Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.
During the months of the midnight sun, coastal regions are a sailing and fishing paradise. Inland, the largest unspoilt wilderness in Europe attracts thousands every year. In the south, the capital Helsinki is a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.
Finland is in Northern Europe and has borders with Russia to the East, Norway to the North and Sweden to the West. The country is thoroughly modern with well-planned and comfortable small towns and cities, but still offers vast areas of unspoiled nature. Finland has approximately 188,000 lakes (about 10% of the country) and a similar number of islands.
Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is a key feature of midsummer partying.
On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkajärvi.
Picture how big an alp doesn't look at 30,000 feet. Or how clear water can't appear. Or how majestic a forest can't look. So why do it?
With the Eurail Scandinavia Pass from Rail Europe, you'll see more of some of the most beautiful places in the world from the greatest perspective on earth. On Earth. And with none of the required concentration, language skills or gas prices of driving. With this Eurail pass from Rail Europe, get unlimited train travel in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, with the ability to plan your own schedule or have someone from Rail Europe help you. Explore Finland with the ScanRail pass
