Finland
Finland
Capital city description
Helsinki is the capital of Finland, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the Nordic region, located in southern Finland's Uusimaa region on the Gulf of Finland's shores. It serves as a political, cultural, economic, and educational hub in Finland. Most of the important government buildings of Finland are situated in the capital city of Finland.
The Eduskunta, or the Finnish Parliament consisting of 200 members, meets at the Parliament House located in Helsinki. Helsinki also houses two of the three official residences for the President of Finland, the Presidential Palace, and Mäntyniemi, the third being the Kultaranta in Naantali. Additionally, it is home to one of the influential buildings in Finland, the nation's Supreme Court.
Climate
Finland has a continental climate with equal precipitation throughout the year. In the southwest, summers are warm; at the same time, the rest of the country summers are cool. However, Finland is still much warmer than other countries at the same latitude. It is mainly due to the proximity of relatively warm seawater and the absence of high mountains.
The least rainy and snowy period is from February to April. The rainiest periods are summer and autumn. In the center-south, August is generally a bit rainier than July.
- Spring: March to May
- Summer: June to August
- Autumn: September to November
- Winter: December to February
Languages spoken
Finnish and Swedish are the two official languages in Finland. Finnish is the most widely spoken language in the country, while Swedish is the mother tongue of a minority of 5.6% of the country's total population.
Fun/Fascinating Facts
- There are 187,888 lakes (larger than 500 m²) within the boundaries of Finland. Saimaa, Finland's largest lake, is Europe's fourth-largest lake. The lake is also home to the most endangered freshwater seal in the world – "The Saimaa." Approximately 310 Saimaa are left in the lake.
- Finland has the world's highest annual consumption of milk per capita. That's approximately one quart per person per day. The Finns consume milk in its liquid forms, such as sour milk or curd milk, and other dairy products like ice cream, cheese, and yogurt.
- There are approximately 2.2 million saunas in Finland. Amazingly, there are more saunas than cars in Finland, even one in a Burger King!
- In Finland, they have 'National Sleepy Head Day,' where the last person to wake up is thrown into a lake or the sea by the rest of the family.
- The Wife-Carrying Race Originated In Finland. Wife-carrying, also known in Finland as eukonkanto, is a competition in which men carry their female teammates (traditionally their wives) and race against other competitors through a particular obstacle track. The one who finishes first is declared the winner. The winner receives a prize of beer worth the weight of his wife. The sport was first introduced in Sonkajärvi, Finland. Today, Sonkajärvi serves as the venue for the Wife Carrying World Championships.
Unique Customs/Traditions
- Finns greet by shaking hands – both men and women. Local customs do not allow various approaching gestures such as clapping on the shoulders or back, hugs, kisses. When greeting a married couple, the wife should be greeted first, except on a formal occasion where the hosts should first be greeted by the spouse to whom the invitation was addressed. Children are greeted by shaking hands too. Embracing people when welcoming them is rare in Finland.
- A man greeting someone in the street should raise his hat; in the cold of winter, a touch of the hand to the brim of the hat is enough.
- Sauna is a vital part of the Finnish lifestyle, and we have over 2 million saunas in a land with 5.5 million people. Saunas are a part of daily lives and play a role in some.
- Eukonkanto is a traditional fun sport of Finns. A man carries his wife through a particular competition track filled with set obstacles. The "wife" can be carried in several ways: piggyback (on the back), fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband's shoulders, holding onto his waist). The prize for the winner is determined by the weight of his female teammate and is paid in beer.
- Finns are very traditional about eating certain dishes at a certain point of the year. They have Christmas ham (joulukinkku) with carrot casserole, classic Finnish rutabaga casserole, and potato casserole. At Easter, they eat mämmi and pasha, and in summer, they celebrate the crab season by eating crab (rapujuhla). Karjalanpiirakka is a typical Finnish pastry that people eat all around the year.
Popular universities
Name | Description | |
---|---|---|
Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki) | Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in Helsinki, Uusimaa. Established in 1640, Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki) is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland. Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki) offers courses and programs such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. Through the power of science, the University has contributed to society, education, and welfare since 1640. | |
Aalto-yliopisto (Aalto University) | Aalto-yliopisto (Aalto University) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in Espoo, Uusimaa. Aalto-yliopisto (Aalto University) is a multidisciplinary community where science and art meet technology and business. It offers courses and programs such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. | |
Turun yliopisto (University of Turku) | Founded in 1920, Turun yliopisto University of Turku (Turun yliopisto) was the first Finnish-language university in the country, located in the small city of Turku, Southwest Finland. Turun yliopisto (University of Turku) offers study and research opportunities in seven faculties and seven special units. | |
Jyväskylän yliopisto (University of Jyväskylä) | Jyväskylän yliopisto (University of Jyväskylä) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the small city of Jyväskylä, Central Finland, founded in 1934. The Jyväskylän yliopisto (University of Jyväskylä) is a nationally and internationally significant research university with expertise in education and a focus on human and natural sciences. It is home to the following seven faculties: Humanities, Information Technology, Education, Business and Economics, Sport and Health Sciences, Mathematics and Science, and Social Sciences. | |
Oulun yliopisto (University of Oulu) | The Oulun yliopisto (University of Oulu), founded in 1958, is one of Finland's most prominent and most multidisciplinary universities. The University of Oulu is an international science university that creates new knowledge, well-being, and innovations for the future through research and education. The Oulun yliopisto (University of Oulu) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. | |
Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto (Lappeenranta University of Technology) | Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto (Lappeenranta University of Technology) is a public science university in Finland, established in 1969. It is located in the urban setting of the small city of Lappeenranta. The university offers 26 Master’s, 6 Bachelor’s, doctoral, exchange, and seasonal programs in technology and business. | |
Tampereen yliopisto (Tampere University) | Tampereen yliopisto (Tampere University) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the small city of Tampere, Pirkanmaa. The Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC) at Tampere University provides a unique, multidisciplinary environment for research and education. Tampere University offers various inspiring programs taught in English. | |
Itä-Suomen yliopisto (University of Eastern Finland) | Itä-Suomen yliopisto (University of Eastern Finland) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Joensuu, North Karelia, founded in 2010. The University of Eastern Finland offers a great variety of Master’s degree programs taught in English and non-degree programs that cater, in particular, to the needs of exchange students. | |
Åbo Akademi (Åbo Akademi University) | Åbo Akademi (Åbo Akademi University) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Turku, Southwest Finland. This institution also has a branch campus in Vaasa. Åbo Akademi (ÅAU) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. | |
Vaasan yliopisto (University of Vaasa) | Vaasan yliopisto (University of Vaasa) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Vaasa Ostrobothnia, founded in 1966. Vaasan yliopisto (VY/UVA) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. |
Festivals & Events

Midsummer
Date: Between June 20th and 26th
Also known as Juhannus, the Midsummer festival is a traditional Finnish festival on a Saturday between June 20th and 26th. It celebrates the summer solstice, with most city dwellers heading to their summer cottage in Lakeland, where plenty of drinking and bonfires occur.
Bonfires are lit at lakesides, and by the sea, branches of birch trees are placed on both sides of the front door, a maypole is erected. The unmarried women who seek husbands bend over and look into a well naked to see their future husband’s reflection or collect seven different flowers to place under their pillow so they can dream about their future husbands.

Pori Jazz
Date: 10th July to 18th July
Pori Jazz is an enormous international jazz festival held annually in Kirjurinluoto Arena, the only open-air concert park in Finland, located in the coastal city of Pori, Finland. It is one of the oldest and most prominent.
Pori Jazz offers a vast contingent of the world's leading artists ranging from long-established figures to up-and-coming stars. Multiple world-famous musicians, including James Brown, Phil Collins, Miles Davis, Alicia Keys, Jamiroquai, Macy Gray, Kanye West, and Sting, have performed at the festival through the years.

Baltic Circle Festival
Date: November ( date varies)
Baltic Circle Festival is an international contemporary art and film festival organized in Helsinki every November. New talents for contemporary theatre are a platform for developing recent trends and ideas; it helps bring together the Baltic and Nordic communities and is considered a meeting point for artists, audiences, and performing artists from different nations.

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival
Date: July
First observed in 1968, Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is celebrated annually in Kaustinen, Finland, held in July. The festival nominates the Master Folk Musician, the Ensemble of the Year, and Festival Ensembles amongst prominent Finnish folk musicians. Nevertheless, it is the most significant folk music and dance festival in the Nordic Countries, which hosts artists worldwide, both professional and amateurs. There are over 3,000 performers from Finland and other countries every year.

Christmas Season
Date: 25th December and 31st December
Christmas is one of the most significant holidays in Finland Christmas season starts from Christmas eve and ends 13 days after Christmas, in which there is plenty of merrymaking, shopping, holiday drinks, winter activities, and so on. Sweet pastries, cakes, and biscuits are Finnish Christmas treats loved by people of all ages. One of the most cherished tasks of Christmas-time is decorating gingerbread, often hung on the branch of a beautiful spruce tree.

ANTI - Contemporary Art Festival
Date: September
ANTI - Contemporary Art Festival is an annual international live-art festival that uses modern cityscapes for contemporary art performances and installations, held in Kuopio, Finland. The first ANTI Festival was organized in 2002 by The Arts Council of Northern Savonia.
The festival showcases live art and works based on sound, images, and text by some of the most exciting and innovative contemporary artists. The ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival focuses on time- and site-specific works.

Walpurgis Night
Date: 30th April - 1st May
In Finland, Walpurgis night is also called Vappu or “Vappen,” one of the biggest holidays in Finland. Walpurgis Night aligns with the Spring Festival. It witnesses the biggest carnival-style festival held in Finland’s cities and towns.
The festival, which begins on the evening of 30 April and continues on 1 May, typically centers on the consumption of sima, sparkling wine, and other alcoholic beverages. Student traditions, particularly those of engineering students, are one of the main characteristics of Vappu. People party on the streets, have picnics, and wear decorative clothing.

Konemetsä - Open Air Forest Festival
Date: July
Konemetsä - Open Air Forest Festival is an electronic music festival held in South West of Finland in the village of Ollila in Marttila county. The distinctive aspect of the festival is that the music is played continuously 24 hours/day on four stages. Other unique characteristic elements are that the Main Stage is in the middle of a forest surrounded by a natural amphitheater.
In addition, the sauna is one of the most distinct parts of Konemetsä. It’s warmed up before the festival, and it’s kept hot during the whole event. Showers are located in the sauna area. The camping area is open for the audience from noon Thursday 2nd July. C
Attractions / Top Sights

Vantaa
When to visit: Between May to October
Located in southern Finland, in the region of Uusimaa and the Helsinki sub-region, is the beautiful, lively city of Vantaa. The city boasts a wealth of cultural and natural attractions. Arts – Vantaa City Art Museum is a new art museum specializing in graffiti, street art, and performance art. In Vantaa City Museum, housed in the Old Railway Station Building in Tikkurila, visitors can explore the region's history beginning thousands of years ago and progressing to the present. Vantaa is home to the Finnish Aviation Museum, where there are over two dozen aircraft on display, both civilian and military, and other aviation-oriented exhibits. The library lists more than 16,000 books and magazines on aviation; the museum also possesses an extensive collection of aviation-related photography and three different flight simulators.

Suomenlinna Fortress
When to visit: Between May to September
One of the world's most extensive sea fortresses, the 18th-century fort on Suomenlinna The remarkable fortifications, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were built in 1847 by the Swedes to scare off the Russians.
Suomenlinna Fortress has become a famous destination with tourists and locals who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. It offers at least a day's diversions: several museums, bunkers, fortress walls, and Finland's only remaining WWII submarine. Cafes and picnic spots are plentiful.

Turku
When to visit: June to September
The southwestern oldest town, Turku, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia is Finland's most traditional medieval town with eight centuries of history. Still, in addition to its outstanding medieval buildings, you'll find examples of Art Nouveau and modern architecture, such as the Sibelius Museum, by Woldemar Baeckman. The river is a focal point for the city, lined with historic boats, some of which have been converted into restaurants. In the summer, locals gather along its banks in the evening, and it becomes a giant skating rink in winter.
The medieval cathedral, consecrated in 1290, rises above the Old Great Square on the opposite bank. It is a massive brick church in Late Romanesque style with Gothic and Renaissance additions and a vast 97-meter-high tower, which dominates the city.

Rovaniemi
When to visit: Between June and September
When to visit: https://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/
One of the best tourist attractions in Finland, Rovaniemi, is the epicenter of Finnish Lapland, situated right a few minimal miles south of the Arctic Circle. It's a perfect spot to find the dazzling Northern Lights at night that shows vibrant patterns of glowing lights that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky, making it one of the world's best picturesque views.
Moreover, Rovaniemi is the formal hometown of the man in the red suit himself: Santa Claus and SantaPark Arctic World, Christmas theme park, which is one of most favorite visitor's attractions in Rovaniemi, which is located 8 km (5 mi) north of the center.

Olvinlinna Castle
When to visit: June to September
Situated in the Saimaa Lake area of Finland, Olvinlinna Castle is a genuinely magnificent tourist attraction in Finland. Founded in 1475 by a Danish knight named Erik Axelsson Tott, the castle boasts three colossal rock towers on a tiny island reachable via a bridge. This impressive historic fortress is home to a Castle museum and Orthodox Museum.
Castle museum narrates the castle’s history and displays artifacts found in the castle discovered within the centuries. At the same time, the Orthodox Museum exhibits icons and other religious artifacts from Finland and Russia. Furthermore, the castle has held its Annual Opera Festival since 1912, attracting guests worldwide.

Urho Kekkonen National park
When to visit: March
When to visit: https://www.nationalparks.fi/urhokekkonennp
Urho Kekkonen National park is the second largest in Finland, situated in Lapland. This expansive park extends eastwards from the resort of Saariselkä through the wilderness of Finnish Lapland to the Russian border. It is very diverse and attracts hikers, trekkers, and skiers.
Urho Kekkonen National Park looks stunningly beautiful in its diversity; clear streams, deep gorges, and rolling hills make up the spectacular natural landscape, which changes dramatically from season to season, transitioning from verdant green to sparkling white.

Porvoo
When to visit: May to early September
Located on the southern shore of Finland, Porvoo is one of the most ancient towns in the country, dating back to the 14th century. It has become well-known for the ruby red wooden houses that line the Porvoonjoki River on the edge of town. The river flows out into the Gulf of Finland, connecting Porvoo to Helsinki, and during the summertime, a charming steamboat transports visitors between the two places.
The town boasts idyllic parks, an open market square, picturesque landmark buildings, cobblestone streets, and trendy shops and restaurants with open-air patios. Undoubtedly, one of the excellent places in Finland to spend a holiday or trip.

Lake Saimaa
When to visit: June to September
Lake Saimaa is an enormous lake in Finland and home to over ten thousand islands, situated in Eastern Finland between the Cities of Lappeenranta and Joensuu. It is a diverse chain of waters almost 200 km long. It comprises winding waterways, lush green islands, and dense forests.
Countless bays, points, and shoals make for great fishing grounds. It is exceptionally famous with Finnish cottagers and visiting tourists; kayaking and trekking are the area’s most favorite activities.

Tampere
When to visit: May to September
In Southern Finland, Tampere is located between two big lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, and is one of the most crowded towns in Finland. Tampere is home to many ancient intricately structured cathedrals such as Tampere Cathedral and Kaleva Church.
Additionally, the city has always offered a wide variety of cultures. Tourists can find the outrageous art inside Tampere Cathedral, constructed in 1902, or know about Kaleva Church, which is outlined like a fish when seen from above. There is a plentiful selection of festivals and concert venues, and Tampere is also known as Finland's "theatre capital."

Skiing in Levi
When to visit: October
Located in the municipality of Kittilä, in the northern most region of Lapland, Levi, a chilling yet exciting resort for all winter recreation, is lighted for night skiing with miles of scenic Nordic ski trails. Visitors come to Levi for its fantastic skiing. Facilities in Levi are modern and clean. The world-class slopes are nearly empty most of the year, lines for the chair lifts are non-existent, and the area generates regular snowfall.
Several dining and nightlife options cater to the skiers at Levi Resort; besides skiing, there are many other snow-related activities in the vicinity, including snowmobiling, husky, reindeer safaris, and snowshoeing. Visitors should not miss visiting Levin Iglut Resort while in the area, famous for its glass-roofed igloos.