Best Places to Visit in Finland
Finland usually does not inspire the long and frozen backbone of Scandinavia. It attracts visitors to promises of the vast forests and cavities of Iceland, snow-covered skiing areas, the Sami and Santa, advanced cities of Helsinki and Turku, welcoming local people, Swish architecture firms, and some of the world’s richest and most scenic coastlines. Finland places to visit are one of the hidden jewels in Europe that need to be discovered on a priority basis.
From the seawater to amazing snow, you will get an opportunity to live every season here. While been at Finland, it is extremely challenging to pick the right destinations that you can cover in your itinerary. This is because this incredible country has got so much to offer every traveler and you will always craving for more and more. Don’t worry! We have made your job easy by creating an ideal list of the best places to visit in Finland and top things to do in Finland Helsinki:
1. Northern Lights:
This is one of the ideal tourist attractions of Finland that will surely tempt you to plan a trip to Finland very soon. Northern Lights are created specifically in the month of September to March, which is an absolute treat to watch. It is a mystical place that will give you an amazing experience that you may have not experienced in your entire life before. Sometimes, it is really difficult to believe that this place is a creation of nature and doesn’t have any artificial effects behind it. All these reasons make Finland one of the best places to see northern lights.
2. Archipelago National Park:
A group of islands called the Alands Archipelago are located in the central part of the Baltic Sea. The Islands function reasonably independently though they legally belong to Finland. It is uniquely one part of Finland, where Swedish is more likely than Finnish! Visitors from the ferry between Aland Islands will see sites such as the Pomeranian Museum, the Aland visitor center, Kastelholm Castle of the fourteenth century and the miles of wonderful walking trails. Enjoying ferry service between both the Aland Islands is one of the best things to do in Finland all the time during the year.
3. Turku:
Turku, a town which was for most of the 19th century the capital city of Finland and which is thought to be the oldest in the country, is on the southern shore of Finland. While Helsinki has long been the capital city, Turku continues to be one of Finland’s key tourism destinations and home to numerous cultural and historic attractions. The castle of Turku, the Twin Museum of Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, and the region of Luostarinmaki are a few of the most unique places to visit in Turku Finland. This area is among the few places of design that escaped the burning of the city at the beginning of the XIX century.
4. Porvoo:
Porvoo, another of Finland’s little honest medieval villages, is much more than 600 years of age. It is a hodgepodge of twisted timber buildings, decorated in orange and red and traditionally rich public squares paved in cobbler, all bordered in the middle ages by former Swedish masters. The Baltics are a very nice place to be seen on the Saronic gulf only a quick east of the island of Helsinki. The majestic Porvoo Cathedral and its half-wooden façade are situated right on the heart of downtown centers, oozing with stories of Russian and Danish attackers, while residents assemble in the Old Porvoo global marketplace to snack coffees.
5. Levi:
Levi is one of the top winter tourist attractions of Finland that you must add to your itinerary. Mountaineers come by large numbers to enjoy the abundant snow and assured conditions, which stretch out across the 43 alpine runs and deliver a whole range of skiing and surfing for beginners through to substrates (there are also a couple of difficult black runs). The charming town takes over in the evening, with its pine-covered sauna and renowned farms all enlightened by the North Lights – pure holiday bliss!
A tour to Finland tourist attractions is incomplete without visiting a place like Levi. There are several reasons that make this spot so special. You can explore a wide range of ski slopes and pristine snow while been here. Here temperature consistently remains below zero which means you get perfect surroundings to enjoy snow trails. Whether you are an amateur traveler or experience one, you will definitely appreciate this place as it offers you tremendous exposure to enjoy top things to do in Finland.
6. Kuopio:
As being one of the gems of Northern Savonia’s Finnish lake district, Kuopio sits between Kallavesi’s mirror-like lakes and swathes of spruce forests flowing between edible white and green as the seasons change. The pleasant little town, its national, romantic architectural style, the bulbous City Hall, and the extensive centerpiece is a particular favorite with tourist destinations and adventurers and is a great place for waving boats and wandering on the beautiful trails of Livonsaari, skiing Nordic skis or wandering along some the best trails in Finland, or simply wandering through the countryside amongst the creeping waters.
7. Vaasa:
Vaasa is a proud vestige of the long Swedish tour into this western frontier of Finland, mixing its ancient past with a vibrant university scene and modern architecture. Tourists will explore national monuments in the city center (particularly important in this city, which is much more turbulent than anywhere else than Russian invasions) next to regenerated mill houses, in which lecture halls talk about innovation and technology. The magnificent market place is the beautiful heart of Vaasa’s life and its promenades along the waterfront and gothic revival in the stoic maritime building add weight to its ancient relation to the sea.
8. Hameenlinna:
Sleepy Hameenlinna is situated on the outlet of the battlefield and lined up in green coniferous trees, amid the inland wild waterways of Tavastia in southern Finland. In the center of the city is a serious Swedish castle, built here in the 1200s, which is used for the defense of trade routes back into the Gulf of Bothnia. The horizon of the city still forms this monolith fortification and Sibelius’ home and the Historic Museum in Hameenlinna give an insight into the culture and heritage that flourished here since the sixteenth century.
9. Helsinki:
Helsinki is without doubt one of the most beaten-listed capitals of Scandinavia and the cultural, economic, and political center of Finland as a whole. The Baltic Sea rises against the innumerable inlets and harbor areas; its bright gold dressed and whitewashed architecture evolved from Petersburg to the severe Tsarist reconstruction of two centuries ago. The Baltic Sea rises on the outskirts of Uusimaa. But the classical economic shell is just part of the story and the likes of the magnificent Lutheran Cathedral. The locals of Helsinki are creative and sumptuous in their extreme, offering oodles of designer studios and hipster cafes, beautiful avant-garde at the Ateneum, architectural work from other countries, such as Kiasma, and a sophisticated evening scene.
10. Oulu:
Oulu is a charming city of islets and bridges, affluent suburbs, and high-profile universities facing Sweden on the Norte Gulf. The banks of the brackish River Oulujoki are indelibly green and green in the summer, carving the town center into a collection of stunning cays as the tendrils of the Delta pass outward to reach Bothnia’s salty rollers. This is where travelers can find the vibrant pavement in the main town of the Kauppatori, lined in weekend farmer’s markets, and Rotuaari, with its upcoming department stores and student cafeteria and bars. The main trail of this place is to be found. The elegant neo-Renaissance façades of the city hall and a new science center boot this. This is a special feature and one of the best places to see in Finland with your family and friends.
11. Savonlinna:
This is one of the cool places to visit in Finland that you should always keep on priority. Here you can spot Olavinlinna Castle and so many other unique sightseeing locations such as museums, galleries, theaters and cafes. While been here, don’t forget to visit the opera festival and ballet festival organized here that attract several travelers from different countries.
12. Nuuksio National Park:
It is spread over a large territory and gives you an opportunity to experience its opulent wildlife. Here you can enjoy the amazing flora and fauna of Europe that will surely mesmerize you with its ultimate greenery. If you are an adventure lover then you will definitely enjoy skiing, camping, hiking, bicycling and some top things to do in Finland such as horse riding.
13. Santa Claus Village:
This stunning amusement park is located at the snowy mountains thereby creating a replica of Disneyland. Here you can spot everything from igloo hotel, reindeer sleigh rides, ice restaurants and wild safaris to keep your day extremely busy. No matter what your interest is you will definitely find something here to fulfill your wishes.
14. Sibelius Monument:
This extraordinary monument has a history that dates back to several old centuries. It is created in order to offer respect to a world-famous music composer. Here you can spot several hollow pipes that integrated together to create a creative structure. If you want to explore more about Finish culture then this is an ideal place to be.
15.Tampere:
While Tampere is Finland’s third-largest city, it does not yet look like a big urban area, and more like a quarterly set than a massive metropolitan area. View Vapriikki, a dynamic museum containing, inter alia, the museum of natural history and the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, to recognize the history and heritage of Tampere. Outdoor activities such as skiing and hockey are unbelievably common in Tampere, but the less physically gifted inclined can take a walk across outdoor centers such as Duck Park and the Hatanpaa botanic garden. Aquarium, planetarium, children’s zoo, art museum, and the exploration tour with a fantastic view of the forest and the lakes are situated in the famous Sarkanniemi amusement park on the outskirts of downtown.
What’s next waiting for you?
Finland is, unlike many other typical spots, a special destination still unused and untouched. In Finland, there is no lack of places to visit and it calls on the explorer, traveler, shopper, and cultural lover! After going through the above-mentioned top places to visit in Finland, you can’t stop yourself from adding this incredible country to your Europe travel. Now you know what to do in Finland, plan your journey and you will surely like to visit it again and again.
About Author: Bhagyashree Sahu