10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO SEE IN FINLAND

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This list of the best places to see in Finland It will help you prepare a trip to the happiest country in the world, known for its impressive natural wonders that will leave you speechless.
In addition to having a privileged geography, having the largest archipelago in the world and more than 180000 islands and lakes, this country is famous for being one of the best places to see northern lights and for being the place where you can meet the true Santa Claus.
The best time to travel to Finland is from May to September, when it is less cold and you can get 24 hours of clarity, thanks to the midnight sun. Winter is for the brave since temperatures can reach 25 degrees below zero and there are very few hours of light, although to visit Santa's House and see the best northern lights (September to April), it is the best time.
To make a good route through the country and know some of its essentials we recommend you have between 7 and 10 days, being a good option to move to your air by rental car and approach Lapland on an internal flight from Helsinki.

Based on the two times we have visited this country and on upcoming trips, we have made this selection of 10 essential places to visit in Finland. We start!

1. Helsinki

Helsinki, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, is a perfect city to spend a day and as an entry point to tour this amazing country.
This city in which classic and modern Nordic style buildings are mixed, can be explored perfectly on foot, by concentrating most of its most interesting places in the center.
The first time we visited Helsinki we did it by ferry from Tallinn and we met most of its tourist attractions such as the Market Square, the Temppeliaukio Church, the Vanha Kauppahalli Market or the Sibelius Park.
A good way to organize your route through the city and not miss anything important is to follow this list of essential places to visit in Helsinki, which you can combine with this free tour with a guide in Spanish Free! history.

Helsinki

2. Lapland

One of the best things to do in Finland It is to reach the north of the country to enjoy the fantastic Finnish Lapland and its northern lights.
In this land of contrasts with fairytale landscapes, in which forests and lakes predominate, you have many possibilities to observe the impressive northern lights on a clear night. A good option to see them is to book this Northern Lights tour with a guide in Spanish, which leaves from Rovaniemi.
In addition to seeing this shocking natural phenomenon, in this extreme area, where the sun does not set in summer and does not come out in winter, there are plenty of activities to do such as snowmobile excursions, sleep in an igloo hotel, greet To Santa Claus, navigate the Baltic aboard an icebreaker ship, cross the Arctic Circle line and above all, try a traditional sauna.
Keep in mind that the sauna for locals is like a sacred ritual, there are more than 3 million throughout the country, which consists of spending a few minutes of heat inside and then taking a quick dip in the icy water of some lake.

Other essential places to see in Finland and in this area, are the national parks such as Lemmenjoki and Pyhä-Luosto and the villages surrounded by beautiful snow-covered natural landscapes such as Inari, Levi and Rovaniemi, which we will talk about later.
The best way to get to Lapland, if you don't want to spend a day on the road, is to catch a flight to Kemi or Rovaniemi from Helsinki. Another more epic way to get there is with the train known as "Polar Express", which leaves Helsinki every night and takes 12 hours to Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi, your final destination.

Finnish Lapland

3. Region of a thousand lakes

Another of the best places to visit in Finland, is the region of a thousand lakes, located in much of the southeast and east of the country.
This large area in which forests and lakes are mixed (between 50,000 and 188,000), is the area preferred by Finns to spend a quiet holiday in their wooden houses by the lake.
The largest lake is the Saimaa, dotted with thousands of islands and perfect for kayaking between canals and salads, which they say is the cleanest water in the world.
Around this lake you can find a charming hotel and practice adventure sports, chat inside a sauna or simply read a good book listening only to the sounds of nature.
Among the most beautiful and interesting places in this area are the landscapes of Punkaharju and the Linnansaari National Park, the city of Jyväskylä, the largest in this area and the place where you can see several buildings designed by the acclaimed architect Alvar Aalto, and the old church of Petäjävesi, a World Heritage Site.

Thousand Lakes Region

4. Santa's House (Rovaniemi)

Rovaniemi, the gateway to Lapland, is the most famous city to see in Finland, especially for children who have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus.
This house is located 7 kilometers from Rovaniemi in the small village of Santa Claus Village, you can also meet Santa Claus in person, cross the line that separates the Arctic Circle, have a drink in an ice bar or write a magical postcard which will be sent right at Christmas by Santa Claus himself.
Another of the most common activities in this area is to take a sleigh ride by reindeer or huskies, although in this case we recommend doing it on a snowmobile, since we do not promote any leisure activity in which animals are used.
One of the most amazing things to do in Finland and in this area is sleeping in the ice hotel Artic Snow Hotel, located 30 kilometers from Rovaniemiq and which is only during the winter.
To book the best activities and experiences in Rovaniemi we recommend this page.

Santa's House, one of the places to see in Finland

5. Nuuksio National Park

The last time we were in this country we approached the Nuuksio National Park, another of the places to visit in Finland more essential
In this park, full of lakes and extensive coniferous forests, you can make up to 5 hiking trails of little difficulty and usually end up in a good picnic in some traditional wooden house. Bike routes and canoe trips through some of its lakes are also common.
If you visit the park in winter you can do the snowshoeing routes, besides being able to walk over the frozen lakes and make a hole in some to fish, always with the help of a guide.
To reach this park, located 40 kilometers from Helsinki, you can take a bus at the central station, a rental car or book this day trip.

Nuuksio National Park

6. Suomenlinna, one of the places to see in Finland

Suomenlinna, a fortress built on six islands and Unesco Heritage, is another of the most beautiful places to see in Finland.
This complex built by Sweden in 1748 to repel the sea attacks of Imperial Russia, has become over time one of the most visited places in the country by locals and tourists.
Do not miss the church, the sequo dam, one of the 5 museums, the canyons, the King's Gate and a small submarine during a tour around the walls.
To reach Suomenlinna from Helsinki, located 2 kilometers away, you can take the ferry or the JT-Line water bus, which depart from the Market Square.
Another more interesting option that will allow you to learn more about the history of this fortress is to book this guided tour in Spanish, which includes a guided tour of Helskinki.

Suomenlinna

7. Olavinlinna Castle

The medieval castle of Olavinlinna, located in the city of Savonlinna within the Lakes region, is the more beautiful to see in Finland.
This stone castle, built in the fifteenth century by the Swedes, had the task of defending the eastern border and stopping the advance of the Russian Empire and after several wars it passed into Russian hands for more than two centuries and some buildings and towers were added .
Today, after a comprehensive renovation between 1961 and 1975, you can see three of the five original towers and take a guided tour inside where there are two museums and an Orthodox church.
Visiting hours: every day from 11am to 4pm.

Olavinlinna Castle

8. Levi

Getting to Levi, located 3 hours by bus from Rovaniemi and 15 minutes from Kittilä airport, is another of the best things to do in Finland.
This town, which is located most of the snowy year, is a perfect place to practice winter sports by having the best ski resort in the country and having high level facilities.
In addition, it has a wide range of resorts with all the comforts to relax after practicing activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobile excursions or safari to hunt Northern Lights.
Other interesting places near Levi are: the Snow Village, with huge structures of ice and snow, and the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, the third largest to visit in Finland.

Road to Levi

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

9. Hossa National Park

As you may have noticed there are many natural parks to see in Finland, it must be taken into account that 70% of its territory is covered in virgin nature. In its 39 national parks you can freely access to enjoy well-marked hiking trails, bathe in its lakes with crystal clear waters or see animals such as brown bears, always responsibly and respecting the environment.
To celebrate the centenary of the independence of Russia and reach the figure of 40 parks, in 2017 the Hossa National Park was inaugurated, a new protected natural space, former place of settlement of the Sami people, perfect for canoe and canoe rides, find Sami cave paintings or camp in the countryside.

Visit several National Parks, one of the things to do in Finland

10. Seurasaari Open Air Museum

The Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, located 15 minutes by bus from Helsinki, is our latest recommendation from places to visit in Finland.
This theme park, located on the island of Seurasaari, will take you on a trip throughout the country and its past, thanks to its many wooden constructions cabins, churches, mills and farms, coming from all over the country.
These reproductions are in a beautiful natural forest space, where children and adults can spend a most entertaining day.
Visiting hours: every day of June and August from 11am to 5pm.