Finland is cold and dark in winter, but warm and sunny in summer, with temperatures in the 80’s twenty four hours a day. That’s the time for boating, beaching, biking, and hiking, plus festivals great and small throughout the country. The bicycle is the preferred means of transportation in most of the country.
Because Finland is near the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets during the summer, there is just a period of soft twilight in the middle of the night. After the long winter, the Finns pack as much outdoor adventure and enjoyment into all that daylight as they possibly can. It’s when those who live in the cities go outside for “terrace time” at local restaurants or to visit one of the many nearby parks. The summer solstice is marked by a national celebration that features getting away from the cities and into the countryside with family and friends.
Music lovers can attend the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival the last 2 weeks of July located on the shores of remote Lake Lammasjärvi. Connoisseur magazine says “for two passionate weeks in July the remote town of Kuhmo hosts a unique chamber music festival that is possibly the finest in the world.”
While in Finland, visit the quaint old port city of Rauma, home to the most perfectly preserved community of wooden buildings in Europe. Tied to the sea by geography and history, it offers a view into Finnish culture that goes beyond what you can find in the major cities like Helsinki.
Looking to expand your travel horizons beyond the routine and the ordinary? Finland is one of Europe’s best kept secrets.
Source and photos: Adventurous Kate