Diversity all year round

Within Europe, Finland is one of the most diverse countries when it comes to nature and fauna. You can technically see it as one big nature reserve. Almost nowhere in Europe is nature this exuberant and contradictory. One thing is certain when you book your trip to Finland and that is that with its natural wonders, it will be an incredible experience.

With over 180,000 lakes, in the Land of Thousands Lakes, you can expect to find water everywhere you go: blogland, shallow lakes, open waters broken down by small islands etc. This makes Finland an attractive fishing destination, just like Norway. About 65% of the country consists of coniferous forests with fairy-tale like views. Chiefly pine, spruce and birch are the most significant flora of Finland but in total there are more than 1,100 species of higher plants.

Approximately a quarter of the country lies above the Arctic Circle, and so in Finland you can encounter animals typical of both Central Europe and the North Pole, although there's not a large number of species. About 75% of all the fauna in Finland consists of insects. In the wild you can spot bears, wolves, lynxes, minks, martens, ermine foxes and the lemming. Furthermore, Finland harbors several species of reptiles, frogs and snakes of which only one is poisonous.

The abundance of water in Finland also attracts many different bird species, which makes it a great destination for bird spotting! There are over 350 different species of birds, of which 230 are migratory. Some of the most interesting species are the eagle, different kinds of owls, black and wood grouse and the snow grouse. Other species include, Siberian jay, pied wagtail, and many other seabirds which nest on the coastal islands or inland lakes.

What to do in Finland?

When going on holiday in Finland, you first need to decide if you are coming in winter of summer because it makes all the difference. Not only in landscapes but also in which kinds of activities you can undertake. The winter is characterized by snow and darkness and the summer by extreme light. Also, the range of activities depend on your location. Finland can be divided in four areas: Helsinki area, Lapland, Lakeland, and Archipelago.

There's plenty of activities for everyone, whether you like to walk in the wilderness, go for an adventurous mountain bike ride or just want to go for a picnic to take in all the beauty around you. In winter you can go ice skating, skiing, ride with a reindeer in Lapland, watch the Northern Lights, or visit father Christmas at Santapark. Summer, on the other hand, is the perfect season for hiking, biking, canoeing, swimming, and much more. As the temperature rarely goes above 30 degrees in summer, it is the ideal location for sports.

The presence of thousands of lakes makes it easy to find places in Finland to go canoeing, fishing, ice skating, or swimming during your holiday. A popular way of fishing here is fly fishing, where you use a little fake insect as bait to catch fish such as salmon or trout.