the liquorish flavored Salmiakki Koskenkorva, and a mixture of vodka and sparkling wine that can be roughly translated into English as the "Bitch slammer".
In wintertime Finland provides excellent opportunities for cross-country skiing and some for alpine skiing too. Many of the popular ski resorts are situated north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, but there are exceptions like Kuusamo (to some, the Finnish "winter capital") in the northeast.
Santa Claus is commonly known to be from near the Arctic Circle in Finland. In the town of Rovaniemi there is the Santa Claus Village for tourists to visit.
Among many other number ones, Finland leads the world in environmental sustainability, water quality, reading standards and press freedom. It provides the best atmosphere for business and it ranks highest in competitiveness and tech-savvyness.
Finland also enjoys the world's lowest infant death rate and it is the least corrupt nation of all, and Helsinki is the cleanest capital in Europe and No. 2 among the world's safest cities.
Northern Finland and Winter Sports
In the winter there is a large snowcastle with an Ice hotel built every year in the northern town of Kemi. Rovaniemi is a good place from which to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. Tourists in the north of the country in winter often enjoy trips in reindeer sleighs with Sami drivers, or in dog sleighs.
It is also possible to ski, with downhill resorts at Saariselkä and Levi, and many cross country ski tracks throughout the northern part of the country. Ice hockey is a popular sport in winter. Many of the bays in the country are frozen in winter, and it is possible to go ice yachting, or ice skating on the ice. Most lakes are also frozen, so ice fishing (pilkkiminen) is quite popular.
Language
The Finnish language is extremely difficult to understand for foreigners. However, the Finns are very apt with foreign languages - you can manage with English almost everywhere. Swedish is an official language and therefore widely spoken. Many Finnish people speak German as well.
The Cities
See also: Tourism in Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital of Finland with its beautiful surroundings, and information about tourism there can be found in tourism in Helsinki. Other Finnish places are worth visiting, including Tampere, Turku, Oulu and Kuopio.
Transportation
See also: Transportation in Finland
The Finnish rail system is called VR and is quite excellent, offering slower-speed InterCity and express trains throughout the country and the faster Pendolino trains connecting the major cities. There are very large discounts (usually 50%) available for children (7-16 yr), students, senior citizens and conscripts, as is customary in Europe. Connection by rail is possible to Russia, and to Sweden by bus, due to rail gauge differences. It's possible to take the Silja and Viking Line boats from Helsinki to Stockholm, Sweden, Tallinn, Estonia or Åland island. Finnair and other airlines provides access by air for longer trips.
See also
- Provinces of Finland
- Culture of Finland
- Tourism
- Foreigners guide to Finland (http://www.co.jyu.fi/~np/misc/foreigners_guide_to_finland.html)
- Tourism in Norway
- Tourism in Sweden
- Tourism in Denmark
- List of popular tourist regionslt:Suomijos turizmas