Looking at life, photos and Finnish happiness after four decades in Finland
Tim Bird’s new book, Happy Land, reflects a life of observing, photographing and finding contentment in Finland. It holds some wisdom for more recent arrivals, too.
Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!
If you elevate your gaze, Helsinki’s architecture contains surprising details. Mythical creatures, solemn figures and watchful animals perch high above street level.
Then and now in photos: Helsinki 50 years after the Cold War summit
As Finland hosts an anniversary event marking 50 years since the historic OSCE summit and the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, we return to the city streets where history happened. Paired images show iconic Helsinki locations in 1975 and 2025, offering a glimpse of how much has changed.
Looking for paradise: Finnish artist Tove Jansson’s paintings go far beyond the Moomins
Even dedicated fans of Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson’s Moomin characters may know little of her painting career and its role in her life. We show you around a major exhibition – and uncover some info about one of the Moomin books, too.
Admiring art nouveau: Helsinki’s architectural eye candy
Helsinki showcases one of Europe’s richest concentrations of photogenic art nouveau buildings. We aim a camera at some of our favourite Finnish façades, towers, doorways and balconies.
Famous for its sauna culture, Finland continues to innovate in the sauna space. Sleek new sauna restaurants have cropped up around the country in recent years. A few have already become classics and local landmarks.
7 wow-worthy Finnish saunas: Where steam meets interior design
Sauna is a Finnish national pastime, and location can make a sauna exceptional – but so can design. We peek inside seven styles of saunas in various corners of Finland.
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