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.
Weather in Finland
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. |
