Finland’s southern capital, Helsinki, sits on a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland. It delights visitors with its diverse architecture, seafront setting, Nordic cuisine and world-renowned design. The city is compact enough to explore on foot and features some first-rate attractions that entertain visitors from around the world.
Among the city’s many sights are a UNESCO-listed fortress, beautifully unique churches and traditional marketplaces dating back to the 19th century.
Helsinki’s nightlife is legendary, attracting fans of alternative music with numerous live bars and concert halls hosting heavy metal gigs almost every night. The city also hosts one of Europe’s largest annual music festivals, drawing famous metal bands from across the globe.
Whether you’re into good food, picturesque sights or heavy metal music, there’s something for you in Helsinki.
If you’re a nature lover, you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied in Savonlinna. Just a stone’s throw from the Linnansaari and Kolovesi National Parks, the scenery has to be seen to be believed. It’s also in the centre of Finland’s largest lake system and is home to some unique wildlife, including Saimaa seals and the white-backed corncrake.
Set across four islands between Haapvesi and Pihlajavesi lakes, Savonlinna is as charming as its surroundings and has remained one of Finland’s top attractions for decades.
Every July the town hosts a world-renowned opera festival in one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval castles. Whether you’re into nature or love a good opera, Savonlinna is a destination you can’t miss.
Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland in northern Finland. Although it was almost completely destroyed during World War II, today it’s a bustling city known as the 'official' home of Santa Claus. As a result, it’s home to the Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle and SantaPark Arctic World, located 8 km from the city centre.
When people aren’t flocking to prove they’ve been nice this year, they’re looking up — Rovaniemi is one of the best places in the world to see the spectacular Northern Lights.
The city itself isn’t bad either. Lappish design, fine dining, a world-class museum and a student-fuelled nightlife are just a handful of the many highlights that make Rovaniemi a great stop on any Finnish road trip.
Vaasa is located on the west coast of Finland, facing the Gulf of Bothnia. It's renowned as a major university and college town and is one of the few in the bilingual area – 69.8% of the population speak Finnish as their first language, while 24.8% speak Swedish.
The centre of the Finnish Ostrobothnia region, this gorgeous coastal city is a great destination to visit at any time of year. It's bathed in colourful history and is rich in interesting sights to visit.
The 400-year-old town is both colourful and lively, perfect for art lovers, history buffs and nature admirers. In addition to its great sightseeing, Vaasa also hosts several renowned festivals, including the Vaasa Festival, Night of the Arts, Korsholm Music Festival and more.
