Okay, I'll admit it: until a year ago I had never visited Finland. I always dreamed about doing so, but never did. Then, in June 2017, I gave it a shot and fell in love with this wonderful country at once! But whenever I ask friends to come with me next time (I'm traveling to Finland every 2 - 3 months now), the answers are always the same: "No, Finland is too cold, I want to go someplace warm", "Finland isn't interesting enough to spend money on going there", "It's always dark in Finland" and so on. I get the point. Only, those things are simply not true! Finland has a lot to offer and is all but boring. And yes, it may be dark in the winter but therefore you'll have neverending days in the summertime! So here are my top ten reasons why you should, in fact, visit Finland:
- Finland has the most beautiful nature. It's true. There are so many woods in Finland, that it's impossible not to go for a walk in the forest while you're there. Also it isn't known as the land of the thousand lakes for nothing. Especially if you're living in a big city, Finland is perfect to get out into the green and calm your mind.
- During the summer days in Finland are literally neverending. The effect gets stronger the further north you go, but even in the south (Helsinki for example) you'll only have like one hour of (real) dark around June/July.
- In winter it may be dark. Yes. But that is the time when you can see the famous polar lights! True, you'll have a better chance of seeing them when you really go up north, but sitting in front of a fireplace or in the saune when it's freezing outside is about the most romantic thing, isn't it?
- And that brings us to the next and very important point: SAUNA! Never forget sauna when you go to Finland. It is no secret that no one knows how to sauna as perfectly as the Finns do! They were the ones who invented it, after all. And trust me, finnish sauna experiences are completely different than anywhere else in the world. And so much better!
- Finnish people are genuinely nice and helpful. For real. They may value their personal space but they are really hospitable people and are always happy to tell you some interesting things about their country and culture. Just let them know how wonderful sauna is and they'll love you ;)
- Finnish is about the weirdest language I know. And difficult, trust me on that one. BUT: it sounds so badass when they speak it! I just love the sound of it and it's absolutely worth the time to just sit in a park in Helsinki and listen to Finns talk :)
- Parks. They have a lot of them, even (or especially) in the city. So no matter if you just enjoy long walks or want to have a big picnic: go for it!
- Islands. Also a lot of them in Finland. And each one unique and beautiful.
- Finland only has a population of about 5,5 mio people. But it's a big country. So there's plenty of room everywhere, it's never too crowded and I don't know about you, but I really enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with it.
- In Finland time seems to be standing still. I can't explain why, the only thing I know is that everyone I asked about it says the same thing. It feels like some kind of parallel universe where time just doesn't work the way it does in other places.
I could go on and on with this list, but here are my 10 reasons why you should visit Finland. It's so good for the peace of mind and the whole country feels like some sort of enormous wellness hotel with a lot of woods and water in it. So relax your spirit, go to Finland!