National parks in Finland are attracting millions of visitors every year. There are 40 national parks in Finland, all of them distinct from one another. Which are the most visited national parks in Finland? What are their special characteristics? When was the oldest national park established? Which is the biggest? Read more to find out which national park you should select as your next vacation destination!
The...
The river Vantaa (Vantaanjoki) runs for 99 kilometres (62 mi) through the capital area, providing excellent fishing, hiking, and general adventure for all ages. One the best places to enjoy the river is by the Vantaankoski rapids where nature meets old Finnish industry.
Rapids rarely freeze even in the coldest of winters even though the water flowing through the rapids may actually be below 0°C (32 °F),...
The Linlo island in Kirkkonummi, little more than 40 kilometres west of Helsinki, is a less known outdoor destination next to the popular recreation area of Porkkala. The island is perfect for day trips in a beautiful and versatile archipelago setting.
Linlo is located next to a small-boat harbour, Linlo Marina, and can...
Iso-Valkee is a beautiful little lake with sandy beaches, lean-to shelters and a nature trail. This area is especially popular among swimmers and divers, ice-skaters, dog owners and geocachers. The trail around the lake is 3,7 km long. Water in the lake is crystal clear, which is not that common in the Finnish lakes.
I went to Iso-Valkee in November, a day before the snow, and I didn't see any swimmers. The lake was partly open as it is up to 24 meters deep and has some natural springs. But...
Pääjärvi recreation area is a perfect spot for day visits or short overnight stays, when you want to be out in the nature in Southern Finland. Pääjärvi provides clearly marked trails and nice resting spots around the lake. It's a good place for picking berries and mushrooms, hook and line fishing, skiing, cycling, swimming, and camping. Pääjärvi is also a multi-cache location, in case you are into geocaching.
I headed to Pääjärvi last weekend to enjoy the autumn day and have a...
Whether you prefer a slow, gentle stroll along the seaside or a more strenuous trail running experience, the Rantaraitti (seaside promenade or the waterfront walkway) in Espoo, Finland's second biggest city is the thing to do. It literally has it all: possibilities for berry and mushroom picking, cycling, running and walking, the sea and forests, gentle paved and accessible paths as well as demanding trails in the adjoining forests, fishing and bird watching opportunities, benches...
Kauniainen is Finland's smallest municipality, only 6km2 (2,3mi2) in diameter, located in the middle of another municipality, Espoo. It has a lovely small lake area that is perfectly suitable for a lazy stroll to enjoy the absolutely huge spruce trees and leafy green oak trees. The area is only about 15km from the centre of Helsinki and easily accessible by car or by public transport, so a perfect place for a quick relaxing visit.
My friend and I were in the area when we, quite literally,...
We were on a roadtrip from Jyväskylä all the way to Enontekiö in north western Lapland, and we wanted to visit Hepoköngäs along the way. We knew the largest free-falling waterfalls in Finland were somewhere in the Kainuu region just above the midriff of Finland so we took out an old-fashioned map and checked out that it was located in Puolanka, about 100km above the town of Kajaani. Yes, it was sort of along our route (it wasn't really… the detour added several hours to our travel...
Almost being able to touch a handprint left by someone 5000 years ago is one of the reasons the rock paintings of Astuvansalmi take your breath away. (more…)
The Finnish Nature Day is celebrated on Saturday, 25th of August, 2018. What would be a better way to celebrate it than to head outdoors?
There are many events organized around the country on this Saturday to celebrate what we Finns value the most, our nature. You can find out more about the day and its celebrations from the official website of the Finnish Nature Day, maintained by Parks & Wildlife Finland, Metsähallitus.
For example Eerikkilä Sport & Outdoor Resort is...
