With approximately 5.5 million inhabitants, Finland is the eight largest country in Europe. It is often called “Land of the thousand lakes”, although it had approximately 188,000 lakes at the last count.
A very popular tourist destination, Finland offers plenty of leisure activities as swimming and boating during the summer. But if you ever decide to visit, winter is the time to do it – the lakes become frozen and more than half of Finland is a giant skating playground, heaven for skaters and skiers. The ski resorts in Finland are spread almost everywhere, with a major plus up North where the ski slopes are different from each other, so every tourist can find one suited for him.
Skiing is not everything in Finland – some prefer the modern snowmobile to see the sights, while others enjoy the unique experience of a husky-sled. Up North, past the ski resorts and the hotels, the tourists can witness one of the most beautiful natural spectacles: the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights as the locals call it.
And if all this is not enough to make anyone jump in a plane and go visit Finland, Santa Claus should be a good enough reason. Living at the Artic Cirle, in the Finnish region of Lapland, Santa Claus can be seen by the people who visit the town of Rovaniemi, the Christmas Capital of the World.
Finland also has many castles, museums and churches. The castle-fort of Olavinlinna in Savonlinna, built in the 15th century, is the world’s most northern stone fortress still standing.
Helsinki, the capital city of Finland is relatively small, with around half a million inhabitants. As Helsinki is located on the coast of the Baltic Sea, most of the central districts are near the seaside, and during the summer many ferries leave the port on sightseeing trips. Another good place to visit while in Helsinki is Suomenlinna, a naval fortress, and Seuraasari Island, known for its large park and open-air museum.
A diverse range of outdoor events gather people from all over the world here. Skating in the center of Helsinki or cross-country skiing on the outskirts should offer everyone the adventure they seek. If the outdoor events are not your thing, Helsinki has over 80 museums and galleries for all art and history lovers
