Finland

Why Finland?

Do you enjoy a simple and pure life? Finland combines cozy villages with calm, rugged nature. One moment you are you're walking across a busy square in Tampere, the next you're standing on a quiet island like Suomenlinna, where all you hear is the water gently lapping against the rocks. Outside the cities, smoke rises from saunas and you hear the soft creak of wooden verandas that have stood for years. The roads are long and empty, but the scenery keeps changing: birch trees growing lighter, lakes stretching wider, villages that suddenly appear among the trees. This is nature in its purest form!

What can you do in Finland?

Finland invites you to go outside, even when it’s cold. In Nuuksio National Park, you walk among tall pine trees and hear nothing but birds and the rustling of branches. At the harbour in Turku, you can take a boat to the archipelago for a tour of the islands. In Eastern Finland, you’ll find countless lakes where you can take a refreshing dip in the summer. Do you dream of a holiday that feels like a Christmas movie? Travel to Ylläs, where the snow is so deep that every sound is muffled and reindeer can wander past your lodge. In the evening, you wrap yourself in a thick blanket and enjoy a star-filled sky by a fire pit.

Highlights of Finland

These spots give a good sense of what the country looks like:

• Helsinki: the capital offers lively market halls, pleasant parks, and impressive buildings such as the Temppeliaukio Church, carved into solid rock.
• Saimaa lakes: vast lakes where you can go canoeing, swimming, or stand-up paddling.
• Levi: in winter you glide across the slopes, and in summer you can enjoy endless hiking trails.
• Kittilä: in this northern snowy landscape, you might even see reindeer walking along the road.

Regions to explore in Finland

In the south, you find a mix of cities, coastal villages, and endless natural areas. Among these landscapes lie lakes so vast they resemble the sea. Further north, the scenery becomes almost magical, with villages where reindeer wander through the streets and hills above which you can see the northern lights dancing at night. 

• South Finland: the most densely populated and accessible part of the country, with coastal cities like Turku, wooden villas and islands you reach by small ferries.
• Central Finland: large lakes like Päijänne, forests with paths winding between birch trees and villages with saunas by the water.
• Lapland: vast plains, snow that muffles all sound and evenings when the northern lights move above the trees.

Culture and highlights in Finland

Saunas, market halls and islands 

The country can feel warm, even when it is cold outside. You see it in the saunas by the water, in the market halls where the smell of salmon soup hangs in the air and at the fire places in the lodges of the wooden houses off the coast.

• Saunas: in Tampere you step straight from a hot sauna into the cold lake.
• Islands: hop from one island to another off the coast of Turku. Take the ferry and sail from islet to islet, and sleep in the wooden cottages or on a campsite. 
• Market halls: sample the local delicacies at the markets. In Helsinki, try the salmon soup with fresh bread, while in Turku, stalls are piled with berries, fish and warm pastries.

Nature in Finland

In Finland, nature sometimes feels like stepping into another world. Forests, lakes and open plains follow one another in turn.

• Oulanka National Park: known for the Karhunkierros Trail, which takes you past rivers, suspension bridges, and untouched wilderness. Perfect for spotting wildlife!
• Urho Kekkonen National Park: a vast wilderness where you can truly experience silence. The place to go for multi-day treks or to see the Northern Lights.
• Archipelago National Park: a unique destination with thousands of small islands. Ideal for kayaking, cycling, and island hopping. 
• Lake Saimaa: the largest lake in Finland. From wooden piers, people take early morning dips while mist still hovers over the water. You might even spot the rare Saimaa ringed seal here. 
• Nuuksio National Park: beautiful forests, lakes, and short hiking trails, easily accessible from Helsinki.

Eating and drinking in Finland 

Many dishes come straight from nature: fish, berries, bread and stews that warm you up on cold days.

• Restaurants: in cities like Turku you eat salmon soup, potato dishes and fish that has just come in from the harbour.
• Kavilas (cafes): drinking coffee is an important social activity in Finland. Kahvilas serve strong coffee, warm cinnamon buns, and pulla—a soft, lightly sweet bread flavored with cardamom.
• Markets: in market halls like the one in Helsinki you find stalls with bread, berries, warm pastries and fish prepared on the spot.

Travel information for your flight to Finland

In summer you can stay outside until late because it barely gets dark. In winter, snow often lies so thick that villages sound quieter and the light seems blue. The further north you travel, the greater your chances of seeing the northern lights.

What to pack? 

• Warm layers: in Lapland it can still freeze even in spring. 
• Shoes with a good grip: many trails run through forests or along lakes, so slipery slopes are common.
• Bathing suit, bath robe and slippers: essentials if you visit a public sauna or want to cool off by a lake. 

Flight information

From the Netherlands, the flight to Kittilä takes around 3 hours. The airport Shuttle bus takes you in 15-20 minutes from the airport to the center of Levi/Sirkka (ski resort).

Getting around

During your holiday in Finland there are many ways to discover the country.

• Train: comfortable for travelling between cities like Helsinki, Tampere and Turku. 
• Car: great if you want to reach lakes, forests or small villages with little public transport. 
• Bus: handy for routes inland and to national parks. 
• Ferries: in the archipelago around Turku, small boats take you from island to island. 

Book your cheap flight to Finland

Dreaming of a holiday surrounded by natural beauty, in a place where you can truly unwind? In Finland, you’ll find the peace you’re looking for. One moment you’re standing by a lake where the air is so clear you can barely see the opposite shore; the next, you’re driving along roads winding through dense forests. Later in the day, you sit by the fireplace with a good book, overlooking the water. And in the evening, you might spot the northern lights while your boots stand in deep snow and your breath forms clouds in the cold air. A holiday in Finland is pure and a true oasis of calm.