Finland Tourist Attractions

Helsinki

There are approximately half a million inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, making it the most densely populated region in Finland. The area comprises four towns, Helsinki (the capital), Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. However, only half of the 800 sq km (300 sq miles) that it occupies is actually developed. The rest consists of parks, forests, shoreline and lakes. In many places, there are historical sights – old manors and churches – as well as buildings by the best-known of Finnish architects, including Dipoli Hall at the Helsinki University of Technology in Otaniemi, an internationally acknowledged 20th-century masterpiece.

Finnish Archipelago and Åland Islands

Finland is surrounded in the south, southwest and west by the Baltic, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. The coastline is highly indented and its total length is 4600km (2760 miles). Around the coast is a vast archipelago of thousands of islands.

The coast and archipelago are largely composed of granite rocks, either grey or red, but these are generally low-lying. In many places there are long unspoiled sandy beaches. There are no tides to speak of, so the appearance of the seashore does not differ much from the lakeshores. In addition, the seawater is not very salty as very little water of high salt content passes through the Danish straits, and the many rivers, as well as the rainfall, contribute more water to the Baltic than is lost by evaporation. A special feature of the Baltic is that the land is constantly rising from the sea, as much as 9mm a year in the narrow part of the Gulf of Bothnia - a long-term result of the end of the Ice Age. The archipelago can be explored by local cruises from many coastal towns.

Southwest Finland and the Åland Islands are the warmest part of the country and more deciduous trees grow here than anywhere else in the country. Fruit and vegetables are cultivated extensively and 20 per cent of the country’s fields are here.

For historical reasons, a large proportion of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland lives in this region and is concentrated in the Åland Islands, the Turku Archipelago and on the south coast. The region is often spoken of as the cradle of Finnish civilization and the area has a larger concentration of granite churches and manors than elsewhere.

Finnish Lakeland

The majority of Finland’s 180,000 lakes are situated between the coastal area and the eastern frontier covering an area some 100km- (60 mile-) wide. The lakes are a veritable maze with their profusion of bays, headlands and islands. Sometimes they open out into broader stretches. They are linked to each other by rivers, straits and canals forming waterways which in former times were a principal means of communication. Nowadays, they are attractive routes for the tourist. As the lakes are usually shallow and the surrounding land is not high, the water soon becomes warm in summer. Many summer festivals of all kinds take place in the lakeland area, often in beautiful country settings.

Eastern Lakeland

The eastern region is an area of interconnected lakes which is dominated by Lake Saimaa, a vast expanse of water. Dotted over their surface are no fewer than 33,000 islands and the shoreline is 50,000km (80,000 miles) long. A network of waterways joins the lively Savo towns, such as Savonlinna with its medieval Olavinlinna Castle, the best preserved in Scandinavia. The Savonlinna Opera Festival is held annually in July. In addition to operas performed to international standards, there are a number of concerts. Kuopio is known for its food specialty kalakukko (a rye bread pie with fish and pork filling).

Western Lakeland

Jyväskylä, Tampere, Lahti and Hämeenlinna region. This area comprises two major waterways, the oldest of which, the Finnish Silverline, runs between Hämeenlinna, birthplace of Sibelius, and Tampere, through fertile agricultural lands which are fairly densely populated. Lahti, a winter sports center, lies at one end of Lake Päijänne where the land is higher and steep rocky cliffs rise to as much as 200m (650ft). At the other end is Jyväskylä, famous for its modern architecture.

Forest Finland

The remoteness of Forest Finland has meant that the beauty of the wild, vast forests, rivers and lakes has remained unspoiled. It is a popular area for canoe and hiking trips, and rapid-shooting. Northern Karelia, the southernmost part of Forest Finland, lies in the ‘bulge’ to the east of Lake Pielinen. The Koli Heights (347m/1138ft), the highest point in Northern Karelia, overlook the lake. A large percentage of the Finnish Orthodox population lives here, and the region has preserved its own special character, customs and food. One specialty is known far beyond the region, the Karjalan piirakka, a Karelian (rice and potato) pasty. Kainuu, the district around Lake Oulujärvi, is wild and beautiful with vast forests, marshes, deep lakes and rapids. Vuokatti, near Sotkamo village, specializes in cross-country skiing.

Main towns & resorts

Iisalmi, Imatra, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lieksa, Mikkeli, Nurmes, Outokumpu, Savonlinna, Tampere, Valkeakoski and Varkaus.

Ostrobothnia

The west coast area of Ostrobothnia, with its long sandy beaches (of which the dunes of Kalajoki are the best known), is an agricultural region with a sunny climate and less rain than elsewhere. There are islands between Vaasa and Kokkola with old fishermen’s villages. Hailuoto Island, with its interesting fauna, can be reached by ferry from Oulu, the area’s chief commercial and university center. Picturesque old wooden houses are still a feature of the coastal towns. Traditions are maintained in many local festivals where Pelimannit play music handed down through the generations. A number of Swedish-speaking Finns live on the coast. Seinäjoki has administrative buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. Ähtäri Wildlife Park is 80km (130 miles) southeast of Seinäjoki. The region just south of the Arctic Circle along the eastern frontier is centerd round Kuusamo. In Oulanka National Park, rivers with rapids run through gorge-like valleys. Seine fishing (using vertical nets) takes place on Lake Kitkajärvi. In summer, there are numerous hiking routes. Ruka Fell is a popular winter sports center.

Main towns & resorts

Kokkola, Oulu, Pietersaari, Raahe, Seinäjoki and Vaasa.

Lapland

Finnish Lapland is a place for those who wish to enjoy the peace and quiet of a remote area either in the comfort of first-class accommodation out in the wilds or in more primitive conditions. Lapland can offer gastronomic delights such as salmon and reindeer prepared in many ways, and the rare golden cloudberry. It is a very large area of 100,000 sq km (38,000 sq miles). Between the many rivers are vast uninhabited areas and swamps. In the valleys, pine and spruce grow, but the most northerly regions are treeless tundra or low-fell birch scrub. Many fells have gently rounded treeless tops. There are only four towns in the province: Rovaniemi (the provincial capital), Kemijärvi, Tornio and Kemi. The whole of the rest of Lapland is very sparsely populated with a density of only slightly over two persons per sq km. Of the 200,000 inhabitants, about 3900 are Lapps and 600 Skolt Lapps, the latter belonging to the Orthodox church. About 200,000 reindeer roam freely on the fells. They are the property of 5800 different owners. There are reindeer round-ups from September to January. Special reindeer-driving competitions take place in March with participants from all over Lapland.

As regards scenery and communications, Lapland can be roughly divided into two areas: Eastern and Western Lapland.

Eastern Lapland

Suomutunturi, on the Arctic Circle, is a well-known winter sports center, as are Pyhätunturi, Luostotunturi and Saariselkä Fells. At Porttikoski and Simo, there are traditional lumberjack competitions in summer. Further north, Tankavaara is a gold-panning center. Inari village lies on the third-largest lake in Finland, Lake Inari, with 3000 islands, on one of which stands an old Lapp sacrificial palace. The Sami Museum is devoted to the history of the Lapps. In the wilds lies Pielpajärvi Church. The River Lemmenjoki flows into Lake Inari and is another well-known gold-panning region. The Lemmenjoki National Park has marked routes for hikers.

Western Lapland

The scenery differs from Eastern Lapland and the ground is higher. The fells rise in bare and impressive ranges. Among the best known are Yllästunturi, Olostunturi and Pallastunturi. All of them are winter sports centers but are attractive in other seasons and are especially popular among hikers. Haltia Fell, the highest in Finland, at 1300m (4265ft), and Saana Fell, 1029m (3376ft), lie on the border between Finland, Norway and Sweden. In the north is the Lapp village of Hetta, scene of colorful festivities on Lady Day in March.

Main towns & resorts

Kemi, Kemijärvi, Rovaniemi and Tornio.

Ski Resorts

The major ski resorts include: Pallastunturi, Saariselkä, Pallas, Levi, Ylläs and Luosto/Pyhä (in the North); Rovaniemi, Ruka, Iso-Syöte, Vuokatti, Koli and Tahko (in central Finland); and Himos and Lahti (in the south). All of the major resorts are easily accessible from the nearest airports or railway stations; the number of slopes varies from five to 36, while cross-country skiing trails vary in total length from around 100 to 250km (63 to 157 miles). For further details, contact the Finnish Tourist Board (see General Info section), which also publishes a special brochure on winter activities; see also Activities section.