Life & society

Getting into snowshoes in southern Finland

More people than ever are discovering that if you can walk, you can snowshoe.

Cool steps inside Kemi Snow Castle

We wander around this magnificent fortress, visiting the Snow Hotel, the Snow Restaurant and the Snow Chapel while pondering the meaning of ice.

Life & society Travel

Helsinki: A veritable mini-metropolis

The Finnish capital is small enough to lack big-city stress, yet cosmopolitan enough to offer a large selection of dining and shopping.

Life & society Language

Finnish phrases to put in your pocket

The free service Hei Finland, accessible on your mobile device or computer, provides you with Finnish expressions for social, business and emergency situations.

Life & society Slideshows

The lightness of night in Helsinki

Short days and darkness force photographers to see things in a new light. See what we mean in this slideshow.

Life & society Society

Progressive prison keeps doors open

You can find an “open prison” – yes, there is such a thing – on the main island of the Suomenlinna fortress, one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist sites.

Life & society History

Finnish views of the Winter War: Portraying trauma mixed with heroism

March 13, 2025 marks the 85th anniversary of the end of the Winter War, the name Finland gives to the phase of the Second World War that lasted from November 30, 1939 to March 13, 1940. We talk to Finnish historian Antero Holmila about how that time is seen from a modern perspective.