Did you ever wonder why Santa chose to live in such a cold and far away country? Winters here can be harsh for those of you who are not used to such amounts of snow or minus degrees temperatures. But if you manage to resist this impediment, then you will discover something truly wonderful. A country which has much to offer, in all aspects of life. Let’s discover together some of the best things you can do when you step with your foot in Finland.

Say Hi to Santa himself!

Wait? Are you telling me that you can find Santa in flesh and bones? Well of course he is! And if you travel to Finland you will have the opportunity to meet him in person. All you have to do is to travel to Finnish Lapland in the Arctic Circle. There in the city of Rovaniemi you will find Santa Claus Village, which is an amusement park.

The legend says that the history of the park goes way back to nearly one hundred years ago. One day a lonely adventurer passed-by Ear Mountain where it discovered with surprise that it’s inhabited. The inhabitants of this place where none other than Santa and his elves. From there on, Santa came up with the idea of making a village where he can meet up with all the people that love him. And thus, guaranteeing the safety of his place. Nowadays, Santa Claus Village is one of the most important places you can visit in Finland. Every year this destination is frequented by a great number of visitors. A place you should definitely visit! Also, you can find a high amount of souvenirs from there, even a nanoblock Santa and reindeer toy!

Finland: Land of Saunas

Finnish people have an unusual affinity for saunas. There is no inhabited place from this country where you can’t find a sauna. They are everywhere! The most amount of saunas are found in the capital of Helsinki. But some of the best are at Kotiharjun and Hermanni.

You may find this Finnish tradition involving saunas a little weird, but statistics do not lie. If you take the entire population of Finland you will get roughly 5,4 million people. Now, if you look upon saunas statistics, then you will be surprised to find out that there are 3,3 million saunas out there in the “wild”. So every one from two Finnish has a sauna just for him.

The obsession with saunas is easy to understand if you open a history book. Yes, the relaxation of the body has its place too, but there is more to it than this. The tradition itself dates back to many years ago, in Antiquity. It is said that the sauna makes a Finn a Finn.

Visit a National Park

If you are a nature person who loves going hiking then Finland offers you 40 national parks you can choose from. With breathtaking views, deep ancient forests and some of the most beautiful lakes in the world, the national parks from Finland offer its visitors all they need.

The wildlife residents are forming a ranged diversity too. From the enigmatic reindeer to bears, wolves and birds, you can find them all. And if you happen to visit a park that is close to the Arctic Circle, then you will have the privilege to witness the beautiful northern lights. A great spectacle indeed!

The national parks are free to visit, being very popular among the autohton population too. There is no better place to spend your time doing activities such as hiking, camping under the free sky or canoeing over rapids than in a national park. One of the forty parks, Urho Kekkonen National Park, is believed to be the home of Father Christmas by the locals. If you have time make sure you visit at least one of these national parks.

Fortress of Suomenlinna

One last thing you must do before you leave Finland is to visit Suomenlinna Fortress. The citadel is one of the largest sea fortresses in the world. The fort itself was built somewhere around the 18th century and is only 15 minutes away from Helsinki if you take a ferry. The UNESCO World Heritage Site will take your breath away from its first sighting. History tells us that the fortress was constructed in 1847 by the Swedes, as Finland was under their occupation at that time.

There you can visit and explore the high amount of tunnels, ramparts and museums or just take a relaxing walk through the island itself. You can also find there one of the submarines that Finish Navy used in Russo-Finnish War and World War II. The Vesikko submarine has an impressive weight of 250 tons and was in service of the Finish Army until the end of the war. You can also visit the Ehrensvärd Museum and the Doll and Toy Museum, where you can see all kinds of stuff.

Definitely Finland is a to-do country on everyone’s travel list. A magical place, with some of the happiest people in the world.