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When the nights are long in Finland (and they can be very, very long) there's much more to do than huddle inside with a vodka or two. You can ski across vast frozen lakes or relax in a sauna, beating yourself ever so gently with a fragrant branch of birch leaves to loosen the travel grime. During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions, including the Turku archipelago and Åland Islands, are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands of trekkers every year. Finland Weather Whatever time of year you visit Finland, there's something happening. Most museums and galleries are open year-round, annd there is as much to do in the depths of winter as there is at the height of summer. Nevertheless, you'll probably have a better time if you come in the warmer months, either in summer or anytime from May to September. As well as the advantages of warm weather, summer is the time of the midnight sun. Winter north of the Arctic Circle is a chilly confluence of strange bluish light and encroaching melancholy. Despite snow falls from November, it stays pretty sludgy until late winter: skiing isn't great until February, the coldest month, and you can ski in Lapland right through to June. Helsinki Weather Helsinki has a cold climate considering it is located in Northern Europe. The summer in Helsinki is mild, temperatures average at 16.8°C (62.2°F). When traveling to Helsinki in the summer, bring a light jacket. When winter comes so does the cold. Temperatures average -6.1 (21°F) during the winter. Transportation There are excellent flight connections to Finland from all over the world. Finnair and SAS have scheduled flights to Helsinki from most major cities in Europe, as well as from New York, San Francisco, Cairo, Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Sydney and Tokyo. Twenty-two other international airlines offer regular flights to Helsinki. There are no departure taxes when leaving Finland. Land crossings into Finland from Sweden and Norway are hassle-free, serviced by frequent buses and trains. Land crossings from Russia are a little more problematic, but border crossings are becoming more relaxed all the time. If you stick to the main tourist corridors (eg. Helsinki-St Petersburg) you won't have any troubles, but make sure you have a Russian visa before you roll up at the frontier. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects Europe to Asia, although its popularity has declined in recent years due to the general state of chaos in Russia. You can buy a ticket in Helsinki for the Chinese border via Moscow. Beware of sharks offering discounted tickets on this service; it's almost certain you'll be ripped off. Baltic ferries run from Sweden, Estonia and Germany to Helsinki and Turku. The ferries are impressive seagoing craft and have been compared to hotels and shopping plazas; they actually make more money from duty-free shops than they do from passenger tickets! If you want to gamble while you sail, there is also a casino boat that goes from Umeå, Sweden to Vaasa. Finland has a superb network of domestic train, bus and air connections. Over 20 cities are linked by daily air services, as far north as Ivalo on the 67th parallel. Buses are the principal carriers of domestic and visitor traffic to more remote parts, although trains carry passengers efficiently along intercity routes right up to the Arctic Circle. The highway and freeway network is good between city centres, although you can encounter unsurfaced dirt and beaten tracks in the forests. No international licence is needed to drive in Finland, but you should carry your own licence when driving. Traffic keeps to the right and you should always drive with your headlights on. In most towns bicycles can be hired and are a recommended mode of transport during the summer. Lake and river ferries operate over the summer period, and come in handy if you're walking or cycling around the country. Events Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is also a feature of midsummer partying. The Pori Jazz Festival in July is one of the country's most popular festivals, but the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle, is the most famous. Some of the best (and the most international) festivals are the most remote: check out chamber music in Kuhmo, or folk music in Kaustinen (near Kokkola). For rock, there are big festivals during the Midsummer weekend, and big annual events, such as Ruisrock, the longest-running of rock festivals, at Turku in July. On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkajärvi. Attractions Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is the centre of cultural, financial and economic activity. Its green parks and waterways, fresh sea winds with seagulls flying over the busy market square, and many open-air cafe make Helsinki a pleasant place to visit in summer. The city retains a small-town feel: there are no high-rise buildings, and the market square is still surrounded by 19th century architecture. Built on a peninsula, Helsinki is linked by ferry to Suomenlinna Island in the Gulf of Finland, which is perfect for picnicking daytrippers. Helsinki contains some of the most notable art museums in Finland. The national art foundation's Ateneum is the principal gallery and covers Finnish and international art from the 19th century. The National Museum, also located in the city centre, has extensive collections of Sami and Finno-Ugric ethnological artefacts. Johnny Head-in-the-airs will notice the Kalevala-inspired frescos on the ceiling of its main hall. The Raitioliikennemuseo, with a dozen old rattlers, is a delightful tram museum. Located in an old depot, it depicts Finnish street life in decades past. The Rock Church, hacked out of solid stone, attracts many visitors seeking a few bars of albino gospel. There are concerts here as well as services. West of the city centre in the dormitory town of Espoo is the magnificent studio of Gallén-Kallela, the notable Finnish painter. Ferries and motorboats shuttle from Helsinki to Suomenlinna Island, where you can ramble around the ruins of the mighty fortress or look around its several museums. The Ehrensvärd Museum, which covers the history of the fortress from Swedish heyday to mayday, is the best. If you want to do a boy's-own battle reenactment, a torch is all you need to squeeze that body through bunkers and caves on either side of the fort. Helsinki has numerous budget hostels in the city centre, although it isn't a bad place to unroll your sleeping bag outdoors in summer. There are plenty of hamburger restaurants, kebab joints and grills in the city centre, but those who baulk at using their body as a grease trap can try one of the cafés south of the centre or around the market square. Theatres in Helsinki have shows in Finnish, but you may prefer opera and ballet, as performances will be incomprehensible in any language. Helsinki also has its fair share of good pubs and clubs for midnight ramblers. Activities You have a legal right to walk, cycle, paddle a canoe or even camp almost anywhere in Finland. Nordic skiing is popular and there are cross-country trails of varying difficulty. Downhill skiers go to Lapland, or to resorts such as Koli in North Karelia or Ruka in Kuusamo. Hiking or trekking is best from June to September (May in the south). Wilderness huts line the northern trails and are available without charge. Most of them have unlocked doors, basic bunks, cooking facilities, leftover dry food, a pile of dry firewood and even a wilderness telephone. You should always leave the hut as it was - replace the used firewood and clean the place. For the easiest hikes, go to areas such as Ruunaa in Karelia or try a national park. Routes such as Karhunkierros and the Lemmenjoki are very scenic. Boating can be enjoyed on both sea and lake but the prime sailing region, the Turku archipelago, is demanding to navigate. Canoeing is best on the lakes or around Turunmaa and Åland archipelagos in summer. There are wild rapids in Lapland and North Karelia. Money & Costs Finland was declared the world's most expensive country in 1990, right before it was hit by recession. Since then the markka has been reasonably low and prices are much more bearable. If you're travelling on a tight budget you should be able to get by on around $25 a day. This would cover hostel accommodation, self-catering and no alcohol or bottled drinks. If you want to have a slightly more user-friendly holiday, a budget of around $50 a day should do it, and for a few more luxuries, such as your own bathroom, taxis and a restaurant meal or two a day, you'll need about US$100 a day. Finland's three national banks have offices all over the country, but they will charge you slightly more for exchanges than private exchange bureaux. Travellers cheques are expensive to change. Many Finnish ATMs will accept foreign cards on the Visa or Plus system, but if they don't take your plastic rest assured that credit cards are accepted all over the country. Tipping is generally not necessary anywhere. Service charge is usually included in restaurants' listed price. Bargaining will get you nowhere in most shops, but could come in handy if you're after trekking equipment or used bikes, when you might get a 10% discount if you ask nicely. |
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