Finland has four seasons and each one changes the country completely. The dark of November scares newcomers; the light of June makes them stay. This is how to live with both, and what the forest gives you for free.
The four seasons, honestly
| Season | What it is like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Nov–Mar) | dark, cold, snow from December in the south, January is the coldest month | ski, skate, sauna and avanto, candles, vitamin D, a daylight lamp |
| Spring (Apr–May) | fast; snow melts, birds return, Vappu on 1 May | walk, bike, watch the ice break up |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | light nights, 20 to 30 degrees, everyone at the cottage | swim in the lake, Juhannus, berries, grill, do very little |
| Autumn (Sep–Oct) | ruska, the forest turns red and gold, then rain and dark | mushrooms, cranberries, national parks, then buy the daylight lamp |
Surviving winter
There is no bad weather, only bad clothing: wool base layer, a windproof coat, a hat, mittens, and shoes with grip. Finns dress in layers and change indoors. Studded shoes (nastakengät) or clip-on spikes stop the falls. Reflectors (heijastin) on your coat are required by law on dark roads and are how drivers see you. A daylight lamp in the morning and a walk at noon fix most of the November mood; if it does not lift, tell your health centre, it is common and treated.
Everyman's right (jokamiehenoikeudet)
In Finland you may walk, ski, cycle, camp for a night, pick berries and mushrooms, fish with a rod, and swim on almost any land, private or public, without asking. You may not disturb homes, farmland, nesting birds or private yards, make fires without permission, or leave litter. It is one of the country's quiet treasures, and it is yours from the day you arrive.
Berries and mushrooms
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| July | wild strawberries, then bilberries (mustikka) | any forest; bilberries carpet the ground |
| August | raspberries, cloudberries in the north | forest edges, bogs |
| September | lingonberries (puolukka), mushrooms (chanterelle, penny bun, funnel chanterelle) | forests; learn three mushrooms from a Finn before you eat any |
| October | cranberries | bogs |
Bring a bucket and a friend who knows the woods. Berries freeze; a Finnish freezer in October is full of them.
The summer cottage (mökki)
Half a million cottages, one for every ten Finns. A cabin by a lake, a sauna, a rowing boat, often no running water and increasingly Wi-Fi. Finns go for weekends from May to September and for the whole of July. You will be invited eventually; until then, rent one for Midsummer with friends. See Juhannus.
National parks
Forty-one, all free, with marked trails, fire pits with free wood, and wilderness huts. Nuuksio is a bus ride from Helsinki, Seitseminen from Tampere, Kurjenrahka from Turku, Oulanka and Urho Kekkonen in the north for the real thing. Everything is on luontoon.fi in English.
Nature Finnish
| Finnish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| metsä, järvi, meri, suo | forest, lake, sea, bog |
| jokamiehenoikeudet | everyman's right |
| mustikka, puolukka, lakka | bilberry, lingonberry, cloudberry |
| sieni, kantarelli | mushroom, chanterelle |
| mökki | summer cottage |
| kansallispuisto | national park |
| ruska | autumn colours |
| kaamos | polar night |
| heijastin | reflector |
| Onpa kylmä! | It's cold! |