FINLAND ( EUROPE )

15 PLACES TO VISIT IN FINLAND















Mandatory Interest You Visit In Finland

From historic and religious sites to outdoor getaways to cultural traditions, there are so many things to do in Finland and so many places to visit in Finland that you simply cannot cram them all into a 2 week, or even a 2 month, vacation. Therefore, here are 15 Places to Visit in Finland that highlight the best of Finland’s many very different destinations.


1. Suomenlinna

One of the most popular places to visit in Finland, the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg, is a massive stone structure that spans across 6 islands in the Baltic Sea. Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with scenic views, museums, about 900 permanent inhabitants, an art center, a theatre and the Finnish Navy Academy. The fortress is large enough to contain a town and a military base, and at one time, it did. Suomenlinna was built by the Swedish crown due to ongoing conflicts with the Russians, and in 1808, the still unfinished sea fortress was surrendered to the Russians. Among its historic exhibits is the last surviving Finnish submarine, Vasikko.






2. The Senate Square

The expansive Senate Square in central Helsinki is ringed with many historical landmarks. For instance, the 19th century Helsinki Cathedral with domed roofs, 2 free standing bell towers and zinc statues of the 12 Apostles at the apexes and corners of the roofline is on the Senate Square. The 1820 Government Palace where the Finnish Council of State and the prestigious University of Helsinki that houses the National Library of Finland can also be seen on the Senate Square. You can also visit the luxurious and historic Sederholm House, built in 1757 by a wealthy merchant.






3. Turku Cathedral

The Turku Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and the seat of the Archbishop of Finland. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Finland’s first bishop, St. Henry, the original cathedral was built with wood in the late 13th century. Stone expansions were added in the 14th and 15th centuries. Badly damaged by fire, the Turku Cathedral was restored in 1830. The cathedral’s interior features romantic style frescos and a lavishly decorated altar. Graves on the site include the Blessed Bishop Hemming, the Bishop of Vyborg, plus a queen and a princess of Sweden.






4. Old Rauma

Many places to visit in Finland feel like time capsules from another age. The city center of the Town of Rauma is an UNESCO World Heritage Site because the area preserves many buildings from different centuries of Finnish history. The roughly 600 wooden buildings that make up Old Rauma house about 800 residents. Historic landmarks include the 18th-19th century Kirsti house that belonged to a seaman, and the 18th-19th century Marela house that belonged to a shipowner. The Rauna Museum is housed in the Old Town Hall, built 1776. The Church of the Holy Cross is considerably older, 1520, and features gorgeous frescos in the choir vault. The Franciscan Monastery Church dates from the 15th century and displays many medieval paintings.






5. Santa Claus Village

The holidays in Finland have a permanent home in the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. This magical home of Santa is located in the Lapland region of Finland on the arctic circle. The arctic circle is marked on the ground, so you can know when you officially step into the arctic. The Santa Claus Village has its own post office with a Santa Claus postmark, and mail can be held there until next Christmas. The legend himself, Santa Claus, meets and talks to children in the Santa Claus office. The village is full of both holiday souvenirs and Finnish gifts.






6. National Museum of Finland

There are many historical places to visit in Finland, but the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki is the encyclopedia of Finnish history and culture. The museum covers Finnish history from the stone age to the present day. The Treasure Trove is a beautiful collection of coins, medals, orders, decorations, silver, jewelry and weapons. The museum also has exhibits of Finnish Prehistory, the Middle Ages, Finnish 18th and 19th century folk culture, and a 20th century exhibit. The museum includes an interactive exhibit, and a ceiling fresco of the national epic, the Kalevala, is located in the museum’s entrance hall.






7. Turku Castle

Tourist attractions in Finland include many medieval structures and imposing stone fortresses, but the Turku Castle on the banks of the Aura River is the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. Constructed by the Swedish conquerers in the 13th century, this impressive fortress has a medieval keep, 2 square gateway towers, a bailey, several turrets and dungeons. The castle endured numerous sieges and was a prison during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, the renovated castle hosts a history museum, a church and restaurants with an archaic atmosphere.






8. Olavinlinna Castle

A picturesque castle with thick circular towers and heavy stone walls that reflects in the waters surrounding it, Olavinlinna Castle in Savonlinna is an impressive, archaic fortress. Built in 1475, the large castle sits on a small, rocky island. One of the towers collapsed into ruins and bastions were added in the late 19th century. Today, the castle contains two museums. One is full of artifacts from the castle’s history, and the other is an Orthodox museum of icons and religious artifacts from Finland and Russia. For music lovers, the Savolinna Opera Festival is held in the castle every summer.






9. Seurasaari Open-Air Museum

Seurasaari is an island in Helsinki where several historic, wooden buildings were transplanted to form the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum. You hike through dense, peaceful forest to discover the different historic buildings in the landscape. Buildings in the museum include a granary, a watermill, a tree storehouse, a hay cabin, a tenant farm and a farm windmill. A popular event is the enormous MidSummer bonfire that is built on a small isle near Seurasaari and lit by a newlywed couple.






10. Jaakkola Reindeer Farm

Given that Santa Claus rides in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, this worldwide celebrity may have ties to Lapland. The Jaakkola Reindeer Farm in Luosto offers ground-level reindeer sleigh rides and overnight reindeer safaris for those who want to ride like the Christmas icon. This family-owned tourism company runs a reindeer farm where you can feed reindeer and eat traditional reindeer dishes. They also have tours for the Northern lights and indigenous Sami music in their big Kota building.






11. Linnansaari National Park

Any Finland travel guide worth the paper it’s printed on must mention the many quiet and scenic parks scattered throughout Finland. The Linnansaari National Park is located in the Southern Savonia and Northern Savonia regions of Finland. It offers hiking, skiing, camping, guided tours, fishing, boating, rental saunas and ice skating. What makes Linnansaari National Park stand out is the critically endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal that inhabits only Lake Saimaa. Seal safaris are available to watch the world’s rarest seal.






12. Ateneum Art Museum

The Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki contains over 4,300 paintings and over 750 sculptures, including many Finnish artists. The museum also features some prominent foreign artists, such as a painting by Van Gogh, but it’s strength is in the museum’s comprehensive collection of classical art and modern Finnish works. The museum itself is decorated with statues and reliefs, and the exhibits are logically organized and well presented.






13. Arktikum Museum and Science Center

Located in Rovaniemi, the Arktikum Museum and Science Center is both an arctic research center and a history and science museum. You enter the museum through its famous 172 meter long glass corridor and proceed to the below-ground museum exhibits. The museum features an animated Northern Lights theatre and a cold room that has blue ice all year. The museum also has exhibits on climate change, cultural costumes, artifacts from different periods of Finnish history and examples of the flora and fauna of Lapland.

14. Natural History Museum of Helsinki

The Natural History Museum of Helsinki is a research institute and museum that displays botanical, zoological, geological and paleontological collections. They have dinosaur skeletons, fossils and meteorites as part of their collection. The museum is divided into three buildings, the Natural History Museum, Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden and the Kumpula Botanic Garden. The museum is informative, and the gardens are a relaxing and beautiful place to visit.






15. Temppeliaukio Church

Definitely worth a few photos, the Temmppeliaukio Church, or Rock Church, in Helsinki is renowned for its unusual architecture. This unique church is cut out of the bedrock with rough interior stone walls. Natural light comes into the church through a skylight in the central copper dome. An ice-age crevice serves as the altarpiece, and the large organ has 43 stops and 3001 pipes to take advantage of the church’s excellent acoustics.