Finland
Finland Guide
Finland is in Northern Europe and borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia. It is known for having vast areas of unspoilt nature including thousands of lakes and islands. Helsinki is the most visited city and the country’s capital, nicknamed ‘daughter of the Baltic’. In the far north, you may just see the famous sights of the northern lights and the midnight sun. At Christmas time, Finnish Lapland attracts visitors from all over the world, to see Santa Claus’ village. The Finns love to sauna and swim as well as to fish and barbeque, so why not join in?
Southern Finland is home to the capital Helsinki, a seaside city with a cafe society and old Russian style. It is also good for shopping and culture as well as having interesting architecture. Other places to visit with your car hire Helsinki, in Finland’s south are the pretty village of Poorvoo with its wooden houses and Hameenlinna, which has the oldest castle in Finland. You will also find Nuuksio National park nearby.
In Western Finland, you will find the inland city of Tampere and the spa town of Nokia.You can take a drive out to the old capital of Turku with oyu car hire Finland - it has a medieval castle and cathedral for you to explore. The towns of Pispala and Pyynikki are worth a visit as well as Viikinsaari Island. In Naantali, there is the Moominworld theme park, which is very popular local attraction for families.
To the east, you can visit the lakeside town of Savonlinna and the impressive St Olaf’s Castle. There are museums here too and it is home to the yearly ‘Opera Festival’. From the town, you can enjoy a relaxing cruise on Lake Saimaa.
Finnish Lapland is mostly known for being home to Rovaniemi, the village of Santa Claus. Probably the second most popular attraction in the region is the snow castle at Kemi – built yearly it also has a hotel and restaurant. You can also take a cruise from here on the Sampo icebreaker. For winter sports, a visit to Saariselka is a must. You can ski or sled there and it is one of the most likely places you will see the northern lights.
The Aland archipelago has over 6,500 islands and is popular for cycling and sailing. You can find some of Finland’s oldest churches here, some dating back as far as the 12th century. A more recent attraction is the island restaurants, which use the best local seafood available.