- Where to go with the whole family?
- Summer vacation for active and sports
- TOP 3 best summer resorts in Finland
- TOP-3 resorts for winter holidays
Russia's northern neighbor, Finland, often ranks high in various rankings and top lists of countries that are most suitable for a fulfilling healthy life. It was also on the first line in the list of UN member powers that use the happiness of their citizens as a guideline in public policy. Finland found itself on the highest step of the podium among others in the world and according to the authoritative Western edition of Newsweek. It has been called the most stable state on the planet more than once.
For foreign tourists, Suomi, as the name of the country sounds in Finnish, is primarily the birthplace of Santa Claus and the hot sauna and a place where you can have a great time both in summer and in winter. All year round, the best resorts in Finland await guests, in the summer - with fishing on the lakes and mushroom hunting, and in the winter - with ski slopes and the northern lights, which blaze like a heavenly fire beyond the Arctic Circle.
Where to go with the whole family?
Due to the fact that the journey to Finland from St. Petersburg takes only a few hours, the country is especially popular among residents of the northern capital of Russia. Petersburgers often spend weekends and school holidays in Finland, although recently more and more people wishing to visit their northern neighbor appear in other Russian regions.
Any family with both schoolchildren and preschoolers should definitely visit Helsinki. Let's start with active and educational rest. The most popular objects of attention of young tourists in the Finnish capital: the popular science center "Eureka"; a zoo, where residents of both northern territories and tropical forests are represented; Linnanmäki amusement park with American-style attractions; Sea Life aquarium with a huge number of inhabitants of the world's oceans; Suomenlinna fortress with museums; a theme park based on the popular LEGO construction set. Once in Helsinki in the summer, you can spend time on the beach. There are almost three dozen of them in the city and its surroundings, and each is equipped in full accordance with the concepts of the comfort and safety of vacationers. Most of the beaches within Helsinki are sandy. For guests, umbrellas and sun loungers are offered for rent, and you can use toilets, fresh showers and changing rooms absolutely free of charge.
If you love self-care and spa time, head to Naantali. Almost every good hotel in this Finnish resort has its own wellness center offering a varied program of treatments. You will find massages and saunas, algae applications and sapropel wraps, physiotherapy treatments and acupuncture in the Naantali spa. If you think that young tourists will be bored, we remind you that Naantali is the city where the Mumilandia theme park is located, based on the wonderful children's books by Tove Jansson. In the country of Moomins, which can be reached by a fabulous train, guests are greeted by members of a family of funny characters. They put on shows, treat travelers to local food and show their homes, which recreate the setting from their favorite fairy tales. In summer, there is another theme park in Naantali on the neighboring islet of Väski. It is called "Adventure Island" and contains several play areas with quests, obstacle courses and logic puzzles that visitors have to solve along the way.
The best winter route for young tourists is through Rovaniemi, a town in Lapland known throughout the world as the residence of Santa Claus. Thousands of children come to Santa's village every year to personally meet the wizard and his fabulous assistants. In Santa Park, guests will find a lot of entertainment: lessons at the school of elves, a dance show, a ride on a magic train, a walk in the Ice Gallery, tasting fabulous drinks, a master class at a bakery where Christmas gingerbread is made, and even the opportunity to be on the other side of Arctic Circle. In Lapland, where the residence of the chief winter wizard is located, there is a wildlife park where you can get acquainted with typical representatives of the Arctic fauna, and a reindeer farm where the best reindeer in the world are raised, harnessed every year with the onset of winter to Santa's fabulous cart.
The ideal family vacation in Finland can be achieved both on the ski slopes and on the lakes. Residents of Suomi are very fond of children, and great attention is paid to their comfort and safety in the country. You will always find a playground at the hotel and special meals for toddlers in the Finnish restaurant menus, and all public spaces and entertainment facilities are equipped with special ramps and lifts, making it easy for guests with strollers to visit them. So you can safely go on a tour to the best resorts in Finland even with the youngest members of your family.
Summer vacation for active and sports
Finland and fishing are almost synonymous, at least for those who prefer watching the float to any other holiday.
- The Aland Islands are a paradise for fishermen. They fish here both in winter and in summer, both for trolling, and for spinning, the main thing is to clarify the rules, buy a license and strictly observe its conditions. In addition to fishing on the islands, active entertainment with a sports bias is popular. The resort practices horseback riding, golfing on an excellent course, tennis battles and yacht racing. Numerous spa centers with a traditional sauna and a wine tasting procedure, which have been made from apples in a local winery for a couple of centuries, help to relax after an active day.
- Located in the middle of hundreds of large and small lakes, the town of Varkaus is also known to active tourists as an excellent resort for spending a long weekend or a few holidays. Fans of hiking in the fresh air and lovers of water activities come here. In Varkaus, it is customary to ride boats and boats, arrange mini-cruises on the lakes on yachts and water skiing. On land, tourists prefer horseback riding, rock climbing and paintball battles, the equipment for which is readily rented by local holiday and sporting companies.
The main rule that is important to follow when fishing in Finland is strict observance of the rules prescribed by the chosen type of license. In this case, the rest will leave only pleasant impressions, and the representatives of the regulatory authorities will be glad to see you again on the banks of Finnish rivers and lakes with a spinning rod or a fishing rod.
TOP 3 best summer resorts in Finland
Do you think that only a person with a special sense of humor can call Finland an ideal place for a beach holiday? When you see a huge number of people who want to soak up the sun on the shores of the sea or lake in Suomi, you will involuntarily begin to think that a sense of humor is a relative concept. In the ratings of the best Finnish beach and summer resorts, you will certainly flicker:
- The village of Rauha, hidden on the shores of Lake Saimaa, whose area is very impressive even by European standards. The resort is located in a picturesque area in the middle of a forest, and there are a variety of opportunities for recreation. First, Rauha is popular with sunbathers. The beaches here are covered with white sand and equipped with all the necessary tourist infrastructure. Catamarans and jet skis for rent on the shores of the lake. Renting a boat, tourists love to take walks not only along the Saimaa, but also along the canal that connects the lake with Helsinki. Fishing is another popular pastime among resort guests. You can fish not only in the waters of the Saimaa, but also in the nearby river. The resort's hotels offer rooms for every taste and budget and are open all year round. The hotel spas offer body treatments.
- Tampere, surrounded by dozens of water bodies of different sizes and called the crown jewel of cities, from where you can take a cruise on the lakes of Finland. Despite the status of the third largest city in the country, Tampere is quite comfortable, and the ecological situation in the city and its surroundings is at a height, as elsewhere in the country. The resort's beaches are located on the shores of many lakes, but the largest and most popular ones are along the coastline of Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi. On the beaches of Tampere, you can rent equipment for sports - beach volleyball, table tennis, water skiing. Boats and fishing tackle are available for rent. There is also plenty of entertainment in the Särkännmemi amusement park, where, in addition to traditional swing-roundabouts, there is a dolphinarium, a zoo, a planetarium and an aquarium. Curious travelers will love the city's museum diversity. Tampere exhibits cover almost everything from ice hockey and automotive history to minerals and boxing.
- Imatra, located in close proximity to the border between our countries. Getting here on vacation is a snap, even on weekends. The beaches of the resort were popular even in the century before last, and today they are equipped in full accordance with modern requirements for the tourist infrastructure. The gentle entrances to the water and clean sand are the main reasons why Imatra has become a favorite vacation spot for family tourists with children. Almost all private hotels and houses that are rented have their own access to the water. If the weather is not conducive to serene relaxation, you can go for the whole day to the water park "Magic Forest". In Imatra, it is very popular, because it is always warm under its glass arches. Another popular entertainment among the guests of the resort is fishing on Lake Saimaa and in the surrounding waters. There is even a fishing park named after the local river Vuoksa. The park sells fishing permits and leases all the equipment and tackle needed for this.
The beach season in Finland is very short and usually begins with the arrival of the calendar summer. In July, the temperature of the air and water in the lakes rises to the most comfortable temperature values for recreation. The beach season usually ends in the first half of August, but sometimes vacationers at the best resorts in Finland stay until the first autumn days.
TOP-3 resorts for winter holidays
Nevertheless, most tourists associate Finland with winter recreation, which includes opportunities for skiing and snowboarding. The list of the most popular and optimally organized winter resorts in Finland usually includes:
- Tahko with its versatile skiing opportunities for adults and children, beginners and pros, skiers and boarders. The resort operates 12 months a year and even during the polar night on its slopes you can practice your favorite sport with great comfort: many Tahko tracks are illuminated at night. In total, the resort has 23 tracks; athletes can get to the starting point using a dozen lifts. There are practically no queues upstairs. For snowboarders, a half-pipe, a snow park and rail stations were built for practicing tricks and exercises. Kids climb the slide on their own lift, and professional instructors help to master the first children's descent in their life. It is also possible to leave the children under the supervision of a nanny in the slope kindergarten in Tahko. For those who cannot stand heights, the resort has dozens of kilometers of cross-country trails and toboggan runs. Other entertainment for active guests is the opportunity to fish under the ice, ride a dog sled and learn extreme driving in icy conditions.
- The Finnish winter sports team often trains in the Salla resort, which means that it can be safely recommended to tourists who prefer the best. Salla's trails are ideally prepared for downhill skiing. They are marked with a variety of colors, and therefore both a green beginner and a self-confident professional skier will definitely find their own track at the resort. The range of off-slope activities in Salla is also quite impressive - from the sauna to gold-washing in a mountain stream and from dog sledding to massage at the spa center. Cross-country skiing trails are laid in the vicinity of the resort, located in the Oulanka National Park, known in Finland for its unspoiled nature.
- Levi is called the best ski resort in Finland by the Finns themselves, although it is slightly different from the traditional slopes and slopes of Suomi. Its structure is more similar to that of the Alpine, and therefore there are much more Europeans in Levi than in other parts of the country. Levi trails are ideal for beginners and athletes who rate their level of skiing as a solid "four". A team of professional instructors, including Russian speakers, helps Levi's guests to improve their skills or even get on skis for the first time. Sports equipment can be rented at the foot of the lifts, and season tickets are also sold there. For fans of flat skiing, Levi has two hundred kilometers of trails, some of which are illuminated at night. Snowmobiling is also popular at the resort. Levi's little guests can count on not only professional skiing lessons, but also the attention of educators in the children's entertainment center. Their parents will appreciate ApreSki's varied program: spa wellness, shopping, wine tasting and discos at the resort's entertainment center.
Choosing any destination for your winter holidays in Finland, you can be sure that you will get the purest snow, fresh air and comfort from communicating with pleasant people. The excellent service offered to guests in hotels, restaurants and wellness centers will be a welcome addition, without which a perfect vacation is simply impossible.
