THREE ISLANDS, TWO NATURE TRAILS AND  A LILY POND: EKENÄS ARCHIPELAGO NATIONAL PARK IS PARADISE FOR PADDLERS

➡ Paddling distance 20km ? 2 Campfire spots: Fladalandet ja Modermagan ℹ Area information ℹ Ekenäs Archipelago National Park ? Departure point on the map Everyone I know has some kind of a ‘soul landscape’ – a landscape in which they feel they truly belong. I know people who feel at their most alive in mountains. I know many, who […]

Sleighride at Konttila farm in winter, Puijo, Kuopio, Finland. Photo: Upe Nykänen

On a one-horse open sleigh at Puijo, Kuopio

Prancing through the snow, on a one-horse open sleigh? Come on, it’s not Xmas… Little did we expect that our day trip to Puijo hill on an ordinary winter day in February would include a sleighride! Our main reason for visiting Konttila farm on top of Puijo ridge, only few kilometres from the city centre […]

The Lakes Are Calling

Over the last few months I’ve been fairly busy with things other than photography, but never too busy for an occasional trip to the water. The Finnish lakes have once again been calling my name and spoiling me with moments of tranquility and a feeling that makes me appreciate life in the greater sense. I […]

Can You Pet a Reindeer? Here’s How to Befriend One

In Northern Finland, there are several reindeer parks where visitors can meet and feed adorable domesticated reindeer. One of these parks, called Kopara Reindeer Park, is located in the Luosto area in the heart of Lapland. One day, I visited Kopara with my husband and his daughter. I must confess—I’m crazy about reindeer. I was […]

The polar night is not pitch black, it’s magically blue! See what Kaamos actually looks like

While walking my son to school yesterday morning we noticed a peculiar phenomenon – the Sun was rising! Living in Finland teaches us from the birth that winters are long. Not because of the cold and snow but because of the long darkness. Kaamos is a Finnish word for polar night. It’s a beautiful word […]

Come to the dark side, we have lightkayaks

Repovesi is one of Finland’s most popular national parks in the summer time, but when winter arrives, there is hardly anybody. November is perhaps the least popular month to go in the nature. That is why I believe it is the best time to see familiar places in a new way. In November, the day […]

Northern Lights in Silence

The majority of the world’s people have never seen northern lights with their own eyes. Only 2% of the world’s population lives in an area where you can see northern lights. The Finnish Lapland is one of them. Electrically charged particles (electrons and protons) burst out from the Sun and enter the Earth’s atmosphere at a […]

Finland has the cleanest air in the world – and that’s a fact!

The cleanest air in the world is in Finnish Lapland. It is proven that the world’s cleanest respiratory air is in the Muonio municipality of Western Lapland. In Muonio, there are only 4 microgrammes of particles of under 10 micrometres in a cubic metre, while in the world’s dirtiest city, Nigeria’s Onitsha, there are almost […]

How to take good photos of Northern lights? These 4 easy steps will help you capture the magic of the sky

Northern lights are one phenomena which everybody should see at least once in their lifetime. You need some luck to see them. Even if the odds are in your favor, it’s never 100% sure that they will show up. Fortunately Finnish Lapland usually offers pretty good conditions for an amazing light show. Every now and […]

How does it feel when the temperature is below -30C?

There is only one way to describe it: it feels cold, at first, but then after you’re getting warmer you realize it becomes the thing you’ve been missing your whole life. After ten hour drive we finally reach our destination at the edge of the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park. The latter hours of driving were battling […]