Vacation Rentals in Finland
World > Europe > Finland
Travel destination Finland.
You can choose from 46 vacation rentals and holiday rentals.
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Destination
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(30)
Hankasalmi (2), Hattuvaara (1), Heinävesi (2), Juuka (2), Kumpuranta (1), Kuopio (2), Nilsiä (3), Pieksämäki (1), Suonenjoki (1), Säimen (2), Taipalsaari (3), Tervo (1), Varpaisjärvi (3), Venetmäki (1), Vesanto (1)
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Overview of Finland |
| Size |
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338,000 sq km (130,502 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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5.2 million |
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| Language |
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Finnish is spoken by 91,3% Swedish by 5,4 % of the population. |
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| Time Zone |
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2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2). |
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| Electricity |
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230 V, 50 Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used. |
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| Clothing |
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Summer: Loose, light clothing will help you to get along with heat. Warm clothing is essential
in the winter months and in severe weather there is a danger of frostbite, particularly in Arctic
Finland, if suitable clothing is not worn. |
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| Religion |
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85,6% Lutheran and about 1% Orthodox. |
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| Currency |
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Euro (EUR)
Currency Converter |
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Location of Finland
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Finland is surrounded in the south, southwest and west by the Baltic, the Gulf of Finland and the
Gulf of Bothnia. The coastline is highly indented and its total length is 4600 km (2760 mi). Around
the coast is a vast archipelago of thousands of islands. In many places there are long unspoiled
sandy beaches. There are no tides to speak of, so the appearance of the seashore does not differ
much from the lakeshores. In addition, the seawater is not very salty as very little water of high
salt content passes through the Danish straits, and the many rivers, as well as the rainfall,
contribute more water to the Baltic than is lost by evaporation. A special feature of the Baltic
is that the land is constantly rising from the sea, as much as 9 mm a year in the narrow part of
the Gulf of Bothnia - a long-term result of the end of the Ice Age. The majority of Finland’s
180,000 lakes are situated between the coastal area and the eastern frontier covering an area some
100 km (60 mi) wide. The lakes are a veritable maze with their profusion of bays, headlands
and islands. Sometimes they open out into broader stretches. They are linked to each other by
rivers, straits and canals forming waterways which in former times were a principal means of
communication. Nowadays, they are attractive routes for the tourist. As the lakes are usually
shallow and the surrounding land is not high, the water soon becomes warm in summer. Many summer
festivals of all kinds take place in the lakeland area, often in beautiful country settings.
There are approximately half a million inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, making it
the most densely populated region in Finland. The area comprises four towns, Helsinki (the capital),
Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. However, only half of the 800 sq km (300 sq mi) that it occupies
is actually developed. The rest consists of parks, forests, shoreline and lakes. |
Climate in Finland
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The climate of Finland is marked by cold winters and fairly warm summers. In the far north of
the country the sun does not set for about 73 days, producing the white nights of summer. In
winter the sun remains below the horizon for 51 days in the far north. In summer the temperature
quite often rises to 20°C (68°F) or more and occasionally goes close to 30°C (86°F) in southern and
eastern parts of the country. In winter, temperatures of -20°C (-4°F) are not uncommon in many
areas. Finnish Lapland invariably has the lowest winter temperatures. The mean temperature in
Helsinki in July is 17°C (62°F) and in February -5.7°C (22°F).
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Best Time to Travel to Finland
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Go see the nightless nights and midnight sun in Lapland during summer, there are lots
of maps, information and facilities available for hikers. Bike around in beautiful Turku
archipelago and take free ferries to get from island to island. Get to know some Finns and
go to sauna with them in the region with thousands of lakes in the Eastern Finland. The best
time for a lake side sauna, some grilling and good time with friends is midsummer. Pack
your bag and head to various rock festivals in the summer time.
Winter is cold and long, but very beautiful. Finland has lots of winter sports activities,
and loads of things to do. Santa Claus Joulupukki lives in Finland. You can
visit him too. Take an arctic Icebraker cruise at baltic sea. Skate on the frosen lake and
head to north to see the Northern Lights.
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Attractions in Finland
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Finland offers a lot of things to do and places to see. In major cities you have many kinds
of restaurants and night life, and you don't have to go far to experience the peace and
tranquility of nature. If you are interested in amusement parks, Finland has two bigger
ones. Linnanmäki is located in the capital city Helsinki, and Särkänniemi is in Tampere.
Finnish nature is mostly clean, very beautiful, and forests are vast. Lots of good hiking
grounds! Finnish law allows anyone to hike anywhere, as long as you don't cause damage.
Old Rauma recently made UNESCO’s World Heritage List on its 550th anniversary. It
boasts one of the oldest harbors in Finland as well as an impressive array of ancient
vernacular architecture. The 18th century Fortress of Suomenlinna is a must-see
on any trip to Finland. It is located on an island at the entrance to Helsinki harbor and
has been a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure since 1991.
St. Olaf's Castle, Olavinlinna - Balanced on the edge of a tiny green island in a lake,
this beautiful 500-year-old castle resembles something from a fairytale. Founded in 1475,
it is comprised of the main castle as well as three towers and a bailey with a surrounding
wall reinforced by towers. It is among Finland's most well-known tourist attractions.
The King's Road is the historical route between the old northern capitals of Oslo,
Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, and St. Petersburg. Dating back to the 13th century, the ancient
road winds along the Finnish southern coastline past castles, manor houses and frame cottages.
Turku is the oldest and most fascinating of Finland's medieval towns. Once the capital
of Finland, this 750-year-old town has a fully restored 13th-century castle which is now a
Viking museum. Its medieval Gothic cathedral is one of the most impressive in Finland.
The Aland Islands are a unique, self-governing set of islands off the Finnish coast.
With their own distinct culture, flag and postage stamps, they are dotted with medieval churches
and old-world fishing villages and are particularly ideal for get-away-from-it all cycling,
camping and cabin holidays. Land of the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, the Finnish province
of Lapland is one of the world’s most wild and unspoiled regions, sparsely populated
with truly friendly and welcoming people. Blessed with wide open fells and hills, uninhabited
forests, magnificent lakes as clear as crystal, quietly babbling brooks and foaming rapids,
this region offers the tourist the holiday of a lifetime. Lapland is also the home of Santa Claus.
Pay a visit to Santapark – Santa’s theme park – and meet with Santa himself!
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Society in Finland
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Finland is an easy country to visit. Finnish customs and manners are clearly European, with
only a few national variations, and attitudes are liberal. There is very little chance of a
visitor committing fundamental social gaffes or breaches of etiquette that would fatally damage
relations between himself and his hosts. Such breaches are viewed by Finns with equanimity if
committed by their own countrymen and with understanding or amusement if committed by foreigners.
Codes of behavior are fairly relaxed, and reputations — good or bad — are built up over time as
the result of personal actions rather than conforming to certain norms or standards. It is
difficult in Finland to make or break a reputation on a single occasion. When greeting, the
parties shake hands and make eye contact. A full bow denotes special respect — in normal
circumstances, a nod of the head is enough. A Finnish handshake is brief and firm, and
involves no supporting gestures such as touching the shoulder or upper arm. When greeting
a married couple, the wife should be greeted first, except on a formal occasion where the
hosts should first be greeted by the spouse to whom the invitation was addressed. Children
are greeted by shaking hands too. Embracing people when greeting them is rare in Finland.
A man greeting someone in the street should raise his hat; in the cold of winter, a touch
of the hand to the brim of the hat is enough.
Tipping has never fitted very easily into the Finnish way of life. This may have originally
been due to the traditions of a religion which emphasized frugality; today, the rather blunt
reason for not tipping is that the price paid includes any unusual instances of service or
politeness i.e. the view taken is that "service is included". Tipping does nevertheless
exist in Finland, and you should bear in mind that nobody will object to being tipped,
and very few will mind not being tipped.
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Food in Finland
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The Finnish diet combines traditional country fare and upper-class cuisine with modern
continental style cooking. Spices have been adopted from both East and West. Finnish
cuisine appeals to the eye and the taste buds and has something special for every month
of the year. Gastronomic delights and healthy habits go hand in hand. Along with the new
thinking, traditional foods such as sausage are still popular. But the sausage has changed:
it is meatier and tastier than ever. The animal fat in sausage is replaced often with healthier
vegetable fats, and enriched with ingredients that have beneficial health effects. One such
additive is pine bark flour, produced in the context of a project supported by the EU.
Local and seasonal delicacies abound at the markets. In Tampere, you just have to try the local
black pudding with lingonberry sauce, while a must at the Turku market hall is what is called
raisin or onion sausage. The autumn specialty at the Pori market is grilled lamprey, while
Pieksämäki and Oulu both have their own versions of rieska flat bread.
North Karelia is the birthplace of Karelian pasties. Although they are eaten throughout Finland,
the Joensuu version, spread with real butter, is the genuine article. The thin rye crust is
filled with rice and shaped like a moccasin, as a visiting tourist once described them.
Pies and fish pasties came to Finland from Russia. The kalakukko fish pie is a well known
delicacy from the province of Savo. The market place in Kuopio has mobile stalls selling
these round, loaf-shaped pasties filled with fish and fatty pork. Vendace, perch or rainbow
trout, and pork are wrapped in rye pastry. Baked slowly at low heat, the fish will be as soft
as sardines and the filling nice and juicy. Lapland has had a strong influence on Finnish
cooking. Lapp dishes are exotic even to southern Finns and come into their own when you are
on a skiing or hiking trek in Lapland, but there is nothing to stop southerners from enjoying
the basic Lapp dish, reindeer stew, on a weekday either; besides it's as good a reason as
any to make mashed potato, always a hit with Finns. Salmon, reindeer or willow grouse,
followed by golden cloudberries for dessert, are the heart of the Lapp menu on special occasions.
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Visa to Finland
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Finland is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. The application form shall be submitted,
together with a valid passport and the required additional documents, to the Finnish Embassy or
Consulate at which the visa is applied for. Visas Required by all except the following for a
period of up to 90 days: EU nationals and all nationals listed in the chart and under passport
exemptions (with national ID cards) above; nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR),
Israel, Korea (Rep), Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Romania, Singapore, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. Visas are required for stays
exceeding 90 days and by all who wish to work during their stay except nationals of Denmark, Iceland,
Norway and Sweden; holders of a UN or EU laissez-passer.
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