Finland

Finland -For most of the 20th century, Finland walked an ideological tightrope between communism in the east and capitalism in the west. Links with Scandinavia always existed, but the influence of the Soviet Union was an undeniable, if unofficial, reality. In fact the Soviet shadow loomed so large that Finns, who had to send a copy of everything they produced to the USSR, were suspected of using double-ply toilet paper. The collapse of communism in Europe has left this unique and resilient nation in control of its destiny (and its toilet paper) for the first time.

Finland's natural attractions are world-renowned - almost 188,000 lakes, roaring rivers, vast forests, endless archipelagos and the eerie beauty of the midnight sun in the far north. But it isn't only Finland's physical beauty that makes it so alluring. The stereotypical Finn is portrayed as a serious person, taciturn and loquacious by turn, manic in summer and melancholic in winter, fond of a tipple, yet also managing to sink an average nine cups of coffee a day. The defining national trait is sisu, meaning 'guts' or resilience and survival in prolonged hardship.

Environment - With an area of 338,000 sq km, Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. Located between Sweden and Russia, with which it shares a 1269-km border, it also shares one with Norway's arctic north (716-km) and Sweden's north-west (586-km). The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia. Forests cover two-thirds of Finland, the arctic zone one-third. Post-glacial lakes are the country's dominant feature, and if marshes and bogs are also counted, water covers about 10% of the country. Finland's highest point, the Halti, rises 1328 metres above sea level. 

Culture - Tove Jansson, the author of the Moominland stories, probably has the highest international profile among contemporary Finns, although you cannot escape the design work of Alvar Aalto in public buildings, towns and furniture. Jean Sibelius, one of the greatest of modern composers, wrote recognisably Finnish pieces for the glorification of his people and in defiance of the Russian oppressors. Sibelius and the nationalistic painter Akseli Gallén-Kallela fell under the spell of Karelianism, a movement going back to the folk songs Elias Lönnrot compiled for the national epic, the Kalevala in the 1830s. The Kalevala is an epic mythology that includes creation stories and the fight between good and evil. Aleksis Kivi founded modern Finnish literature with Seven Brothers, a story of brothers who try to escape education and civilisation in favour of the forest.

Finnish is a Uralic language and belongs to the Finno-Ugric group. It is closely related to Estonian and Karelian, and has common origins with Samoyed and the languages spoken in the Volga basin. The most widely spoken of the Finno-Ugric languages is Hungarian, but similarities with Finnish are few. With 6% of the population speaking Swedish, Finland is officially a bilingual country. Finlandssvenska, or 'Finland's Swedish', is very similar to the language spoken in Sweden, but local dialects have many Finnish words.

Finnish food has elements of both Swedish and Russian cuisines, but with a lot of variations and local specialities. Potato is the staple food, served with various fish or meat sauces. Some traditional meals include game: try snow grouse, reindeer stew, glowfired salmon or raw pickled salmon. Strong beers, wines and spirits are sold in licensed bars and restaurants and by the state network, aptly named Alko. Coupled with strict import restrictions, this makes alcohol prices prohibitively high and merry-making a serious business. Finnish humour often ties in the locals' love of a tipple with their legendary reticence to make small talk. This is demonstrated in the joke below, which features the stoic Finnish heroes, Pekka and Toivonen.

Events - Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is also a feature of midsummer partying. The Pori Jazz Festival in July is one of the country's most popular festivals, but the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle, is the most famous. Some of the best (and the most international) festivals are the most remote: check out chamber music in Kuhmo, or folk music in Kaustinen (near Kokkola). For rock, there are big festivals during the Midsummer weekend, and big annual events, such as Ruisrock, the longest-running of rock festivals, at Turku in July. On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkajarvi. 

Attractions:

Rauma - The old town of Rauma was recently placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as Finland's first entry. Although it is the largest wooden town preserved in the Nordic countries, Rauma's old town is not a museum but a living town centre, with many artisans, lace makers and goldsmiths working in small studios, most of which were erected in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are several interesting house museums and a 15th century Franciscan church, which used to be a Catholic monastery until Lutheran reformers kicked out the monks in 1538.

Olavinlinna Castle - is the principal attraction in the beautiful Savonlinna lakes area. Founded in 1475, Olavinlinna was meant to protect the eastern border of the Swedish-Finnish empire. It got its name from Olof, a 10th century Norwegian Catholic saint. Russians occupied the castle early in the 18th century, and hung around for almost 200 years, adding the red towers and a yellow house inside its walls. Two small museums in the castle have exhibits on its history plus displays of Orthodox treasures. You are not allowed to visit the castle without a guide, but there are hourly guided tours every day, all year round. The castle is located in the eastern town of Savonlinna accessible from Helsinki by plane, train and bus. A motorised floating bridge to the castle is removed when ships pass. 

Lemmenjoki National Park - The largest national park in Finland, Lemmenjoki offers some of the most exciting trekking in Lapland. You'll see desolate wilderness rivers, arctic landscape and maybe bump into a lonely gold panner in the middle of nowhere. The steep slopes of the Lemmenjoki River are a terrific vantage point, from which to see the Ravadasköngäs waterfall; you can also walk to it from a nearby hut (there are several free wilderness huts in the park to stay in). Most of the trekking routes are within the relatively small area between the Lemmenjoki and the Vaskojoki rivers. For any serious trekking, you will need the 1:100,000 Lemmenjoki topographical sheet, available in bookshops. To get there, either take one of the post buses leaving from Inari or hop on the river taxi from Kultala. 

Kolovesi National Park - This fine national park was founded in 1990, and covers several islands which feature unusually well-preserved pine forests. There are high hills, rocky cliffs and caves, and even prehistoric paintings on rocks. Saimaa marble seals are known to live in this area. A rowing boat is practically the only way to see the fantastic scenery as all motored boats are prohibited in the park. A guide is an unavoidable expense if you want to find the best places, but as groups get to travel in an old 'church longboat' with up to 10 pairs of oars, you can split the cost. Kolovesi National Park is in eastern Savo and is accessible by bus and ferry from Savonlinna. 

Activities - Travelling in Finland is certainly not like travelling in more densely populated countries. There is no 'next bus' waiting to take you to isolated national parks or small fishing villages. You will have to drive, pedal, paddle or walk to get there, and that's part of what makes Finland interesting. Once you've got the appropriate equipment, there is little to do in terms of arrangement: you have a legal right to walk, cycle, paddle a canoe or even camp almost anywhere in Finland.

Nordic skiing is popular and there are cross-country trails of varying difficulty. Downhill skiers go to Lapland, or to resorts such as Koli in North Karelia or Ruka in Kuusamo. Hiking or trekking is best from June to September (May in the south). Wilderness huts line the northern trails and are available without charge. Most of them have unlocked doors, basic bunks, cooking facilities, leftover dry food, a pile of dry firewood and even a wilderness telephone. You should always leave the hut as it was - replace the used firewood and clean the place. For the easiest hikes, go to areas such as Ruunaa in Karelia or try a national park. Routes such as Karhunkierros and the Lemmenjoki are very scenic. Boating can be enjoyed on both sea and lake but the prime sailing region, the Turku archipelago, is demanding to navigate. Canoeing is best on the lakes or around Turunmaa and Åland archipelagos in summer. There are wild rapids in Lapland and North Karelia. 

Getting There & Away - Few airlines fly direct to Finland but most European international operators will fly you to Helsinki after a stop in their respective hub. Finnair is the Finnish national carrier, with direct flights from the USA, Asian hubs, Russia, Ukraine and most European capitals. There are no departure taxes when leaving Finland.

Land crossings into Finland from Sweden and Norway are hassle-free, serviced by frequent buses and trains. Land crossings from Russia are a little more problematic, but border crossings are becoming more relaxed all the time. If you stick to the main tourist corridors (eg. Helsinki-St Petersburg) you won't have any troubles, but make sure you have a Russian visa before you roll up at the frontier. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects Europe to Asia, although its popularity has declined in recent years due to the general state of chaos in Russia. You can buy a ticket in Helsinki for the Chinese border via Moscow. Beware of sharks offering discounted tickets on this service; it's almost certain you'll be ripped off.

Baltic ferries run from Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Russia to Helsinki, Turku, Vaasa and Pietarsaari. The ferries are impressive seagoing craft and have been compared to hotels and shopping plazas; they actually make more money from duty-free shops than they do from passenger tickets!

Getting Around - Domestic air travel is possible but not especially cheap. Buses are the principal carriers of domestic and visitor traffic to remote parts, although trains carry passengers efficiently along intercity routes. The highway and freeway network is good between city centres, although you can encounter unsurfaced dirt and beaten tracks in the forests. No international licence is needed to drive in Finland, but you should carry your own licence when driving. Traffic keeps to the right and you should always drive with your headlights on. In most towns bicycles can be hired and are a recommended mode of transport during the summer. Lake and river ferries operate over the summer period, and come in handy if you're walking or cycling around the country.