This is the story of Sebastian’s journey to Finland and our wonderful culture where nature and spending time in summer cottages are essential .

Straight after arriving in Helsinki we got our rental car and drove north. Ahead of us was a 10 day journey through the southern part of Finland. My expectations of this beautiful country were fulfilled immediately after leaving the city and entering the remote nature of Finland. We drove for around 3 hours north, one hour was driving on a gravel road straight into the forest until we reached our cottage directly at lake.

A Finnish BBQ in the forest.

After a day of hiking and exploring the area we finished the day by making a campfire on a hill with views over the lake. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine a better place for a fire. The nature and the remoteness of that place even made it more beautiful. A cold beer and some sausages on the stick really made a perfect evening.

Amazing view on the National Park of Repovesi

After leaving the remote cottage behind, we made our way to explore Repovesi National Park. In the park there are a lot of hiking trails and some great views over lakes and forests. There are also some campgrounds, where families spent the night. Unfortunately we didn’t bring our own tent, so we had to leave the park at dawn to sleep in our B&B.

Roadtripping in Finland

After another night at a campfire at the B&B Pinus in Mäntyharju, we made our way more north to Koli National Park where we stayed on a farm for 2 nights. The view from the top of Koli National Park was even more breathtaking than the views we saw before. After a good day of hiking, we had one of the best burgers ever at Kolin Ryynanen, close to the park.

Scenic sunset in Finland.

On our way to the West Coast we stopped at another cottage directly at a lake. As many times before in Finland we were all by ourself. We took out the paddle boat for a sunset cruise before sitting at the warm campfire again.

Lovely view from pier. Time to jump in!

The west coast was a bit disappointing. There was no road directly at the sea and we missed our days at the lakes so much, that we headed back inwards on our way back down south to Helsinki.

Helsinki City overview.

Our last couple of nights we spent on an organic farm with an awesome breakfast. Holidays in Finland is pure nature and relaxation. If you want a lot of action, this is the wrong place. But if you are looking for untouched nature and wilderness, this is one of the best places I have visited so far.

Helsinki is a charming capital, with lots of good bars, restaurants and great cultural activities. I liked Finland so much, that I came back a couple of months later to see it in autumn. The weather was more moody but definitely as beautiful as in summer.

Sebastian made a short video while exploring Finland. In the video Sebastian experiences the Finnish nature and cottage culture at the fullest.  It’s worth checking out. Sebastian creates fantastic short films about traveling in different locations and takes quite spectacular photos while traveling!

You can follow Sebastian in Instagram: sebpic_

Cottage life in Finland can be totally different depending on the location. We listed some stunning cottages and villas that offer unforgettable experiences for your holiday in Finland.

Holiday on an Island – Enjoy the Fresh Air of the Sea

Finland is often said to be the Land of a Thousand Lakes, but there are plenty of islands, too! Renting a cottage in one of the 180,000 islands gives a good chance to get away from everyday life.

Did you know that there are more than 500,000 holiday homes, villas and cottages in Finland? Most cottages are perfectly habitable all year round, even through winter, and filled with modern comfort and conveniences. Not all cottage owners want or need to use their holiday homes at all times. Instead of keeping the cottages empty, they’re renting them out to travelers who want to experience real Finnish lifestyle.

But have YOU, as a traveler, ever considered choosing a rental cottage over a hotel room for your holiday? In case you now find yourself shaking your head and thinking ‘hell no’, this article is worth reading.

As the largest rental cottage marketplace in the country, Gofinland currently has more than 7,000 cottages to choose from. This article provides you with 7 proven reasons why renting a cottage beats staying in a hotel any time of the year.

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!

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!