Finland has four very distinguished seasons and they all have their own perks. Maybe that’s why we don’t have so distinguished travel seasons. People want to experience different sides of Finland and they plan their trips according to that.

Most traveling peaks happen during Finnish holidays, like Christmas and school holidays. Finns usually have one week off in the wintertime and that’s called the skiing holiday. In the summer adults usually have four weeks off and school kids a few weeks more.

However, high season doesn’t mean that everything is fully booked and the attractions are unavailable due overcrowding! Skiing holidays are held different weeks at different regions, so even though the ski centers are busy, they aren’t full. The summer vacations spread pretty well over the whole summer and Finns tend to spend them at the summer cottage anyways.

The biggest tourist season is around Christmas and new year, when especially the Russian tourists are traveling to Finnish ski resorts. The other Finnish seasons are not that crowded, but there is no reason why they should be! Let me tell you why.

Wilderness cabins are bit low key compared to fully equipped holiday villas, but atleast they offer true adventures in Finnish nature. Just to make things simple, we can assume wilderness cabins don’t have electricity or running water. There are still some exceptions, so consider yourself lucky if you come across these luxuries.

You can find wilderness cabins for rent all over Finland, but there are also free to use cabins and other shelters in the National Parks. The rule of thumb is, if it’s not locked, you can use it! Hikers are allowed to spend a night or two in the cabins but you can’t reserve them to yourself. Be prepared to share the cabin and making some new friends!

The peace of Finnish wilderness can be enjoyed in so many different ways. One of the best ones is to stay in the middle of it – in one of these stunning luxurious cabins.

We had a little look into what Finnish wilderness has to offer for travelers who love nature and appreciate a little luxury on their vacation. Explore these luxurious cabins and tell us what you think!

You have plenty of accommodation options for our trip in Finland. You can choose from the best hotels to a snow castle or a class igloo! However, we recommend a cozy cabin. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Live like locals

Most of Finns will take trip to their cottage at least once a year – in the midsummer. Many spend most of their free time out there enjoying the freedom and solitude. This is something you can’t find anywhere else in the world!

2. Stay in the middle of the Nature

The nature of Finland is amazing! Every season of the year has something special to offer. Sun never sets in the Summer. The winter turns the land to a snowy wonderland and autumn is full of color. The best way to experience this is having your stay really close to nature – and a cozy cabin is the best solution to this.

3. Make your own adventure

You are really on your own in most of the cabins – the closest neighbor might be kilometers away. You really get to know some Finnish culture while shopping groceries and cooking everything by yourself. You are also free to come and go as you please. This freedom let’s you plan your whole trip around your own interests.

4. Sauna and swimming

Let’s face it – the best thing in Finland is the Sauna! Most of the Finnish cottages are located near a lake – no wonder in a land of thousands of lakes. This makes a perfect combination – the hot sauna combined with a cooling dip to the lake, no matter the season. In winter you just need to make a hole in the ice.

5. Room for a larger group of people

Finns tend to gather to the cabin with the whole family or a group of friends. There is always enough space to accommodate the whole group – sometimes it’s just more crowded, but the more the merrier, isn’t that right! Therefore, a cottage holiday is the perfect solution for a larger group and especially for families with children.

6. Relax and listen to the silence

There is plenty to do at the cabin, but sometimes you just need a break. There is nothing more relaxing than the Finnish cabin atmosphere. You can just sit down on the porch, feel the fresh air in your lungs and just enjoy the silence.

7. Freedom to roam

Finnish everyman’s rights grant permission to go basically everywhere you want. Ok, you are not allowed to camp on anyone’s back yard, but nearly everywhere else it’s fine. You can also pick berries or mushrooms – the real superfoods of the north.

Finland is a land of seasonal delicacies. Traditional cooking has been closely linked to religious holidays and the season at hand. However, one month is above them all. In February we feast with many kinds of sweet pastries!

February kicks off with the day of Runeberg (1804-1877), the national poet of Finland. The day is celebrated with sweet tarts, called Runebergs torte or Runebergin Torttu in Finnish. They are served pretty much everywhere and eaten as a dessert after a meal, or with a cup of coffee as a snack.

This tart has a muffiny feel to it, but because the ingredients are pretty dry, the tarts are soaked in either arrack or rum what makes them pretty moist. Other ingredients are e.g. crushed almonds and cookie crumbles. The whole thing is topped with a dash of raspberry jam and sugar frosting rim.

Legends tell, that Mrs. Runeberg invented the recipe from the ingredients she had laying around. Apparently the poet husband had quite a sweet tooth and he eat one tart every day for breakfast – washing it down with a nice glass of punch.

Dream filled with cream

As soon as the Runebergs tortes have been stored as healthy body fat, the next sweet holiday is upon us Finns! Laskiainen is the same thing as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake day and it marks the start of the spring lent. Of course you have to stack up some weight before, and what would be a better choice than a sweet bun filled with whipped cream and sugar?

The concept is pretty popular in northern Europe, but in Finland the delicacy is called Laskiaispulla, or the Shrove Tuesday bun. It originates from Sweden, where they call it the “semla”.

You start out by backing a batch of cardamom seasoned buns, the bigger the better. Then you slice the bun and carve out some of the inside to make room for the stuffing.

The stuffing is traditionally marzipan, but nowadays people might also use berry jam instead. Smear some stuffing to the bottom half of the bun and top it off with a lot of whipped cream.Then place the top part of the bun on the top of the cream mountain and there you have it – the Laskiaispulla!

Enjoy the Laskiaispulla with a cup of coffee or even hot chocolate. Don’t mind if you aren’t going to fast on your spring lent, you have still deserved every single Laskiaispulla you eat!

Cover Image by: Jussi Hellstén

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has many different sides to it. This vibrant Nordic city is the largest city in Finland, but at the same time it has the nice atmosphere of small town by the sea.

There is tons to see and do in Helsinki. You could rely on the usual travel tips of Tripadvisor or even the Michelin Guide, but we thought to give you another side of the city. We asked a bunch of locals for their recommendations for travelers, and here are their answers.

Coolest Places of Helsinki by locals

Many of the most wonderful places of Helsinki can be experienced just by strolling around the city. Especially the sea shores around Töölö and the Seurasaari island are nice places to visit just for the nature and atmosphere. They are located really close to the city center and easy to reach. There is a cool little café Regatta just by the sea in Töölö. They serve hot coffee and small snacks around the year and are definitely worth a visit!

Lammassaari Photo by: Riku Pihlanto

Another nature destination is Lammassaari, a bit further from the city. This small island is a part of a larger nature reserve, so there is a lot to see here. There are routes made with traditional pitkospuut (duckboards) that take you around the area. Lammassaari is more of a summer destination, but you can also go there in the winter – just remember to dress warm!

There are also really nice neighborhoods in the city itself. Old parts of Eira have wonderful architecture and at the top of Tähtitorninmäki stands an old observatory. There is a nice café by the observatory in summers and the garden around the area is nice.

If you want to see Helsinki from another perspective, climb the cliffs of Linnanmäki. This is a popular picnic spot and you can see the whole city from there. Linnanmäki is also has a big amusement park where you can get in for free. The cliffs are easily found right outside the south gate of the park.

Best food and drinks in Helsinki

Helsinki has a lot to offer for you foodies out there! There are restaurants ranging from fine dining to artisanal street food all over the city. The hottest restaurant at the moment (winter 2016) is BasBas, where you’ll be served amazing meals with natural wines. For other restaurant recommendations, consult your favorite guidebook or website.

More food culture can be found at the indoor market of Hietalahti (Hietalahden halli), where a traditional food market has been converted into a hub of small restaurants. Similar concept but with a bit more hipstery wibes can be found at Teurastamo, where the summer specialty is a public barbecue grill for anyone to use.

Finns love their beer and the craft brewery boom is pretty big in Finland right now. You should be able to find some local small batch beers from pretty much every bar in town. For an ultimate beer experience, head over to Bier-Bier. If you are looking for a cheap pint and want to see some local pubs, head over to Kallio and pop in to any old dive bar you stumble upon.

Other things to do in Helsinki

This category was the most diverse among our advisors. Guess that just tells us that Helsinki has a lot to see and do. If you are interested in popular local sports, ice hockey is the pick. You can see some world class KHL-hockey in Helsinki if Jokerit are playing home. The other local team HIFK plays the Finnish major league that is really entertaining as well.

For more cultural and relaxed experience, we recommend Kino Engel, an independent cinema with a quality repertoire. In the summer they do popular kesäkino-screenings outdoors.

A trip to Finland wouldn’t be right without some time in a sauna! There are many public saunas in Helsinki for anyone to visit for a small fee. Kallio area has some larger ones right in the hearth of the city. If you want to dip into the sea between your sauna sessions, go to Kulttuurisauna at the shore of Merihaka. The sea option is available also in winter if you are crazy enough to try.

Here are ten easy steps of renting a cottage for your holiday in Finland. All you have to do is go through the steps and we will guarantee you’ll have an amazing trip. However, if you have anything to ask you can contact us and we’ll help you out!

1. Scout the location

Decide what you want to see and do while in Finland. If you want a full on Lapland experience with snow, winter sports and aurora borealis, you might want to head over to one of our ski resorts in Lapland. If you are traveling in summer, you might want to stay somewhere south, near the big cities and their many activities.

2. Find the cottage

Find the best cabin from your location with Gofinland cottage search. Just type in the area and dates and you’ll be presented with the selection of available cabins. If you have special requirements, you can use the advanced search options on the list page.

3. Book it

When you have found the best cabin for your needs, you need to book it! Our clients support two kinds of booking options:

1. Booking request by email: You’ll contact the landlord with the booking form on the cottage page. Landlord will then email you the confirmation and further information.
2. Online-booking: Most of our clients have their own online booking systems, where we link from the cottage’s page on Gofinland. Just click the “Book now” button on the page and you’ll be redirected to the online booking system. Please read the instructions carefully and follow all the steps.

4. Make sure your booking has been confirmed

Read the booking confirmation emails closely and save them for later use. Confirmation emails contain all the necessary information about payments, how to get to the cabin and where to get the keys from. If you have some questions for the landlord, you can contact them to the email where the confirmation was sent.

5. Wait for it

Wait patiently for your holiday. We know it’s hard, but it’s worth the wait. Prepare in advance and pack at least one warm hat, for summer holidays too.

6. Come here

Get yourself to Finland! Here’s few tips on how to get here.

7. Keys – where are the keys?

Pick the keys up from the location mentioned by the landlord. If you are staying in a ski resort there is usually some kind of reception for this. But if you’ve booked a wilderness cabin in the middle of nowhere, you might need to go and see the landlord somewhere along the way. Just read the instructions well and ask for help if you have any questions!

8. Ahh, can you hear the silence?

Go to the cottage, heat the sauna up and crack open a beer – it’s time to relax!

9. Cleaning

After all the good time clean the cabin. If you’ve been smart and bought the cleaning service in advance, you don’t need to worry about this. So ask for the cleaning service – you won’t regret it!

10. Return the keys, please!

Return the key as the landlord has instructed and head back home.

Now, let’s start looking for that cabin!

Finland is pretty easy place to come to. You can come to Finland by air, sea or land. There are a couple major international routes by train and they are easily accessed. However if you are planning a bus trip, you might want to contact your local tour operator or travel agency for the easiest option.

We have land borders with Russia, Sweden and Norway. Russian border is very long and it can be crossed in multiple places. Swedish border is connected only to the northern Finland. That’s why many travelers from Sweden use ferries or boats from Stockholm to southern Finland.

The most common and easiest way into Finland is through the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. It’s the main hub in Finland and there are many airlines that fly to Helsinki.

Getting around

From Helsinki-Vantaa you can either take a connecting flight to one of the smaller airports or change the mode of transportation right away. Domestic flights in Finland are usually very short. You can even reach the northernmost airport Ivalo in one and a half hours. Flying is the most convenient and fastest way to get around. If you manage to score a good deal with the airline, it’s probably also the cheapest alternative.

Hi! We are a small but passionate team behind the site Gofinland.fi. We come from different backgrounds but we share the same interest in excellent websites and traveling in Finland – our home country.

Actually we like Finland so much that we’d like to introduce it to the whole world! That’s why we’ve built Gofinland.fi. It’s a portal for ultimate Finnish adventure – a cabin holiday! You know, we Finns love our cabins like crazy. It’s a good place to relax, have good time with family and friends and enjoy the solitude in nature. We believe that you haven’t really experienced Finland until you’ve spent a couple of nights in a cabin.

There are six of us right now. We do our business under the watchful eye of our manager Paula. She is a bulletproof businesswoman who knows everyone in the Finnish travel scene. She enjoys outdoor activities and especially skiing. Her closest colleague is Riikka, our dynamic salesperson. If you have rental cabins in Finland, you probably know her already.

The rest of us are from the tech team. Mikko is our designer and user experience specialist. Jarkko is the architect of all things tech and he codes all our stuff with Jari, our software specialist.

Me on the other hand couldn’t code even if my life depended on it. That’s why I’m the product manager. I’m trying to keep the customers happy with good features and interesting content. I do also all our social media and write this blog of course.

Yes, it’s me with the double bicep pose…

The other author of this blog is Mr. Bruce Deschamps – our correspondent from Lapland. He has his own blog http://destinationlaponie.fr/ where he tells the Lapland stories for French speaking people. As a French expat living with us Finns he has a cool perspective on Finnish culture and customs.

Hope you enjoy this blog and the stories we will be sharing here! Keep in touch because we are going to post pretty often.

Best regards
Jens