Finland - a place where you can see the northern lights

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We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us

Finland was inhabited when the last ice age ended, approximately 9000 BCE. Comb Ceramic culture introduced pottery 5200 BCE and Corded Ware culture coincided with the start of agriculture between 3000 and 2500 BCE. The Bronze Age and Iron Age were characterised by extensive contacts with other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions. At the time Finland had three main cultural areas – Southwest Finland, Tavastia and Karelia. From the late 13th century, Finland gradually became an integral part of Sweden through the Northern Crusades and the Swedish part-colonisation of coastal Finland, a legacy reflected in the prevalence of the Swedish language and its official status. In 1809, Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1906, Finland became the first European state to grant all adult citizens the right to vote, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office.

Following the 1917 Russian Revolutiоn, Finland declared itself independent. In 1918, the fledgling state was divided by civil war, with the Bolshevik-leaning Red Guard, supported by Soviet Russia, fighting the White Guard, supported by the German Empire. After a brief attempt to establish a kingdom, the country became a republic. In World War II, Finland lost parts of Karelia, Salla, Kuusamo and Petsamo to the Soviet Union.

Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and adopted an official policy of neutrality. The Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948 gave the Soviet Union some leverage in Finnish domestic politics during the Cold War. Finland joined the OECD in 1969, the NATO Partnership for Peace in 1994, the European Union in 1995, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 1997, and the Eurozone at its inception in 1999.

Finland was a relative latecomer to industrialisation, remaining a largely agrarian country until the 1950s. After World War II, the war reparations demanded by the Soviet Union forced Finland to industrialise. The country rapidly developed an advanced economy while building an extensive welfare state based on the Nordic model, resulting in widespread prosperity and one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Finland is a top performer in numerous metrics of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life, and human development. In 2015, Finland was ranked first in the World Human Capital and the Press Freedom Index and as the most stable country in the world during 2011–2016 in the Fragile States Index, and second in the Global Gender Gap Report. It also ranked first on the World Happiness Report report for 2018 and 2019. A large majority of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Finnish Constitution.

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Suomenlinna Fortress
Helsinki, Finland

One of the world's largest sea fortresses, the 18th-century fort on Suomenlinna is a 15-minute ferry ride from Helsinki's Market Square (a mini-cruise that has lovely views of the city as a bonus attraction). Once here, you could easily fill a day with its sights and activities. The impressive fortifications, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were built in 1847 by the Swedes (Finland was Swedish territory then) to scare off the Russians; they weren't scared and later captured both the fort and Finland.

Kauppatori (Market Square) and Esplanadi
Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki's harbor is an integral part of the city, whose important landmarks overlook it. It's also a popular gathering point, with an open-air market of local farmers, craftsmen, food producers, and fishermen, who sell directly from their boats. You may catch the fragrance of salmon cooking over cedar planks beside the boats, and depending on the season see a rainbow of glistening ripe berries or baskets of foraged woodland mushrooms. 

Northern Lights
Finland

For most people, seeing the Northern Lights is a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Finland is perhaps the top country in the world for seeing these blazing curtains of light drape across the sky. Although, at times, the lights can be seen even in the southern most regions of the nation, the best place to see them is in the region close to or north of the Arctic Circle. Here, between September and March, visitors are almost guaranteed a show if the sky is clear

Turku
Helsinki, Finland

The southwestern Finnish town of Turku, the country's oldest town and until 1812 its capital, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of the Aurajoki River. Turku lies in the area where the successors to the Swedish Vikings landed in the 12th century and set out to conquer what is now Finland. With eight centuries of history, it is today the most traditional medieval town in Finland, but in addition to its outstanding medieval buildings, you'll find examples of Art Nouveau and modern architecture, such as the Sibelius Museum, by Woldemar Baeckman.

You cannot afford to miss
All you need to know is

Location

Located in the continent of Europe, Finland covers 303,815 square kilometers of land and 34,330 square kilometers of water, making it the 65th largest nation in the world with a total area of 338,145 square kilometers.

Finland was founded as a distinct and original nation in 1917. The population of Finland is 5,262,930 (2012) and the nation has a density of 17 people per square kilometer.

The currency of Finland is the Euro (EUR). As well, the people of Finland are refered to as Finnish.

Transportation

Allround Transport verzorgt uw transport en logistiek van goederen naar alle regio´s in Finland. Wij vervoeren voor u van en naar Finland pakketten, groupage, pallets, complete ladingen, containers, exceptionele en adr zendingen.

Door onze specialisatie in het transport van en naar Finland zijn we als transportbedrijf zeer sterk in het vervoer in deze regio. Allround Transport denkt met de klant mee en biedt, waar mogelijk, verschillende vervoersmodaliteiten aan.

Languages Spoken

The two main official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. There are also several official minority languages: three variants of Sami, Romani, Finnish Sign Language and Karelian.

Currency

The official currency used in Finland is the euro. Originally, Finland used the Finnish markka as its legal tender which was abbreviated as MK and had the currency code of FIM. After undergoing a transition period from 1999 to 2002, the euro became the official legal tender in 2002. The double legal tender system of the markka and the euro ended on February 28, 2002.

Visas

If you are looking to visit Finland and you are a citizen of a country outside of the EU, you will require a Schengen visa. You can get started on your pre-application with us by clicking ‘Get Started’ and filling out the form which we will review before we contact you. If you are unsure about anything you can contact us via email or telephone. You can choose the following when you are applying for your Schengen visa:

Single Entry

Double Entry

Multiple Entry

Electricity

Are you planning to visit Finland? Select your country of residence to check automatically if you need a power plug adapter or voltage converter in Finland. 

Electricity in Finland

In Finland the power plugs and sockets are of type F. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

Type F: also known as "Schuko". This socket also works with plug C and plug E.

Vaccinations

People 12 months old or older, with no evidence of immunity or no written documentation of any doses: 2 doses of MMR vaccine before travel. The 2 doses must be given 28 days apart.

People 12 months old or older who have written documentation of 1 dose and no other evidence of immunity: 1 additional dose before travel, at least 28 days after the previous dose.

Emergency Calls

An accident can happen anywhere and to anyone, at home or when travelling. If you experience an emergency and need help from the authorities urgently, whether in Finland or in another Member State, call 112. In Finland there is only one emergency number in use, 112. The emergency number 112 is also operational in all EU countries. You may call 112 from any phone without an area code and free of charge. You may also call 112 from any foreign mobile phone. No area code is necessary in this case either; just call 112.

When to visit
Best time to visit the destination

It depends on what you’d like to experience: for plenty of snow and winter activities, December to March is the best time. For springtime sun and the revival of nature after the winter, April to May is the period. For long and warm summer days and plenty of events, opt for June, July and August. For autumn leaf colour, visit in September-October. Read more about our seasons

What to do?
Don’t miss to challenge your world

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus at SantaPark

If you don’t want to go all the way to the North Pole then why not visit Rovaniemi in the north of Finland? Here you will find Christmas delights such as an Elf School and you can even meet Santa and Mrs. Claus who will teach you how to make gingerbread treats.
There is a Calligraphy School where you can pen a letter to Santa and a Post Office where the elves will show you all the mail they receive over the course of the year.

The main highlight here is to cross the Arctic Circle via an underground tunnel.

 

Learn some history at Siida Museum

Located on gorgeous Lake Inari in Inari is the Siida Museum which is said to be one of the best museums in Finland.

The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the Sami, or the Laplanders of Finland who were a semi-nomadic tribe.

At Siida Museum you will find nature exhibits as well as photographic galleries and interactive information sections.

Explore Olavinlinna

Olavinlinna is a castle that sits in Savonlinna and dates from the 15th century.

The castle is famed for its three dominating towers and was constructed on a rock in the center of a glassy lake to afford it more protection from enemies.

To get to the castle you will need to walk across a series of creaking bridges and the inside is a maze of ornate towers and serene chapels.

Have a picnic at Suomenlinna

If you are looking for a day trip from neighboring Helsinki then consider taking the ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress.

The fortress is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built in 1748. It was originally erected by the Swedes before being captured by the Russians and then being regained by the Finns when they declared independence after the Russian Revolution.

You ask, we answer
FAQs about Finland

I DON’T SPEAK ANY FINNISH, WILL I MANAGE?

If you speak English, you should not have any difficulties as most Finns speak fluent (or at least understandable) English.

In northern Lapland the lights shine about every other clear night between August and April. In southern Finland they are visible on about 10-20 nights a year. Auroral activity peaks often occur at the beginning and the end of the season.

Also in Lapland. In Utsjoki, the very north of Finland, the sun stays above the horizon for more than two months between mid-May and late July. In southern parts of Lapland, the sun stays up constantly for a month in June-July. However, nights are white throughout the country for most of the summer.

During the winter months, temperatures can drop as low as –35 degrees Celsius. Luckily, this is not the norm: regular winter temperatures fall somewhere between –5 and –15.

In the summer, it gets as hot as 30 degrees Celsius, sometimes even more. Normal summer temperature is a bit over 20 degrees. In Finland, it is common to have up to a 70 degree difference in temperature between January and July.

If you are planning a winter visit, get a warm, padded winter jacket. Thermal underwear, a warm hat, thick socks and gloves help out a lot when temperatures drop below freezing.

If you have trouble finding winter gear where you come from, don’t worry – everything can be purchased in Finland. Warm clothing is included in guided safaris and other winter excursions.

Very. It’s one of the few countries in the world where lost wallets and mobile phones get returned to their rightful owner.

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