Land of a thousand lakes and infinite saunas — the Northern Lights above Lapland's reindeer, the midnight sun in summer, Helsinki's design districts, and a silence so profound it is classified as a national export.
- Capital
- Helsinki
- Population
- 5,645,651
- Area
- 337,030 km²
- Languages
- Finnish, Swedish
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- GDP
- $303,945M
Good to know
Driving side
Right
National dish
Karjalanpaisti, Mämmi, Sautéed reindeer
Annual visitors
896,000 (2020)
Safety
Very low (0.98/100k)
Avg temp
2.5°C
Religion
Christianity
Coast
Coastal
Travel guide
Finland (Finnish: Suomi, Swedish: Finland) is a country with vast areas of unspoiled nature speckled with comfortable small towns and cities. Scraped flat by sheets of ice during several ice ages, Finland lacks the dramatic mountains and fjords of its Nordic neighbours but makes up for it with 188,000 lakes and a similar number of islands. Finland extends into the Arctic, where the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun can be seen. The mythical mountain of Korvatunturi is said to be the home of Santa Claus, and there is a Santaland in Rovaniemi. While Finland is a high-technology welfare state, Finns love to head to their summer cottages in the warmer months to enjoy all manner of relaxing pastimes including sauna, swimming, fishing and barbecuing during the short but bright summer. Finland has a distinctive language and culture that sets it apart from both Scandinavia and Russia. While Finnish culture is ancient, the country only became independent in 1917, shortly after the collapse of the Russian Empire.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Finland
Best time to visit
Northern Lights season: September–March in Lapland. Santa Claus Village best December–March. Midnight sun: June–July in the north. Helsinki is pleasant April–September. Lake districts (Savonlinna, Tampere) best June–August.
Visa
Citizens of US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and most Western countries receive 90 days Schengen visa-free in Finland.
Public holidays
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (7)
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Major cities
Helsinki
A design-forward Baltic capital — saunas, ferries to Estonia, Suomenlinna sea fortress, and the Amos Rex art museum underground.
Rovaniemi
The official hometown of Santa Claus, on the Arctic Circle — Northern Lights, husky safaris, and reindeer sleigh rides.
Turku
Finland's oldest city with a medieval castle, archipelago access, and a lively food market scene.