PEAKLIFE

With Visit Finland magnifying Finland as a Unique Bucket List Destination amongst Indians, here is a list of 14 things one can do in Finland

The landscape of Finland is a pristine paradise for nature lovers. Design, architecture, culture, and shopping are all great exploration angles with stunning national parks, forests, lakes, and the coastline with numerous islands.

Helsinki

The capital of Finland, Helsinki, is a vibrant seaside city of beautiful Islands surrounded by great green parks. The city’s rhythm is laid back yet at the same time refreshingly active in terms of both number and quality of restaurants and nightclubs. Needless to say, there’s something going on in Helsinki every day of the year.

 

• Go for a picnic on one of the archipelago islands

 

The archipelago of Helsinki consists of around 330 islands, providing a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Spend a sunny summer’s day at any of the islands and enjoy its picturesque sandy beaches, these islands also offer great spots for sunbathers and swimmers.

 

• Walk in Kallio, a neighbourhood full of cool bars, cafes, and boutiques

 

Kallio, over the years, has upgraded and undergone a transformation with more young, diverse, and entrepreneurial population. Here the run-down charm here is the trendy cafes, brunch spots and boutiques, moreover, the neighbourhood hasn’t lost its distinctiveness.

 

• Shop for local delicacies from the food halls and markets

 

The century-old market hall serves all local delicacies like the vegetables, fish and freshly baked bread to jewellery, clothing, and vintage stamps.

 

• Take a daytrip to Porvoo, Finland’s second oldest city

 

Porvoo is most famous for its charming Old Town that dates back to the Middle Ages and is filled with adorable cafés, restaurants, and handicraft boutiques. Walk around the beautiful manors, museums, churches, and chapels characterise at the Porvoo.

 

• Try one of the neighbourhood saunas in the city

 

The city has some of the Saunas, where one can relax and cleanse yourself. The centre also has several kinds of sauna, including a traditional smoke sauna, which you might enjoy after a refreshing cruise on the lakes of the national park.

 

Lapland

 

• Experience the wilderness of extremes from twilight to the Night less Night.

 

Finland experiences 24-hour sunlight, during the summers, but at the same time has no sunlight in winters. So, the summer is more fun with this phenomenon of Midnight sunlight.

 

• Doze off under the northern lights in a glass igloo

 

The thrill of witnessing the Aurora Borealis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. Finland is one of the best places on Earth to spot the Northern Lights – they appear on more than 200 nights a year in Finnish Lapland.

 

• Go on No ordinary winter’s ride with huskies or reindeer.

 

Reindeer sleigh rides are a popular way to get close to the fabled animal. Eco-friendly holiday activity at its best, the sleigh ride is not a tourism industry innovation, but an ancient Sámi way of getting around. Rides usually last from 10 minutes to a few hours.

 

• Have you ever sent a letter to Santa?

 

Now you can hop on his lap and tell him in person. Rovaniemi is the Official Hometown of Santa Claus, and the city’s most famous resident can be visited every day of the year in Santa Claus Village that lies right on the Arctic Circle in Lapland.

 

• Throw yourself into the local life amid the power of nature and get to know the Sami Culture.

 

Leave the clock behind and explore the vast expanses of the breath-taking Sámi homeland in Finnish Lapland, join in the festivals and activities of the locals, and get to know their way of life. We introduce you to just a few “Sámi things” you can experience over the course of a year.

 

Lakeland

 

• Rent a cottage in Finland’s most idyllic setting

 

Spending holidays at lakeside cottages is an essential part of life in Finland, and Lakeland is prime cottage country. General relaxation with laid-back activities is central in cottage life.

 

• Photograph bears in their natural setting- at night

 

Finland is home to more than 1,500 bears, though they are only seldom seen, since they are shy of people. Several wildlife tour operators run excursions out into the forests of Eastern Finland where you can stay overnight in a hide and watch and photograph wild bears who come to feed on fishy or meaty scraps put out to attract them.

 

• Forage for berries and mushrooms

 

Foraging is an age-old practice in Finland and still very much a part of the culture. Finns head to the woods in numbers to gather wild, seasonal foods that are free for the picking. The Finnish forests are covered in nutrient-rich arctic superfoods in summer and early autumn, offering a short but bountiful growing season.

 

• Visit the Savonlinna Opera Festival

 

Savonlinna has become an icon among opera-lovers, for it is more than just home of the Savonlinna Opera Festival in an ancient castle; it is also an idyllic little town set amid lakes, islands and forests, light summer nights, and a stimulating cultural atmosphere.

Having witnessed robust growth in tourist arrivals and overnights from the Indian market, Visit Finland, reinstated their focus in Indian Market with a conference in New Delhi recently at the Embassy of Finland.