Skiers and anyone who enjoys snow and ice activities will find the Arctic region a paradise in the winter. You may go on a dogsled safari across frozen lakes and visit Sami villages, learn to pull your reindeer sledge, cross-country ski for hours, and gaze at the dazzling northern lights.
A centre for all winter sports with miles of beautiful Nordic ski routes lit for night skiing, Levi is a good destination for downhill skiers and is around 170 kilometres north of Rovaniemi. The biggest downhill ski area in Finland’s pistes and slopes are also. The hotels in Levi’s rooms have glass ceilings so that you can view the aurora from within.
2. SHOP AND BROWSE in Helsinki’s
Design Museum Helsinki
The epicentre of modern Scandinavian design, Helsinki has an entire district devoted to studios, galleries, and even antique shops dedicated to Finish designers and their work. Whether you’re shopping or just looking, a few hours in these neighbourhoods is a chance to experience this vibrant facet of Finnish arts and culture. You’ll also find shops specializing in design-driven antiques and vintage Finnish designs, such as Art. fi and Artek 2nd Cycle. The city’s centre is where the central shopping districts are located. Esplanadi is one of them; it sells the best Finnish design but at a hefty cost. Even if you don’t purchase anything, it’s a lovely street to stroll down in the summer. And if you need help with your trip here, check out https://www.booking.com/. …
Finland has various attractions and picturesque locations, from the vibrant, art-filled metropolis of Helsinki and Turku to the depths of the northern forests and the sparsely populated outer islands.
It is a little-known region of Europe, probably because it is so far from the main tourist routes. Still, the country’s numerous historical and cultural treasures and pristine natural surroundings make it a great place to visit.
Finland is a Nordic playground for winter and summer sports thanks to its lakes, falls, rivers, and substantial wilderness regions, as well as the assurance of snowfall in the winter.
The majority of visitors to Finland enter the country mainly through Helsinki. The most significant museums and buildings designed by some of the finest Finnish architects can be found in the bustling Baltic port.
Turku and Porvoo, two attractive minor cities, are conveniently close to Helsinki. The Finnish lakes are to the west, while the vast region beyond the Arctic Circle, home to the midnight sun, northern lights, and some of the best winter sports in Europe, lies to the north.
And before I go further I want to thank KreteworX for their great support and help! They like to travel too!
1.SUOMENLINNA FORTRESS
The 18th-century fort on Suomenlinna is one of the biggest marine strongholds in the entire world. The primary attraction is the fortress castle, previously known as Sveaborg, whose construction started in 1748 under the Swedish administration. Russian invaders abandoned the fortress in 1808, and during the next century, it fell into disrepair.
After Finland won independence in 1917, the Finns finally took control of the fortifications and started renovating the historical site. It served as a functional submarine station during World War II and is now a well-known tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Start with the English-language audio-visual experience in the visitor centre for a vibrant history, then explore the walls, tunnels, museums, and the island’s trails. You can also sign up for a guided tour to discover more about the fort and its different features. One of them is the 250-ton Vesikko submarine, which the Finnish Navy employed from 1936 until the end of World War II.
Early Swedish history is depicted in the Ehrensvärd Museum, and dolls, dollhouses, and toys are displayed in an old Russian manor at the Doll and Toy Museum. The Suomenlinna Summer Theater presents evening dance and musical events during the summer in several buildings that also contain the studios and shops of glassblowers, potters, and other artisans.
2. KAUPPATORI (Market Square)
The city’s significant landmarks look out over Helsinki’s waterfront, a crucial component of the city. Additionally, it’s a well-liked meeting place with an outdoor market of nearby farmers, craftspeople, food producers, and fishermen who make direct sales from their boats. Depending on the season, you might smell salmon cooked over cedar planks next to the ships and see baskets of wild mushrooms or a rainbow of gleaming ripe berries. More food sellers have been housed in the ancient market hall since 1889, but the outdoor market continues year-round, covered in tarps and tents in the winter.
The vast expanse of the Esplanadi, which extends from one side of the Market Square, is where the entire city appears to converge on summer evenings. Elegant buildings line the tree-lined promenade, and a pavilion is home to the Kappeli Restaurant, whose patio is particularly well-liked on summer evenings while performances are taking place at the bandstand.
Helsinki’s emblem, a statue of Havis Amanda, is supported by a fountain, another piece by Eliel Saarinen. Helsinki’s most distinctive museum, The Street Museum, is a one-block journey from the early 1800s to the 1930s, with pavement surfaces, street lights, mailboxes, and phone booths changing with each period. From Market Square, it ascends to Senate Square.
3. ROVANIEMI AND THE ARCTIC
The town of Rovaniemi, in northern Finland, claims to be the Gateway to the Arctic because the Arctic Circle passes directly through it. It entails the renowned Midnight Sun in the summer.
In contrast to Rovaniemi, where the sun only rises and sets for a total of 24 hours on the summer solstice in late June, in Rovaniemi, it never gets dark until late May or early August. During these “White Nights,” locals are outside taking advantage of their beautiful surroundings, and they invite visitors to join them.
A vast natural landscape with flowing rivers for canoeing, swimming, or fishing, as well as hiking and biking trails next to them, surrounds Rovaniemi. Ask any Finnish youngster, and they will tell you that the city is most known as the location of Santa Claus Village, which sits directly astride the Arctic Circle. Here, you can interact with reindeer or go to a Sami reindeer farm.
4. HELSINKI CHURCHES
Orthodox Cathedral of Uspenski
Three of Helsinki’s top attractions are churches, two of which are cathedrals and the third of which is a modern architectural monument. The 13 green-topped spires of the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral rise dramatically above the bay’s east side and end in gold cupolas. The largest Orthodox church in Western Europe, with an interior glistening with gold, icons, crosses, altars, and elaborately decorated arches. The cathedral serves Helsinki’s sizable Russian community and welcomes guests.
With its size and proximity to the harborfront structures, the enormous Neoclassical Lutheran Cathedral gives the impression that it is standing on its roofs. It is situated on a hill directly behind the harbour and serves as a marker for those travelling by sea to Helsinki. Large steps and a big green dome. Senate Square’s imposing centrepiece is the cathedral from the early 19th century, with its tall green dome and wide measures.
One of the most magnificent public squares in Europe is enclosed in a pleasing enclosure by the buildings facing the square. It is commonly used for events and as the parade’s starting point. The entire square is covered with vendors selling lovely regional crafts and seasonal cuisine in December. Temppeliaukio Church, carved into solid rock in a relatively small space in the middle of the city, is an architectural experiment. At the same time, these two cathedrals are firmly grounded in the traditions of their respective denominations. The round roof of the church, which Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen created, is a braided copper roof supported by concrete spokes. This venue is well-liked for musical performances of many genres due to the exceptional acoustics produced by the combination of copper and stone.