What to See In: Finland: Helsinki ...

Visiting Finland

Finland was originally settled by humans over ten thousand years ago as testified to by prehistoric cave paintings and other amazing evidence.  Pottery has been recovered from some of the hunter-gatherer societies that lived in the area for centuries, and you can watch the development from Stone Age tools to agriculture in the third millennium BC. 

Finland has long had association with the Kingdom of Sweden including a First and Second Swedish crusade to Finland, the second of which led to the conquest of the country.  Christianity, already present in missionaries and verifiable artifacts, was brought full-scale to the country by the conquerors, as well as the Swedish language, which became the language of the nobility. 

Finland remained under Swedish rule until March of 1809 at which time Russian Emperor Alexander I conquered the country and set it up as a semi-autonomous Russian Duchy.  The Finnish language began a resurgence at this point, and the Duchy began to develop her national pride again.  In December of 1917, Finland declared her independence and has been her own country again for almost a hundred years. 

The climate of Finland may have some of that subarctic chill in the north, however the southern part of the country is actually rather temperate.  The country is near enough to the Gulf Stream to be warmed by the waters therein, lending a warmth to the usually frigid latitude.  If you are interested in experiencing something of the midnight sun, head to the northernmost point of the country where the phenomenon keeps the sun up for 73 consecutive days in the summer and down for 51 in the wintertime. 

The warm summertime climate attracts many international fairs and festivals as well as markets and performing arts.  The wonderful summer days and nights lend themselves to activities from golf and hiking to fishing, kayaking, and yachting.  Hunting is also popular with moose, elk, reindeer and hare aplenty for interested hunters.

In the wintertime, many tourists are attracted to the country to enjoy the enormous Christmas festivities and to spend time skiing, sledding, and Nordic walking.  Finland hosts Santa’s Post Office, and is regarded as the homeland of Santa Claus, making their Christmas national pride a thing to see!  Another beautiful spectacle is the Aurora Borealis, which can be seen from the northern parts of the country and which draws many tourists from all over the world every year.

- Finland was found to be the most democratic and least corrupt country in the world as of 2006 by the World Audit study.  Perhaps this has something to do with the election of the first woman president in Finland in the year 2000.

- Finland ranks at the top in the education category according to the PISA study. 

- Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone company, calls Finland home.

- Reporters Without Borders has ranked Finland number one since 2004, tying it with several other countries for the top spot. 

- Save the Children has ranked it in the top three countries since 2004 for their State of the World’s Mothers survey.

It is easy to see that Finland is a fascinating country with a rich history and a culture that has hung on through centuries of subjugation by neighboring countries.  You will be delighted by the activities and cultural festivities all year long no matter when you choose to visit.  Enjoy your trip!

Finland's Major Cities

• Helsinki
• Espoo
• Tempere
• Turku
• Vantaa
• Heinola
• Lahti
• Ravaniemi
• Lappeenranta
• Pori
• Vaasa
• Oulu
• ...