This morning, pulling on a pair of wool socks, I realized autumn has unmistakably arrived. So I sat down and made a list of some genuinely traditional Finnish signs of the season — things that hold true all across Finland, even though the practical details of getting ready for autumn vary somewhat depending on what […]
The mid-morning sun is already shining at full strength, but the thermometer reads only about ten degrees of crisp warmth. The air drifting over the bog smells of autumn. The forest floor around us is blanketed in blueberry and bog bilberry shrubs turned red, and the pale lichen coat covering the rocks is cold and […]
I had been waiting for quite a while for a day when all of the following elements would line up at once: fine weather, a weekday, good company, a reason to be in Turku, and a free schedule. When such a day finally arrived, I knew exactly what to do: I would walk the route […]
As late summer settles over the coast and everyday routines resume in many Finnish households, one hiking destination after another grows quiet again. This is the time of year when even summer’s busiest spots can be experienced in peace, while the weather is still holding onto its warm, gentle character. We headed out on a […]
Liessaari Island rises straight out of Lake Lohjanjärvi, right in front of the town of Lohja. A footbridge leads onto the island, and waiting at the far end is a peaceful sandy beach lined with tall pines. The wooded island has a network of trails. There are also lean-to shelters available. Liessaari, Lohja On summer […]
Last year at Finland, Naturally we put together a list called A Metalhead’s Travel Guide to Finland, featuring Finnish travel destinations that are connected, in one way or another, to metal music. The list includes many otherwise well-known destinations, some of which have served as filming locations for music videos. But when you think about […]
In the village of Muurla in Salo, there’s a short path leading up a wooded hill, at the top of which a stone ancient burial cairn spreads out in a ring shape in a beautiful spot. The grave doesn’t offer views into the distance, but together with the surrounding trees, the path, and the undergrowth, […]
If you only have one long afternoon in Hanko, I would personally recommend two things above everything else: a stroll along the grand wooden villas of Appelgrenintie road (along which you’ll also find one of Hanko’s most famous beaches, Bellevue), and the Tulliniemi (Uddskatan) nature trail, which winds through beautiful shoreline nature all the way […]
When someone comes to visit me in Salo from far away, I always know where I’ll take them. We head for Teijo National Park, to its very best spots: Lake Matildanjärvi and Teerisaari. Over the years I’ve gotten to lead wonderful guests down these paths — from Lapland, from Ukraine, and most recently from Alta […]
We arrived in Rovaniemi in the early evening, after almost 12 hours on the road from southern Finland, winding our way up through the small towns of Ostrobothnia. There’s an easier way to get here — the night train will take you from Helsinki straight to Rovaniemi without you lifting a finger — but our […]
