• English
  • 中文
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Português
  • Русский
  • العربية
  • 日本語
  • Sámi
  • Life & society
  • Business & innovation
  • Arts & culture
  • Newsroom
  • Facts, stats and info

Tags

Architecture Arctic Art Business Climate Cuisine Culture Design Economy Education Entrepreneurs Environment Equality Fashion Festivals Film Finland Finnishness Food Fun Health Helsinki History Innovation Language Lifestyle Literature Music Nature Performing arts Politics Research Sauna Slideshows Society Sports Sustainability Technology ThisisFINLAND Magazine Travel Video Visual arts Webpick Wellbeing Winter

Pages

  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • About us
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Accessibility statement
  • Learn more about cookies on ThisisFINLAND.fi
Skip to content
This is Finland – Homepage
  • Life & society
  • Business & innovation
  • Arts & culture
  • Newsroom
  • Facts, stats and info
Search
Search
things you should and shouldn't know
In Oulu, northern Finland, cultural events you don’t want to miss
Many people eat at a long table outdoors. The table is filled with plates, food and flowers.
Arts & cultureTravel

In Oulu, northern Finland, cultural events you don’t want to miss

From street festivals to riverside saunas to symphony orchestras, Oulu is making the most out of its year as European Capital of Culture.

Tagged in ArtCultureFestivalsInnovationSaunaThisisFINLAND MagazineTravelVisual arts
In Finland, swimwear isn’t just for summer
Three women in colourful swimwear sit at the edge of a pool with their feet in the water, modelling different styles.
Business & innovationFashion

In Finland, swimwear isn’t just for summer

Finland might not be famous for what is usually considered “bikini weather.” But here, swimwear is worn year-round – from summer lakes to winter ice holes and steamy saunas.

Tagged in CultureEntrepreneursFashionLifestyleSustainability
Finnish artist turns shifting winds into immersive art at Venice Biennale
A woman moves amid blurred, windswept forms in a yellow-toned image, her face partially visible.
Arts & cultureArt

Finnish artist turns shifting winds into immersive art at Venice Biennale

Sound, science and shifting air currents come together in an immersive Finnish installation at the Venice Biennale.

Tagged in ArtWebpick
A curving wooden architectural element and a glass building facade are shown in this photo that links to Finland Toolbox, a webpage with materials and resources.
Light and laughter: Finland awakens with the joyful arrival of spring
Crowds gather in a coastal hillside park overlooking the sea during May Day celebrations, with many people wearing white caps.
Life & societySeasons

Light and laughter: Finland awakens with the joyful arrival of spring

Spring in Finland appears in a rush of light, laughter and lawn games, drawing people outdoors to celebrate nature’s dramatic return.

Tagged in FestivalsFinnishnessFunNatureSeasonsTraditions
Northern Finnish city of Oulu offers magical mix of tech and culture
A person in black pants and purple jacket faces a large sheet of plastic in a metal framework with lights shining upon it.
Arts & cultureTravel

Northern Finnish city of Oulu offers magical mix of tech and culture

As Oulu steps into the spotlight as the European Capital of Culture, the city is blending cutting-edge technology with its famously offbeat cultural spirit.

Tagged in CultureFestivalsInnovationTechnologyThisisFINLAND MagazineTravelVisual arts
Finnishness Society Environment Innovation Nature Education Art Music Business Technology Design Webpick Culture Lifestyle Travel ThisisFINLAND Magazine Finland Sports Cuisine Fun
Finnish fashion houses greet spring with clean lines and colour
Three photos side by side show people in fashionable clothing: A man in a rust-coloured blazer and a dark polo shirt, a woman in a pink dress and black heels and a woman in a white blazer and trousers.
Business & innovationFashion

Finnish fashion houses greet spring with clean lines and colour

Spring in Finland brings a shift in mindset. Daylight hours increase, calendars fill up and wardrobes need to keep pace. The approach is simple: practical, polished and contemplated.

Tagged in BusinessCultureDesignFashionLifestyle
Why Finnish children dress up as witches at Easter
Four children dressed in Easter witch costumes stand in front of a brick wall in Finland, holding decorated willow branches and baskets.
Life & societyTraditions

Why Finnish children dress up as witches at Easter

At Eastertime in Finland, you might find a little witch at your front door, offering a traditional blessing. In return, they hope for a few sweets.

Tagged in ChildrenCultureEasterFinlandFunSocietyTraditions
Here are two Finnish apps that help build real-life connections
A young woman and an elderly woman sit on a garden bench, smiling and talking, with a walker beside them.
Business & innovationStartups

Here are two Finnish apps that help build real-life connections

In Finland, community often grows through shared hobbies, neighbourhood traditions and, increasingly, digital platforms that make it easier to ask for and offer help.

Tagged in BusinessFinnishnessInnovationSocietyStartupsTechnology
Draped in design: Exploring Finland’s textile art at EMMA
Two visitors view colourful Finnish textile panels suspended in an open gallery at the EMMA Museum exhibition Draped.
Arts & cultureArt

Draped in design: Exploring Finland’s textile art at EMMA

Just outside Helsinki, the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA) invites visitors into the world of Finnish textile artistry, where bold patterns and innovative techniques have shaped both fashion and design.

Tagged in ArtCultureDesignFashionHistory
“Wow” moments in Finnish nature
In a nature area in Helsinki, Finland, two women and a dog are standing in front of a wall of rock flanked by trees and moss.
Life & societyNature

“Wow” moments in Finnish nature

Walking in the forest daily is a passion for Aino Eeronheimo and Taija Koivuluoma. They’re friends and neighbours in Jakomäki, eastern Helsinki.

Tagged in EnvironmentLifestyleNational parkNatureQuality of lifeUrbanWellbeing
9 years and counting: Finland is first in the World Happiness Report
Happiness in Finland: Two young, smiling children in warm clothing are sitting atop a large rock on a playground with autumn foliage showing in the background.
Life & societyFinnishness

9 years and counting: Finland is first in the World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report singles out Finland as the happiest country in the world in 2026, for the ninth year running. To celebrate, we seek out people named Onni (Happiness) to ask what makes them happy (see video).

Tagged in EducationEqualityFinlandFinnishnessHappinessHealthLifestyleQuality of lifeResearchSocietyVideoWellbeing
Unpacking Finnish happiness
Two women and two kids are in a large indoor space where the children can climb on animal sculptures.
Life & societyHappiness

Unpacking Finnish happiness

Happiness doesn’t just happen. In Finland, it’s the result of strong social systems and a culture of wellbeing that has been carefully built over the past 100 years.

Tagged in CultureEducationEqualityFinnishnessHappinessHealthNatureSocietyWellbeing
Looking at life, photos and Finnish happiness after four decades in Finland
Tim Bird looks towards the camera while standing beside the pink stucco walls of a building on the island fortress of Suomenlinna.
Arts & cultureLiterature

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.

Tagged in FinlandHappinessLiteratureSlideshows

Breaking news from Finland

    by Yle News - Finland’s English-language news desk

    The 4-letter word that literally explains Finnish happiness
    Several people of various ages, wearing either bathing suits or no visible clothing, are sitting in a dimly lit sauna with walls made of wood and windows looking out on a lake.
    Life & societyHappiness

    The 4-letter word that literally explains Finnish happiness

    Finnish happiness expresses itself in one little word, onni – and a host of other words and expressions derived from it.

    Tagged in CultureHappinessLanguageSocietyWellbeing
    These self-portraits from Finland are everything that selfies are not
    A drawing shows a woman's face, framed by a pink hood and blue scarf, in front of a tree branch. A hand holds up an unlit match in front of the face.
    Arts & cultureVisual arts

    These self-portraits from Finland are everything that selfies are not

    Throughout history artists have expressed themselves through self-portraits. These Finnish and Finland-based artists have made an international splash with theirs.

    Tagged in ArtCulturePhotographyThisisFINLAND MagazineVisual arts
    Peek into one of Finland’s most famous buildings, in Paimio
    A building with rounded contours, Paimio Sanatorium designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto, stands beside a forest with snow on the ground in Paimio, southwestern Finland.
    Arts & cultureArchitecture

    Peek into one of Finland’s most famous buildings, in Paimio

    Created by renowned Finnish designers and architects Alvar and Aino Aalto, Paimio Sanatorium was built between 1929 and 1933. Our video visits this world-famous Finnish architectural landmark.

    Tagged in ArchitectureArtCultureDesignHistoryWellbeing
    Catching the pike: How Finnish author Juhani Karila reeled in a literary phenomenon
    Finnish writer Juhani Karila, wearing glasses and a brown coat, looks over his shoulder toward the camera against a rough stone wall.
    Arts & cultureLiterature

    Catching the pike: How Finnish author Juhani Karila reeled in a literary phenomenon

    Juhani Karila grew up in a corner of Lapland so quiet that his imagination became loud. Decades later, it has helped him become one of Finland’s most distinctive literary voices.

    Tagged in CultureLaplandLiterature
    Photos from Helsinki: Creating creatures and castles from snow and ice
    Blocks of ice of various colours form an attractive wall in the sunlight on Lauttasaari, an island in Helsinki.
    Life & societyWinter

    Photos from Helsinki: Creating creatures and castles from snow and ice

    During a proper, snowy winter with crisp, sub-zero temperatures, Helsinkians embrace ice and snow sculptures with irresistible enthusiasm.

    Tagged in EnvironmentFunHelsinkiWinter
    More articles

    Hei! Looking for...

    Finland Toolbox (opens in a new tab)
    Study & work info
    Business & investment info
    Public services info (opens in a new tab)
    Tourist info (opens in a new tab)

    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • About us
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
    • Accessibility statement
    • Learn more about cookies on ThisisFINLAND.fi

    Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram

    Published by the Finland Promotion Board Produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communications © 1995 - 2026

    Newsletter subscription

    Hear the latest news from finland.fi by subscribing to our newsletter.

    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    Consent(Required)
    ThisisFINLAND.fi is produced within the
    communications department of Finland’s
    Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For more
    about the ministry’s data protection
    policies, see its data protection info page.