Introduction
Natural beauty, lots of elbow room and the fine art of the sauna. Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a ramshackle cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.
During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands of trekkers every year. In the south, the capital Helsinki is a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.
'Finland, Finland, Finland. The country where I want to be, Pony trekking or camping, Or just watching TV.' - Monty Python
Geography:
Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. Located between Sweden and Russia, with whom it shares borders, it also rubs up against Norway's arctic north. The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia. Forests cover two-thirds of the country, the arctic zone one-third. Post-glacial lakes are the country's dominant feature, and if marshes and bogs are also counted, water covers about 10% of the country. Finland's highest point, the Halti, rises 1328m (4357ft) above sea level.
Destination Facts
Capital: Helsinki
President: Tarja Halonen
Prime Minister: Matti Vanhanen
Government: presidential republic
Time zone: GMT +2
Area: 338000
Population: 5191000
People: Finns, minorities of Swedes, Sami, Roma
Languages: Finnish is a Uralic language and belongs to the Finno-Ugric group. It is closely related to Estonian and Karelian, and has common origins with Samoyed and the languages spoken in the Volga basin. The most widely spoken of the Finno-Ugric languages is Hungarian, but similarities with Finnish are few.Widely spoken in tourist establishments.With 6% of the population speaking Swedish, Finland is officially a bilingual country. Finlandssvenska, or 'Finland's Swedish', is very similar to the language spoken in Sweden, but local dialects have many Finnish words. Lutheran & Orthodox
Currency: Euro (€)
Major industries: Metals and engineering equipment, telecommunications, timber and paper products
Major Trading Partners: EU (Germany, Sweden, UK), Russia, USA
Daylight Saving: From from late March or early April to end of October
Country Dialing Code: 358
Getting there and away
There are excellent flight connections to Finland from all over the world. Finnair and SAS have scheduled flights to Helsinki from most major cities in Europe, as well as from New York, San Francisco, Cairo, Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Sydney and Tokyo. Twenty-two other international airlines offer regular flights to Helsinki. There are no departure taxes when leaving Finland. Land crossings into Finland from Sweden and Norway are hassle-free, serviced by frequent buses and trains. Land crossings from Russia are a little more problematic, but border crossings are becoming more relaxed all the time. If you stick to the main tourist corridors (eg Helsinki-St Petersburg) you won't have any troubles, but make sure you have a Russian visa before you roll up at the frontier. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects Europe to Asia, although its popularity has declined in recent years due to the general state of chaos in Russia. You can buy a ticket in Helsinki for the Chinese border via Moscow. Beware of sharks offering discounted tickets on this service; it's almost certain you'll be ripped off. Baltic ferries run from Sweden, Estonia and Germany to Helsinki and Turku. The ferries are impressive seagoing craft and have been compared to hotels and shopping plazas; they actually make more money from duty-free shops than they do from passenger tickets!
Getting around
Finland has a superb network of domestic train, bus and air connections. Over 20 cities are linked by daily air services, as far north as Ivalo on the 67th parallel. Buses are the principal carriers of domestic and visitor traffic to more remote parts, although trains carry passengers efficiently along intercity routes right up to the Arctic Circle. The highway and freeway network is good between city centres, although you can encounter unsurfaced dirt and beaten tracks in the forests. No international licence is needed to drive in Finland, but you should carry your own licence when driving. Traffic keeps to the right and you should always drive with your headlights on. In most towns bicycles can be hired and are a recommended mode of transport during the summer. Lake and river ferries operate over the summer period, and come in handy if you're walking or cycling around the country.
Weather
If a winter in Finland is on the cards try the Baltic-tempered southwest coast; temperatures are still freezing but less so than around the rest of the country. Summers are quite sunny and pleasantly warm for the latitude, with the mercury travelling between 13 ° C (55 ° F) and 22 ° C (71 ° F) in July in the south and only slightly less up north. Rain is mild in summer and sleety in the long winter.
Places of Interest
Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a ramshackle cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.
During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands of trekkers every year. In the south, the capital Helsinki is a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.
Events
Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is a key feature of midsummer partying. The Pori Jazz Festival in July is one of the country's most popular festivals, but the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle, is the most famous. Some of the best (and the most international) festivals are the most remote: check out chamber music in Kuhmo, or folk music in Kaustinen (near Kokkola). There are big rock festivals during the Midsummer weekend, and big annual events, such as Ruisrock, the longest-running of rock festivals, at Turku in July. On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkaj รค rvi.
Related country: Estonia Country, Croatia Country, Armenia Country
Natural beauty, lots of elbow room and the fine art of the sauna. Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a ramshackle cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.
During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands of trekkers every year. In the south, the capital Helsinki is a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.
'Finland, Finland, Finland. The country where I want to be, Pony trekking or camping, Or just watching TV.' - Monty Python
Geography:
Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. Located between Sweden and Russia, with whom it shares borders, it also rubs up against Norway's arctic north. The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia. Forests cover two-thirds of the country, the arctic zone one-third. Post-glacial lakes are the country's dominant feature, and if marshes and bogs are also counted, water covers about 10% of the country. Finland's highest point, the Halti, rises 1328m (4357ft) above sea level.
Destination Facts
Capital: Helsinki
President: Tarja Halonen
Prime Minister: Matti Vanhanen
Government: presidential republic
Time zone: GMT +2
Area: 338000
Population: 5191000
People: Finns, minorities of Swedes, Sami, Roma
Languages: Finnish is a Uralic language and belongs to the Finno-Ugric group. It is closely related to Estonian and Karelian, and has common origins with Samoyed and the languages spoken in the Volga basin. The most widely spoken of the Finno-Ugric languages is Hungarian, but similarities with Finnish are few.Widely spoken in tourist establishments.With 6% of the population speaking Swedish, Finland is officially a bilingual country. Finlandssvenska, or 'Finland's Swedish', is very similar to the language spoken in Sweden, but local dialects have many Finnish words. Lutheran & Orthodox
Currency: Euro (€)
Major industries: Metals and engineering equipment, telecommunications, timber and paper products
Major Trading Partners: EU (Germany, Sweden, UK), Russia, USA
Daylight Saving: From from late March or early April to end of October
Country Dialing Code: 358
Getting there and away
There are excellent flight connections to Finland from all over the world. Finnair and SAS have scheduled flights to Helsinki from most major cities in Europe, as well as from New York, San Francisco, Cairo, Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Sydney and Tokyo. Twenty-two other international airlines offer regular flights to Helsinki. There are no departure taxes when leaving Finland. Land crossings into Finland from Sweden and Norway are hassle-free, serviced by frequent buses and trains. Land crossings from Russia are a little more problematic, but border crossings are becoming more relaxed all the time. If you stick to the main tourist corridors (eg Helsinki-St Petersburg) you won't have any troubles, but make sure you have a Russian visa before you roll up at the frontier. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects Europe to Asia, although its popularity has declined in recent years due to the general state of chaos in Russia. You can buy a ticket in Helsinki for the Chinese border via Moscow. Beware of sharks offering discounted tickets on this service; it's almost certain you'll be ripped off. Baltic ferries run from Sweden, Estonia and Germany to Helsinki and Turku. The ferries are impressive seagoing craft and have been compared to hotels and shopping plazas; they actually make more money from duty-free shops than they do from passenger tickets!
Getting around
Finland has a superb network of domestic train, bus and air connections. Over 20 cities are linked by daily air services, as far north as Ivalo on the 67th parallel. Buses are the principal carriers of domestic and visitor traffic to more remote parts, although trains carry passengers efficiently along intercity routes right up to the Arctic Circle. The highway and freeway network is good between city centres, although you can encounter unsurfaced dirt and beaten tracks in the forests. No international licence is needed to drive in Finland, but you should carry your own licence when driving. Traffic keeps to the right and you should always drive with your headlights on. In most towns bicycles can be hired and are a recommended mode of transport during the summer. Lake and river ferries operate over the summer period, and come in handy if you're walking or cycling around the country.
Weather
If a winter in Finland is on the cards try the Baltic-tempered southwest coast; temperatures are still freezing but less so than around the rest of the country. Summers are quite sunny and pleasantly warm for the latitude, with the mercury travelling between 13 ° C (55 ° F) and 22 ° C (71 ° F) in July in the south and only slightly less up north. Rain is mild in summer and sleety in the long winter.
Places of Interest
Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a ramshackle cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.
During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands of trekkers every year. In the south, the capital Helsinki is a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.
Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is a key feature of midsummer partying. The Pori Jazz Festival in July is one of the country's most popular festivals, but the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle, is the most famous. Some of the best (and the most international) festivals are the most remote: check out chamber music in Kuhmo, or folk music in Kaustinen (near Kokkola). There are big rock festivals during the Midsummer weekend, and big annual events, such as Ruisrock, the longest-running of rock festivals, at Turku in July. On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkaj รค rvi.
Related country: Estonia Country, Croatia Country, Armenia Country
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