And the national culture is geared towards a respectful fondness of nature. Finland is a fairly large country in terms of area – it is almost as big as Germany – but it has a relatively small population of 5.5 million people, most of whom live in a handful of towns and cities. For this reason, there are enormous areas of forest and wilderness with spectacular biodiversity.
Forests cover 78% of Finland’s area, most of which are taiga forests consisting of pine, spruce and birch trees. The undergrowth often includes berry bushes, such as blueberry, lingonberry and crowberry. The forests are also abundant sources of mushrooms, with several edible varieties including chanterelle, yellowfoot and porcini. Visit Finland’s forests in August and September to find the best berries and mushrooms, and also to enjoy the beautiful colours of autumn.
About 10% of Finland’s area is covered in water. Finland has about 168,000 lakes, with clean glacial water and plentiful stocks of fish, including whitefish, pike-perch and pike. There is a large amount of granite forming the bedrock of the country, so the shores of lakes and the coastal locations often have a characteristically rugged appearance. Among the largest lakes in Finland are Lake Saimaa and Lake Inari, near Saariselkä. Visitors can experience the full beauty of the lakes by taking a canoe or kayaking trip in the summer or going ice fishing in the winter.
In southern Finland, the terrain is fairly flat, but up in Lapland there are rolling fells that provide the perfect setting for downhill skiing in the winter, and hiking and other mountainous pursuits in the summer. And you can enjoy nature to the full thanks to everyman’s right, which allows you to pass through forests and other natural areas, even if they are privately owned. Everyone can come and go as they please, as long as they don’t damage any property or go very near to people’s homes. On top of this, there are numerous national parks with well-designed hiking, cross-country skiing and cycling routes.
On clear nights in the winter, Finland – and specifically Lapland – is a great place to see the northern lights. In the winter months, between November and March when there is plenty of darkness, the aurora borealis light up the night sky approximately once every two days. Visit Saariselkä in the winter months for the best chance of seeing the northern lights.
