Finland - The Forested Land

June 18, 2016

Finland is a Northern European country within Scandinavia and visitors travelling from India to Finland can travel there with a three month Schengen visa, which allows holders to travel to any of the European countries who are within the Schengen Area. The languages spoken there is Finnish, Swedish, and Sami, as spoken by the people much like the Laplanders who live in the far north of the country. The currency is the Euro and the capital city is Helsinki in the South of Finland. Finland is bordered by Norway, Sweden, and Russia and it’s the most sparsely populated country in the EU. The country is a mass of lush forests and lakes with some lonesome yet pretty islands, with over 78% of Finland being forested and 10% of it consisting of lakes, ponds, and rivers. The national bird of Finland is the whooper swan and the national animal is the brown bear. Finland in winter is like a view from a Christmas card, all icicles, snow-capped trees and even the glorious northern lights if you head to the north of the country. It is a beautiful land if you enjoy being out in the great outdoors and enjoys sledging, skiing, hiking and kayaking.

But the country is not just a rural idyll; it has some very happening and modern cities, with Helsinki being famous for its music scene and cutting-edge architecture, and the food in Finland is a blend of locally sourced meats, fish and vegetables but cooked in a very modern way, the ‘Suomi’ foodie scene is extremely fashionable, with many trendy restaurants and gastro-bars serving up delicious, fresh, innovative menus.

So whether you visit this northern land in winter and go out on a snowmobile to watch the northern lights or even try ice fishing or in the summer with its saunas, music festivals, midnight sunshine and art shows, fresh berries, and healthy outdoor lifestyle, you are sure to enjoy Finnish life. The Finns themselves are known to be welcoming but independent people who are friendly to tourists but like to do their own thing. So if you want to go on a really exotic holiday from India try Finland, it will not fail to entrance you.