No, absolutely not! Did you know that winter swimming can keep you in a good shape? More than 150,000 Finns are enjoying this activity on a regular basis during the season. All you need is a swimsuit and a hole in the ice of a frozen lake, river or pond.

It is a sport that has been practiced more in the past by elderly people but it is now gaining terrain also among younger generations. If you fancy trying new things, this post is for you.

2017 is an important and eventful year in Finland. To celebrate 100 years of independence, hundreds and hundreds of interesting events related to history, culture, sports and nature are being organized all over the country, every month throughout the year.

Listing all of the top events in Finland in 2017 would make an impossible task, but to give you an idea, we chose some of the most fascinating events that you should add to your calendar in case you’re planning to visit Finland during the year of celebration. If Finland still remains unticked on your bucket list, 2017 is definitely the year to make your travel dream come true.

The last few months of 2016 were pure celebration for Finland; Many international hot stream medias highlighted Finland in their headlines trying to convince travelers all over the world that Finland truly is the top destination for 2017.

It all started when Lonely Planet listed Finland as the 3rd best travel destination in the whole world. Soon after also National Geographic and Financial Times, among others, followed Lonely Planet’s example.

There’s no doubt we wouldn’t agree with the headlines, but at the same time a rumor started to go around stating Finland, and especially Lapland, being fully booked in 2017. While the hotels are busy with tourists, there are thousands and thousands of empty cottages available for holiday rental throughout the country.

Therefore we want to present 6 outstanding beach cabins in Finland where to stay during your visit. After all, you’ll get the best feeling for the Finnish way of living if you choose a cottage over a hotel.

Christmas is right around the corner and we all need to take a short break from the festive preparations. Exploring Finnish Christmas markets is a great way to share warm moments with your loved ones, discovering some of the most typical Finnish treats and unique local handicrafts.

But where to find these Finnish Christmas Markets to bring back home some of the most unique hand-made gifts?

Finland is often referred to as a true Winter Wonderland – for a good reason. In Finnish Lapland the winter lasts 7 months on average. For the majority of international travelers, snow itself is an attraction and a reason to travel to Finland.

For decades many winter destinations in Finland have lifted the snowy experiences up a notch: Each winter, dozens of unique structures are built out of snow and ice all over the country, from the world’s largest snow castle to wedding chapels, ice restaurants and even saunas.

This winter, to celebrate Finland’s 100th birthday, the very first Cave Ice Carving World Championships will be organized in the municipality of Leppävirta in the Finnish lakeland. The contest will bring along even more unique ice sculptures for travelers to admire.

Let’s have a closer look at the unique winter destinations in Finland, with the most amazing structures built of snow and ice, shall we!

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you that Finland is the land of unique landscapes, pure nature, thousands and thousands of lakes and the cleanest air in the world. Besides this, every keen traveller knows Helsinki, the beautiful capital of Finland, and of course Lapland—The home of Santa Claus, white winters, reindeer and northern lights.

But how about the rest of Finland? With so many unique destinations, it would be a crime to be satisfied with Helsinki and Lapland only. Therefore we asked 4 travel professionals to share their best travel tips: Where to go in Finland in 2017?

3,3 millions! This is the most recent number of existing saunas in Finland. Ain’t that enough to express how important the Finnish sauna culture is for Finns?

Our modern urban way of life has changed the way we resource ourselves. But from Helsinki city center to Nuorgam, the northernmost village in Finland, every Finn remain loyal to one thing: The Finnish sauna tradition.

Do you want to know more about it?

The autumn is here and the hunt for Northern lights has begun. We have already seen a few good ones in Finland, so we thought it could be cool to share with you a few tips to maximize your opportunity to capture these exciting moments.

Freedom to roam is something extremely unique to Nordic countries, including Finland. Also known as ‘Everyman’s Rights’, freedom to roam allows everyone to enjoy the forests, lakes, fields and parks anywhere in Finland and, most importantly, completely free of charge.

You might have heard about freedom to roam before, but were you aware that Finns—or even Nordics—are not the only ones who are privileged to benefit from it? We want to reveal the best 5 ways how also you can enjoy the Finnish freedom to roam, no matter where are you from.

When charging your batteries in Finnish nature, it’s good to remember that great freedom comes with great responsibilities. At first it might feel too amazing to be true, when thinking of all the wonderful things freedom to roam allows you to do on the beaches, lakes and forests. But you’ll get used to it very quickly.

And when you get used to it, it’s very easy to forget that not everything is allowed—not even in Finland!

Let’s have a closer look how to enjoy the freedom to roam in Finland. And how not to.

Featured photo by: Harri Tarvainen.

In Finland you can enjoy the outdoors at anytime of the year. But autumn has a particular flavour and we would love to give you the chance to experience the natural phenomenon called ‘ruska’. Over here, seasons are really contrasted and autumn is no exception.

Darkness is progressively taking over, days are getting shorter, announcing the forthcoming winter. Autumn is also a period when you can admire the first northern lights blazing in the starry sky. It is also a good time to pick up berries and mushrooms.

It is one of the best seasons to venture into the wilderness areas of Lapland, and here is why.