Finland is probably best known for the midnight sun, sauna and thousands of lakes. Indeed, the summer season is a great period to experience our country’s endless days and interesting places from the Baltic shores up to the Arctic Circle. Here are our favourite destinations to spend great family holidays, offering plenty of activities for everyone.

The Naantali region

Let’s start from the South of Finland and stop by the town of Naantali. The best way to reach it, is to rent a car and have the freedom to explore the beautiful coast.
You can either drive from Helsinki if you land there or take the train to Turku and get your rental car to come to Naantali.

Enter in the most known Finnish fairy tale: the Moomin World

Have you ever heard about Tove Jansson’s Moomin family? Very popular especially in the Nordics, the Moomin Theme Park offers a lot of fun activities to entire family. Children can visit characters’ houses, play games and watch performances.

Located in the beautiful island by the old of Naantali, in the meantime, you can appreciate the surrounding nature and sea views.

Join a pirate adventure and more on the Väski Island

The whole family can experience a pirate adventure onboard of the Rosita ship, to hunt for golden treasures. The ship will take you to the Väski Island where the young adventurers can fully enjoy their day.

Not far from the Moomin World, the Väski Island proposes a full day of outdoor adventures from climbing to repelling. The fishermen village offers as well a good choice of restaurants, beaches and, even sauna. This is a relaxing way to end the end, combined with a swim in the Baltic Sea.

OUR TIP: Combine your Naantali visit with a weekend in the Åland Archipelago

From the Naantali harbour, we highly recommend you to take the ferry for a weekend to visit the Åland Archipelago. Island hopping is a fun way to explore the area and enjoy the fresh air of the Baltic Sea!

Helsinki

Photo: Juho Kuva

The capital of Finland, Helsinki, is the most visited city in summer and you will soon understand why. There are so many cool things to do that we could write many posts about it. So we selected for you our top 3 things to experience.

Linnanmäki

Linnanmäki is the most popular amusement park of the city. Our favourite attraction would be the old wooden rollercoaster, which has been popular from the 1950s. The park offers nice views of the city and hosts many concerts during the summer days. Children can access many attractions free-of-charge.

Heureka

You won’t get it wrong with your kids when visiting the Science Center Heureka. Its planetarium offers stunning animated films and different exhibitions are known for eye-opening experiences.

Nature, is never too far

Even if we are in the capital, the nature is never far away in Helsinki. You have plenty of options to choose from the Nuuksio National Park to the Uutela recreational area, to name a few. If you are willing to do something cool, have a city tour by kayak!

OUR TIP: Plan your Helsinki stay with your young children thanks to this cool map. 

Rovaniemi

Besides being the Official Hometown of Santa Claus, Rovaniemi offers many opportunities to spend a family summer break surrounded by Arctic nature.

Santa Claus, of course
Although mostly visited during the winter period, the Santa Claus Village is always open and Santa himself is welcoming visitors every day of the year. Only 2 km away from the village, we suggest you to visit the Santa’s most secret cave, Santa Park. Your children can join the Elves school to learn how to become the best little Santa’s helpers. The elves are here to guide you to experience all sorts of attractions. You can even bake your own gingerbreads cookies or visit ice gallery.

Cultural Beat
If you are interested to discover more about the Finland’s nature, visit the Pilke Science Centre. It allows you to learn more about forests, the amazing natural resources that so many locals enjoy all year round. Children can play interactive games and with wooden toys during the visit, or even sing karaoke.

Next door, the Arktikum Museum is also a place you will not want to miss if you are in Rovaniemi with the whole family. The permanent exhibitions tell stories about Lapland and introduce the people and animals of the Arctic.

Arctic Animals
As Rovaniemi is located by the Arctic Circle, it offers opportunities to discover animals that are rather rare elsewhere. In summer time, you can visit reindeer and husky farms, or even participate in the moose-watching safari. An 1-hour drive from Rovaniemi is located Ranua Wildlife Park. One of the Lapland’s leading family attractions, the Park offers as authentic environment as possible for the 50 wild animals species.

OUR TIP: Right in the heart of the Rovaniemi, you can go to the public beach to swim in the river and meet up with locals enjoying holidays or weekends there.

Choose the best family accommodation

Among these 3 destinations, Naantali, Helsinki, Rovaniemi, you will find a good selection of cottages. Most of these accommodations are close to services but at the same time, surrounded by nature.

To make the most out of your stay, we highly recommend you to look for rentals with a lake view or on the seashore in small bays, to experience the summer season as many locals do.

Some of these cottages might also have a rowing boat available for you to go fishing.

You are looking for a new winter break destination? We have a suggestion for you: explore the Pyhä-Luosto ski resort in Finnish Lapland.

Welcome to Eastern Lapland

Located at only 1h30 from Rovaniemi, in the region called Itä-Lappi (Eastern Lapland in Finnish), the Pyhä-Luosto fells are easily accessible by car or bus transfers.

The fells chain of Pyhä-Luosto is one of the oldest in the world and considered, in the old times, as the home of gods by the Forest Sámi who were living in the area. It was then a great reindeer hunting ground long before reindeer husbandry begun. Actually the word Pyhä means sacred in Finnish language.

Photo by Tea Karvinen

The region also has a long tradition and history for logging in the 19th and 20th centuries when logs were transported on the Kitinen and Kemijoki rivers down to the Bothnian Gulf.

The Pyhä-Luosto National Park offers great opportunities to explore the Lappish nature. Finland’s deepest ravine, Isokuru, is located there, along with beautiful pine forests, where some trees are 400 years old. You can find a diverse selection of well-maintained trails to discover different parts of the park.

A different way to experience the Lappish nature is to stay an overnight in a wilderness hut in the national park. You can ask for more info at the Visitor Centre Naava.

Here are our suggestions for sporty break in Pyhä-Luosto.

Pyhä-Luosto backcountry is perfect of outdoors activities

The mid-winter and spring are the best seasons in Lapland to spend time outdoors. Pyhä-Luosto ski resort offers a good choice of outdoors activities you can do by yourself or on guided tours.

As outdoors lovers, in our list of favorite activities, we recommend you to try:

Snowshoeing

Hiking and nature trails can be used as snowshoeing tracks during winter. On the trails, take a break in the shelters to light up a campfire to enjoy hot drinks and snacks before continuing your journey. No need to bring your snowshoes with you, as you can easily rent them on the spot.

Downhill and backcountry skiing

Pyhätunturi is one the go-to-spots for Finnish freeriders in Lapland. You too can participate in one of the guided backcountry excursions to discover the other side of Pyhä.

Crosscountry skiing

Pyhä–Luosto has more than 150 km of cross-country skiing tracks to explore the area. As cross-country skiing is one of the most popular and traditional sports in Finland, it is a great way to meet with locals.

Ice climbing

The Tajukangas icefall is 30 meters high and gives you the opportunity to try ice climbing. From beginners to more advanced climbers, it is one of the rare spots in Finnish Lapland where you can practice this activity.

Fat biking

Fat biking is another cool way to discover the surroundings or Pyhä-Luosto. Made especially for snow, these bikes will take you literally anywhere you want: very easy to handle, and no need to be super fit to enjoy the pleasure of riding a bike on snow.

To find out local service providers, check out: http://pyha.fi/en/to-do/activities

Where to stay in Pyhä-Luosto?

To get most out of your active holidays in Pyhä-Luosto, we highly recommend you to explore the cottages available in the region.

In the area, you can find from traditional styled to luxurious cabins, all with fully equipped kitchen, sauna, chimney and a warm atmosphere to relax after a great day outside.

Very often located near cross-country skiing slopes, you literally have the Lappish wilderness at your doorstep.

Have a look at our cottages selection in Pyhä or in Luosto

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.

Looking for a long weekend destination for the winter?  We have a suggestion for you!

Located in the Western Lapland, 220 km above the Arctic Circle, Ylläs offers an intimate encounter with the wilderness of Lapland. The small ski resort has kept its local Lappish atmosphere pretty much intact over the years.

The 7 fells and 2 villages, Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi, offer great nature and wilderness surroundings to enjoy a relaxing or active outdoor break during the long and dark winter months.

To really get a grasp of this destination, you can choose among many cottages available for rent. The selection varies between the most isolated cottages in the middle of the forest to the ones right nearby the ski slopes and restaurants.

Kuva, jonka Ylläs (@visityllas) julkaisi 31. 01ta 2016 klo 3.06 PST

Discover the Fells of Ylläs with Snowshoes

One of the best ways to discover Ylläs landscape and forests is to strap on a pair of snowshoes and step out for a winter hike. The resort offers snowshoeing trails with lengths between 1 to 7,5 km with various levels of difficulties to suit both beginners and more advanced amateurs.

On these trails, you can easily find public wooden shelters and fireplaces to have a picnic break. So don’t forget to bring along freshly baked cinnamon buns, coffee or even dry reindeer meat to eat around a campfire.

Then just empty your mind for a moment and enjoy the environment in the company of good friends or family!

Kuva, jonka Ylläs (@visityllas) julkaisi 10. 01ta 2016 klo 0.23 PST

The Perfect Blend for Relaxation and Adventure

After a great winter day out, what is more relaxing than enjoying the cosiness of cottage, tasting the local delicacies with friends, warming up sauna, and spending time by the fireplace?

Whether you are looking for a place to relax or experience new adventures, Ylläs has a lot to offer. Ready to discover the authentic Lappish atmosphere of the 7 fells?