Finland

Quick Facts

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Local name

Suomi

Capital

Helsinki

Government

Republic

Nationality

Finnish

Population

5 316 800^[1]

Languages

Finnish, Swedish

Religions

Christianity (Protestant)

Currency

Euro (EUR) €

Calling Code

+358

Time Zone

EET (UTC+2)

Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

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Introduction

Helsinki

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Despite sharing its eastern border with Russia, Finland lasted the Cold War period without losing its independence to the Soviets. It sustained some considerable economic blows from the downfall of the Soviet Union, but Finland has emerged as a competitive modern economy.

Finnish culture and tradition remains strikingly unique, however. Finns are renowned for their silence; ironically, one of music's finest composers, Jean Sibelius was a Finn. Nature's habit of granting Finland the midnight sun during summer and robbing it of day during winter has a profound effect on national morale. Winter is commonly accompanied by depression; summer brings a time of relief and pleasure-seeking. It is then that many trek through the rugged northern interior, enjoying Europe's largest unspoilt wilderness. Others favour the capital, Helsinki, where Finland's finest art collections are held. Still others simply head for a relaxing sauna.

Brief History

Geography

Finland shares international borders with Sweden, Norway and Russia. There is ferry service to Estonia, Denmark and Sweden.

Regions

Finland is divided into these six administrative provinces (lääni):

• Eastern Finland
• Finnish Lapland
• Oulu
• Southern Finland - includes the capital Helsinki
• Western Finland
• Åland - an autonomous and group of islands off the southwestern coast of Finland where Swedish is spoken

Cities

• Helsinki - The nation's capital city.
• Turku
• Tampere
• Vantaa
• Espoo
• Oulu
• Rovaniemi
• Ivalo

Sights and Activities

Sauna

The Finns love their saunas. All older Finnish apartment buildings were built with large group saunas in the basement, while in newer buildings each unit has their own little private sauna. The modern sauna or wood sauna can be lots of fun, especially in the country side next to lake that traveller can jump into to cool off, the more traditional smoke sauna is the true Finnish experience.

A smoke sauna is always built in the country side next to a lake and looks similar to a little hut. A fire it lit under rocks inside the hut for several hours then the coals are left on the rocks to slowly let the heat diffuse into the stones. After this the group of people climb into the little hut the inside is covered in soot and ash. In the center of the hut there is a little tub with water that has fresh birch branches resting in it. The people in the smoke sauna take turns hitting themselves and each other while cooking sausages over the rocks. Water is constantly poured onto the rocks making the room hotter and hotter. Finally, after the first person cracks and runs out in the lake, everyone follows to cool off.

Helsinki Nightlife

Although not cheap, the nightlife in Helsinki is one of the best in Europe. Start off with drinking some street beers with a few locals at a major street intersection. Then progress to an amazing dance club were there are more beautiful blonde men and women than the eyes can handle. After that duck out and hit up a few more street drinks before heading to another dance club. In the summer time since the sun never sets one can just dance the sunlight away!

Lapland

Take the trip above the arctic circle to the Lapland. In the summertime it is 24 hours of day light, while in the winter time it is 24 hours of darkness. This location is the traditional home to the Sami, a minority group that lives in northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. The Sami were traditional reindeer herders and some still do it to this day. Also in the Lapland there is some great skiing and hiking.

Other Sights and Activities

• Uspensky Cathedral - Is a great cathedral on the hill above senate square in Helsinki
• Summer Festivals - Dance to the great live music and fun atmosphere as Finns live up the sunlight at countless small towns summer festivals.
• Hikes and Trekking - Enjoy the wonderful wilderness that Finland has to offer.
• Amusement Parks - Take a ride on a roller coaster in small towns like Tampere.
• Reindeer Sled Rides - During the winter time take a reindeer sled ride in the Lapland.

Events and Festivals

Mid Summers Eve

Mid Summers Eve also known as the summer solstice and is one of the biggest holidays in Finland and is on June 24 every year. With very long nights during the winters the Fins known when the celebrate the sunlight and boy do they do it in style. Most families go to their summer cottages get the sauna going, the meat cooks, the booze flowing and the bonfire burning. In the traditional Finish celebration of Mid Summers Eve is to build a large bonfire by the lake and let the thing burn. In the more Swedish areas of Finland there might be some maypoles but must Fins always want a bonfire.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

The major airport in Finland is the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (IATA: HEL; ICAO: EFHK). The main airlines that fly in and out of Helsinki are Finnair, Scandinavian Airlines, and Blue1. Remember that many other regional airlines and budget airlines also have service to Helsinki airport. This makes it possible to travel to most places in the world to and from Helsinki with relative ease. There are less frequent international flights at the airports in Tampere, Rovaniemi and Turku.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

Finnair operates a number of domestic flights. Budget airline Blue1 has several connections throughout the country as well, including Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Kuusamo and Oulu.

By Train

Finnish Railways operates an extensive network of trains in the country. The main lines include Helsinki to Turku, Helsinki to Tampere and Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä to Kuopio and Helsinki to Seinäjoki, Oulu and up north to Rovaniemi, the most northern point to be reached by train in Finland. Sleeping berths are available as well as railpasses valid for 3,5 and 10 days of unlimited travel within a month.

By Car

Finland has a well maintained network of roads. There aren't that many highways, but even the other primary and secondary roads are in a good condition, even in winter. There are numerous car rental agencies at airports and cities but it is not really cheap. This also applies to petrol and be especially careful regarding speeding. Speeding tickets are related to income! Traffic drives on the right, you have to use headlights 24 hours a day, and watch out for reindeer and other animals crossing roads. You have to be 20 to 25 years of age (depending on company) and one year of driving experience.

By Bus

For bus tickets contact Matkahuolto. Finland has an extensive network and most routes, even those to smaller towns and villages, have at least daily services, except weekends and holidays. Trains usually are faster but don't cover most areas of the country.

By Boat

Transport on inland rivers and lakes is served by regular waterbuses and ferries. One of the options is the Silver Line between Hämeenlinna and Tampere. There is also a connection between Tampere and Virrat.
Saimaa Ferries operates boats from Lieksa, Nurmes, Koli and Joensuu across the lakes. Lake Paijanne Cruises runs boatservices from Lahti, Heinola and Jyväskylä while Roll Cruises has ferries from Kuopio and Savonlinna. Lake Pielinen has frequent services for both passengers and cars.
Visit the Finnish Tourist Board for complete schedules, prices and services regarding boats, ferries, cruises and other options on boat travel.

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Finland has adopted the Euro (ISO code: EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.

Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. The highest three denominations are rarely used in everyday transactions. All Euro banknotes have a common design for each denomination on both sides throughout the Eurozone.

The Euro coins are 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Some countries in the Eurozone have law which requires cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. All Euro coins have a common design on the denomination (value) side, while the opposite side may have a different image from one country to another. Although the image side may be different, all Euro coins remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.

Work

Study

Language

The two official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. The Swedish is spoken by only 6% of the population, and other languages, though not as commonly spoken, are Russian, Estonian, English, Somali, Sami and Arabic. Luckily almost everyone knows enough English as a second language in order to conversational.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

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