Finland Travel Guide
Information
Isn't It Just A Cold And Desolate Place?
No it isn't! Despite being a land of climactic extremes with - in many areas - no darkness or no daylight, depending on which part of the year you are in, Finland has a lot to offer.
For most of its existence, Finland fell under the rule of either Russia or Sweden; it was certainly hotly disputed territory. Only with the overthrow of the Tsar in 1917 did Finland truly come into its own as an independent entity. Despite this, the early years were not at all easy. Continuing unease and distrust of their new neighbours, the Communists, continued and a civil war between left and right was required before affairs began to settle down. The Republic was declared in 1919.
War broke out between Russia and Finland in 1939 and again in 1941. Despite attempting to cling to neutrality, Finland was really something of a pawn between the Soviets and the Nazis and inevitably got drawn in.
Since the war, Finland has largely prospered and become a fully-fledged member of the international community. Membership of the UN was granted in 1955 and in 1995 Finland joined the EU, signing up to the Euro 4 years later.
Finns have had to fight throughout the years to maintain their own identity in the face of overwhelming pressure from their neighbours (large numbers of the population speak Swedish) this has caused them to have a very strong notion of their own culture. The catalyst for this strong sense of national consciousness dates back to 1835. Up until this time all written works appeared in Swedish but when a scholar named Elias Lonnrot produced a collection of ballads and old folk tales in Finnish called the Kalevala, the tide began to turn. This collection remains a cornerstone of Finnish cultural life and at the time became a focal point for Finnish Nationalism.
The Sami or Same
Up until recently these first inhabitants of the region were known as Lapps after the land they lived in. Today there are 70,000 Sami, who inhabit the lands of northern Scandinavia and Russia. They are a nomadic people whose livelihood in the past relied on trailing roving herds of reindeer. An essentially peaceful race, their lives have been blighted by successive national governments of all countries. Despite this external pressure on a way of life that is centuries old, the Sami are still there and in a slightly more enlightened world, Sami culture is beginning to emerge and flourish once more.
The Lakes
Finland is known as the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes' (although in winter this must be 'land of a thousand skating rinks') this refers to the area to the Northeast of Helsinki. The majority of the towns, large and small, grew up because of the various forestry industries in the area. Any of the larger towns can serve as base for further exploration but expect to take more than a few days if you want to have a really good ferret about in this glorious countryside. To get a feel of the lakes take the two-day boat trip from Jyvaskyla to Lahti and back again. Both towns have a number of low-key attractions that make them appealing in their own right.
Father Christmas
Just south of the Arctic Circle is an unprepossessing place named Rovaniemi. This was formerly a forestry boomtown that prospered as a trading post on the edge of the Lappish forests. The Germans, as they retreated in 1944, burnt most of the town down. Now it is the modern looking, administrative capital of Lapland. It has some half decent small museums and the number of pubs and shops one would expect for a place of this size. The town is totally unremarkable except for one small detail. Father Christmas lives here.
That's right all those trips you see advertised end up here at the home of the rosy-cheeked rascal. Now, he can be visited at any time of the year - 600,000 people per year do - but the busiest time is just before the festive season. You would have thought that he would have enough to do what with wrapping presents, servicing the sleigh and feeding the reindeer but apparently not. Apparently, if you have children of the right age and you can afford it, this ranks right up there with Disneyland on the list of things you simply must do.
Hiking
In common with many of their Scandinavian brethren, the Finns are an outdoorsy people. Hiking routes are to be found all over the country but the most spectacular are Kainuu and Lapland.
Kainuu is the densely forested heart of the country; it is very sparsely populated with few centres of urbanisation. Use the towns of Kajaani and Kuhmo as bases for further exploration of the rivers, hills and valleys of the area. Be aware though, these are places so isolated that only serious hikers should attempt them.
Lapland presents a similar challenge. There are clearly marked hiking trails going across country that has a terrible tranquil beauty. This is a chance to explore one of the world's extreme environments and last great wildernesses.
If hiking is not your thing then perhaps you are a canoe person or maybe a bike would suit better? Either way you will find that you are well catered for.
I Talk To The Trees...
A huge proportion of the country is covered by coniferous forest. These vast acreages of timber provide the Finns with one of their main sources of income, especially from overseas markets.
About a third of the forests are government owned but many are privately owned and run. The trees (forestry) are just the tip of the iceberg; they in turn provide the raw materials for timber manufacture and the wood pulp industry.
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