Discover a city of outdoor art and other surprises in Oulu, northern Finland

A cyclist whizzes past. Then another.

In Oulu, they’re everywhere – even in the depths of winter. When snow falls, the city clears and maintains its bike paths, and people still cycle to work and school as if it were the most natural thing in the world. With more than 950 kilometres (590 miles) of cycle routes, the largest city in northern Finland has earned an international reputation as one of the world’s great cycling cities.

Located around 540 kilometres (335 miles) north of Helsinki, Oulu sits at roughly the same latitude as Nuuk, Greenland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Yet while many visitors mainly associate the city with bicycles and its tech sector, there is another side to Oulu that has become impossible to ignore.

As European Capital of Culture 2026, the city is inviting visitors to discover a place where creativity has escaped the walls of museums and become part of everyday life.

A cyclist rides across a cobbled square in front of Oulu City Hall, a yellow historic building framed by large leafy trees.

Oulu is best known as one of Finland’s leading technology hubs, but the city also has a thriving cultural scene.

Two women arrange fresh strawberries at a market stall on Oulu’s Market Square, with handwritten price signs and trays of berries displayed across the counter.

Riikka Isohätälä (left) and Eerika Jurmu sell fresh vegetables and berries on Oulu’s Market Square.

The Passage of Time sculpture by Sanna Koivisto features a line of bronze figures of different heights standing along a low stone wall in a leafy park.

Artist Sanna Koivisto created the sculpture Passage of Time in 2005.

Our walk begins at one of Oulu’s best-known landmarks. Standing patiently on Market Square is the beloved statue Toripoliisi, or The Bobby at the Market Place. The sculpture pays tribute to the market police officers who kept order here in the early 20th century, when the waterfront bustled with merchants, sailors and cargo from across northern Europe.

Back then, Oulu looked very different. Founded in 1605, the city built its prosperity on tar. Essential for waterproofing wooden sailing ships, tar became one of northern Europe’s most valuable exports, and Oulu grew into one of the region’s busiest ports.

From tar to tech

Cyclists and a pedestrian cross a bridge on one of Oulu’s cycle routes, with trees and city buildings visible in the background.

Oulu has more than 950 kilometres (590 miles) of cycle routes.

Across the river estuary, just a short walk from Market Square, lies the Pikisaari district. Tar was once produced here, and later ships were built along its shoreline. A century ago, the island echoed with industry. Today it hums with creativity.

Cyclists continue to glide past as we cross the bridge.

A detailed model sailing ship sits on a wooden cabinet inside the Sailor’s Home Museum, with patterned wallpaper, glass bottles and seashells in the foreground.

Oulu has a long maritime history. The Sailor’s Home Museum offers a glimpse into the lives of past generations.

Historic red wooden houses line a narrow gravel lane in Pikisaari, with overgrown grass and trees bordering the street.

Pikisaari’s idyllic streets are lined with historic wooden buildings, some in better condition than others.

A tabby cat sits on the doorstep of Art Hub Pikisaari beside an open doorway, with white wooden steps and a small bench nearby.

A tabby cat kept watch at the door of Art Hub Pikisaari.

Historic wooden houses now stand alongside reminders of the island’s industrial past. A gallery door is propped open, tools clatter against metal, and the faint scent of tar still lingers in the air.

Until autumn, the island’s waterfront is home to Pikinen Poloku, an environmental art trail that weaves through the old neighbourhood. At the Matila House, the Sailor’s Home Museum recreates the home of a sailor from the late 19th century, when seafaring shaped much of the city’s identity. Next door, Art Hub Pikisaari occupies the same area where shipbuilders and craftsmen once worked.

Helena Kaikkonen’s Plait features a long red braided textile suspended between white birch trees in a dense green forest.

Artist Helena Kaikkonen’s work Plait stands out against the surrounding landscape.

A black silhouette sculpture from Jane Remm’s Hunch, Care and Thirst of Life stands at the edge of a lakeshore, surrounded by trees, shrubs and rocks.

Estonian artist Jane Remm’s Hunch, Care and Thirst of Life comprises three sculptures placed in the landscape.

A thin-crust Flammkuchen topped with smoked salmon and red onion is sliced into rectangles and served on baking paper with cutlery alongside.

At Mallassauna, the menu includes a Finnish take on Flammkuchen, topped with smoked salmon.

The word “hub” appears elsewhere in Oulu, too.

Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia established its first Oulu site back in the 1970s, initially focusing on radio technology. The company recently opened a major research and development campus in the city. Nearby is the headquarters of defence communications specialist Bittium, alongside dozens of smaller technology firms.

Oulu’s concentration of engineering expertise has earned it the nickname “the Silicon Valley of the North.”

A cyclist rides past the angular stone sculptures of Rana Begum’s No. 1574 Stone in a paved square surrounded by modern buildings in central Oulu.

London-based artist Rana Begum created No. 1574 Stone as part of her Climate Clock series. The work is located in central Oulu. Its stone sculptures draw inspiration from Oulu’s subarctic light and the intricate shapes of the frozen sea, reflecting on the alarming rate at which both the Baltic Sea ice and Arctic glaciers are melting.

People view illuminated black-and-white photographs displayed on deep red gallery walls at the PLAY photography exhibition in central Oulu.

The PLAY photography exhibition from Fotografiska Tallinn is on display in central Oulu until the end of the year.

Culture outside the city

Superflex’s Super Kello features stacked curved stone forms on a circular gravel base beside the waterfront at Kiviniemi fishing harbour in Haukipudas, with a person walking past.

At the Kiviniemi fishing harbour in Haukipudas, the Danish artist collective Superflex created Super Kello, a clock-shaped stone sculpture.

Culture extends far beyond the city centre.

When Oulu and its surrounding region bid to become the European Capital of Culture, the application revolved around the idea of a “cultural climate change.” The aim was not simply to stage exhibitions and performances, but to make art part of everyday life – taking it beyond galleries and concert halls and into neighbourhoods, forests and public spaces.

Flagship productions such as the Sámi opera Ovllá and Oulu Symphony’s Beyond the Sky, combining composer Lauri Porra’s music with astrophotographer Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio’s extraordinary images of deep space, are among the year’s highlights. Yet some of the most memorable experiences lie outside traditional cultural venues.

The Oulu2026 programme stretches far beyond the city itself, involving 38 municipalities across northern Finland, from Kuusamo and Kajaani to Kuhmo.

To understand the idea behind the cultural capital year, it’s worth leaving the city behind.

Where the forest becomes the gallery

A circular opening woven into dense foliage forms part of Antti Laitinen’s You Are Here beside the Koitelinkoski rapids, with trees and river visible beyond.

Artist Antti Laitinen’s You Are Here installations can be found around the Koitelinkoski rapids.

A half-hour drive northeast from the city centre brings us to Koitelinkoski, a stretch of whitewater rapids surrounded by lush forest. The roar of the Kiiminki River drowns out almost every other sound and wooden footbridges wind between small islands and viewing platforms.

Walking here is an experience. The rapids thunder beneath the boards, while spruce and pine trees frame the rushing water.

Visitors stand beneath a large sphere of intertwined branches suspended between pine trees at Koitelinkoski as part of Antti Laitinen’s You Are Here installation.

Laitinen’s You Are Here takes its title from the familiar map symbol that indicates the viewer’s location.

You Are Here, by Finnish artist Antti Laitinen, is hidden among the trees. The installations encourage visitors to pause and notice the landscape around them rather than simply pass through it.

Koitelinkoski is also one of the locations connected to Climate Clock, a public art series unveiled during the European Capital of Culture year across Kiiminki and five neighbouring municipalities. Unlike temporary festival installations, these works are intended to remain in the landscape long after 2026 has ended.

An aerial view shows the Kiiminki River flowing through Koitelinkoski, where a suspension bridge crosses between dense forest.

Koitelinkoski is a popular destination, attracting visitors with its spectacular natural scenery.

The choice of theme is no coincidence.

Northern Finland is warming at up to four times the global average, making climate change an everyday reality. Many of the artworks invite visitors to reflect on changing seasons, shifting landscapes and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

A group of people in jackets and hats sits around a circular fire pit beneath tall pine trees, with a river flowing behind them.

Visitors from Siikajoki, south of Oulu, on a day trip to Koitelinkoski.

Smoke rises from the riverbank.

Members of a local heritage association from nearby Siikajoki have gathered beside the rapids to grill sausages over an open fire and share coffee and pastries.

Art can be enjoyed this way, too.

Art where people live

Three slender poles with green-to-yellow-to-red gradients rise above large granite boulders in Gabriel Kuri’s Risk Assessing Risk Assessment.

Gabriel Kuri’s Risk Assessing Risk Assessment uses the colours of the internationally recognised Risk Assessment Matrix.

Back in Oulu, another short drive leads to the quiet district of Oulunsalo.

Here, Mexican artist Gabriel Kuri’s public artwork Risk Assessing Risk Assessment transforms an ordinary residential street into something thought-provoking. Brightly coloured streetlights reach towards the sky, prompting passers-by to consider the risks of climate change in the middle of an otherwise familiar neighbourhood.

It is a striking example of the philosophy behind Oulu2026: Instead of asking people to visit art, the art comes to them.

Children cycle past on their way home.

Text and photos by Emilia Kangasluoma, August 2026

Finnish wild swimming puts a smile on your face

Life & society Sports

In Finland, swimming is considered a civic skill that supports safety, wellbeing and equality. Knowing how to swim is essential in a country with thousands of lakes and a long coastline. Swimming is taught in schools as a basic life skill, helping children gain confidence and stay safe around water. Municipalities offer swimming lessons and public pools to ensure everyone has the chance to learn.

Every person’s rights (jokaisenoikeudet in Finnish) allow both residents and visitors to enjoy nature freely and responsibly – and that includes swimming! You may swim in lakes, rivers and the sea, even on privately owned land, as long as you don’t disturb others or damage the environment. Avoid swimming near private docks, yards or cottages without permission. Everyone’s rights are about freedom, but also about responsibility. Always leave nature as you found it.

Martti Laajus, founder of Kaitalampi Open Water swimming group in Espoo.

“Open water swimming suits all ages, especially elderly people as it’s very joint-friendly. It’s a great way to stay fit and have fun outdoors. It works as cardiovascular and respiratory training for the whole body.

I used to compete in swimming at the national level, winning Finnish championships. In the 2010’s I spent some winter seasons in Canary Islands, Spain and soon got into open water swimming, which is very popular there. We’d been swimming with some friends already in the 1980s in Kaitalampi, a pond in Espoo.

The idea came to mind that we could get something similar going, even if the season is much shorter here. I set up the Kaitalampi Open Water Facebook group for people to find swimming buddies. I can’t take all the credit for myself, but since then we’ve seen a revival of open water swimming all over Finland.

I swim in Kaitalampi around three times a week. Recently my seasons got shorter as I stopped wearing a wetsuit. Swimming is so much sweeter when I can feel the soft lake water on my skin. Wild swimming is not about rigorous training, but enjoying yourself.

Years ago, I realised that whenever I had a tough decision to make at work, I went for a swim and would immediately find a solution. There’s some research behind why that might be: The brain’s blood flow becomes better when you’re in a horizontal position. In the water you’re separated from the sensory overload that surrounds us all day. Spending time in the forest is good for your mental health, and open water works the same way. It’s no wonder people always come out of the lake smiling.”

Tero Savolainen, specialist at Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation, has worked as a swimming instructor for 25 years.

“Water is a very different training environment from dry land, and learning to swim differs from learning any other sport. The learner needs to take the final step on their own, and that moment never fails to amaze me: They summon their courage, lift up their feet and start swimming.

At Finnish schools swimming is the only sport that is mandatory to learn. It is a life-saving skill.

Teaching swimming is about teaching self-confidence. Many people fear water or have insecurities related to it. We need to transfer those feelings into confidence and skills. With children all this happens naturally through play, but adults need the same amount of repetition and the same understanding. The process of building water-confidence is the same.

With swimming, failing might be very uncomfortable. For example, getting water in your nose feels unpleasant. This might make you nervous and scared of water, so when this happens, we need to build back the skills and confidence as soon as possible. Doubts, tension and setbacks tend to accumulate, so we strive to maintain a positive cycle. Sometimes you get water in your nose, but we’ll move on together.”

Saara Kotiranta, recreational swimmer.

“For me, swimming is not a sport, but something I do for enjoyment. I’m not very technical or fit, but I love spending time in clear lake water. I swim in Lake Ahvenisto near Hämeenlinna with my youngest child and his friends or by myself. In the winter, we usually book the sauna with a bunch of friends. I swim here a few times a week in the summer and perhaps two to four times per month during the winter.

Ahvenisto has clear water, and the beach is big enough so it never gets crowded. The springs at the bottom of the lake keep the water cool all summer. There are no big waves on a small lake like this, so I can just float around and relax.

I discovered winter swimming about three years ago. I can now stay in the ice hole for a few minutes, but usually just go in for a dip. The cold water helps me to unwind as it really is impossible to think about anything else in there.

I have three boys, 10, 15 and 17 years old. I wanted them to learn to swim from an early age. When they were about four, we took them to a swimming club once a week. We live near several lakes, so they’ve had a lot of practice since then. They are very confident now and love diving. Knowing my kids can swim makes me feel much more secure.”

Aisha Siddiqi, recreational swimmer.

“About four years ago, when I was seven, I learned to swim. At first, being in the water felt scary, but I really wanted to learn. I started with safety floats, and my parents encouraged me. I practiced by holding on to the edge of the pool until I was brave enough to let go. My dad stood a little farther away, and I tried to swim to him without the floats. I kept trying again and again, and eventually I learned. I think my dad is the best swimming teacher.

I know different swimming styles, but I usually swim on my stomach. We go to the swimming hall once a week with my family, and sometimes a friend comes along. We often visit the Vuosaari swimming hall in Helsinki. For me, the water slide and jumping from the diving tower are the most fun things there.

Swimming is important for safety: if I fall into the water, I know how to swim back to safety, and if someone else falls in, I can help them. All children should learn to swim because it’s really important and fun.”

Text: Ninni Lehtniemi, ThisisFINLAND Magazine
Photography: Heidi Piiroinen

Open your eyes to the daring, quirky world of Finnish circus

Arts & culture Circus

Red curtains open like the entrance to a circus tent. Above them hangs a single word: Huimaa! – Finnish for “dizzying,” “breathtaking” or “amazing.”

Inside the exhibition hall, oversized clown trousers dangle from suspenders beside colourful costumes, juggling clubs and faded black-and-white photographs of performers from another era. A unicycle hangs nearby. A wooden trunk is pierced through with swords. Glass display cases hold top hats, magic props and other carefully preserved circus artefacts once used by legendary performers.

With Amaze! Tales and Magic of Circus, Helsinki’s Theatre Museum invites visitors into more than a world of spectacle. It tells the story of how Finnish circus evolved from travelling troupes and family traditions into a renowned contemporary circus scene.

Distinctly Finnish

Circus costumes, props and performance equipment are displayed in glass cases, including colourful clown trousers, a suit and hat, a circus ring and three hobby horses on wheels.

The exhibition brings together costumes, equipment and personal stories to trace the development of circus culture in Finland.Photo: Tyler Walton

Journalist and writer Emma Vainio, who curated the exhibition, says Finnish circus carries a certain eccentric spirit.

“Finnish circus artists have this unique craziness,” she says with a laugh. “A weird dark humour. It’s craziness in a good way. You don’t do small talk. You just do the thing.”

That spirit runs through the exhibition. One display celebrates the legendary clown Onni Tervonen, whose enormous trousers hid props – and once even a boa constrictor – during live television performances in the 1960s.

A tightrope walker carries a long balancing pole while crossing above the Ounas River during a circus performance at the Silence Festival in northern Finland.

Hiljaisuus-festivaali (Silence Festival) focuses on contemporary circus and music every summer in the northern village of Kaukonen. Here, Sanja Kosonen is crossing the Ounas River on a 100-metre-long tightrope. Photo: Ben Hopper/Hiljaisuus-festivaali

Three performers in colourful costumes and theatrical makeup pose together with exaggerated expressions against a floral backdrop during Kallo Collective’s Members of Our Limbs.

The props, costumes and sets for Kallo Collective’s Members of Our Limbs fit neatly into three suitcases, and the show has toured the world. Photo: Pili Pala/Kallo Collective

Acrobats launch and catch one another between raised platforms above a safety mat during a performance by Arctic Ensemble.

Acrobats take flight in a scene from Arctic Ensemble’s performance Double Cradle. Photo: Matthias Wulff/Arctic Ensemble

Another section highlights Mad in Finland, a contemporary circus performance created by seven Finnish female circus artists living abroad. Inspired by Aleksis Kivi’s Seven Brothers, one of Finland’s best-known novels, the performers reimagine themselves as seven sisters embracing a distinctly Finnish kind of “madness” through dancing, sauna rituals, skiing and wood chopping.

“One artist told me that they chop wood on stage, and that people in France have been like, ‘How can a woman do that?’” says Vainio. “But for Finnish women, it’s just that they are heating a sauna on stage. Somebody has to chop the wood.”

Work hard and repeat

Circus performer Elvira Bono poses with a large snake draped around her shoulders beside an ornate table in an early 20th-century black-and-white photograph.

Elvira Bono was a snake charmer, tightrope dancer, and acrobat from an Italian circus family that toured Finland for decades.Photo: Photographer unknown/Theatre Museum archives

The exhibition traces how circus arrived in Finland in the 19th century with travelling European troupes. It developed relatively slowly at first, concentrated mainly in coastal cities such as Turku and Oulu.

Over time, domestic circus families and touring companies emerged, passing down skills from one generation to the next. By the 1990s, Finnish contemporary circus had begun to take shape, when young performers started combining traditional circus techniques with influences from dance, theatre, visual arts and absurd comedy.

Soon, Finnish groups were touring internationally, performing in theatres and festivals from Germany to Brazil. Today, Finnish contemporary circus artists regularly perform across Europe and beyond.

Part of that success, Vainio believes, comes from sisu, a specifically Finnish combination of courage, endurance and strength of will in the face of adversity.

“To become a good circus artist, you really have to work hard and repeat and repeat and repeat,” she says. “Maybe this has something to do with Finnish sisu. You need sisu in order not to give up.”

Opposite emotions strengthen each other

A large vintage clown sign mounted on a striped exhibition wall hangs above a detailed scale model of a travelling circus site with tents, vehicles and crowds of miniature visitors.

Once a staple of the circus ring, clowns brought humour and human frailty to performances built around extraordinary feats.Photo: Tyler Walton

Finnish circus is not only about discipline or technical perfection. Throughout the exhibition, one theme keeps resurfacing: contradiction.

Circus balances danger with humour, chaos with control, vulnerability with strength. The clown and the acrobat exist side by side.

“When you put sadness and happiness together, it forms something really deep,” Vainio says. “That is one of the most interesting things about circus.”

Magician Solmu Mäkelä performs a card flourish in formal evening dress, with a cascade of playing cards suspended between his hands.

The legendary magician Solmu Mäkelä (1922–2018) always had a deck of cards in his pocket and became known for difficult tricks that required great dexterity.Photo: Photographer unknown/Solmu Mäkelä Collection

The exhibition repeatedly returns to the body as circus’s central instrument. Visitors encounter stories of aerial acrobats suspending themselves by their hair, jugglers practising for thousands of hours and performers risking injury high above hard floors without safety nets.

Yet circus involves more than physical feats. “While acrobats and tightrope walkers represent something superhuman,” reads one exhibition text, “the clown represents the flip side. He is allowed to fail, to be clumsy, to be wistful – and to be human.”

Circus as a real community

A black trunk with swords thrust through it sits inside a museum exhibit about Finnish circus performer Aimo Leikas, alongside chains, a costume and a historic show poster.

A trunk used by Finnish circus performer Aimo Leikas – known as the “Houdini of Haukivuori” – recalls one of his most famous illusions: escaping from a locked chest after it had been pierced by swords from every direction.Photo: Tyler Walton

Circus is also deeply collaborative. Trust is central.

“It’s a very communal form of art,” Vainio says. “If you do acrobatics, you really have to trust your colleague. There must be this trust that someone will catch you.”

That sense of community has historically made circus a refuge for outsiders, as well. One section of the exhibition explores how travelling circuses offered shelter to people excluded from mainstream society, including persecuted minorities and people who did not fit accepted social norms.

At the same time, the exhibition avoids romanticising circus life entirely. It acknowledges tensions around exploitation, danger and the historical use of animals in circus performance. One display examines the public debate that led Finland to ban elephants from circuses in the 1980s.

Still, what emerges most strongly is circus as a deeply physical and communal art form.

“We are living in a world where there’s a lot of polarisation between people who are in their own bubbles,” Vainio says. “Everything is digital, and people don’t meet each other live. Circus is totally the opposite. It’s very real. It happens in a real space where things happen for real.”

Beyond the spotlight

Historic Finnish circus posters and advertisements from different eras are displayed side by side on a green wall in the Theatre Museum.

Before social media and digital marketing, circus artists relied on eye-catching posters like these to attract audiences across Finland.Photo: Tyler Walton

Today, roughly 12,000 people participate in circus activities across Finland, from children to retirees. Unlike many athletic disciplines, circus often emphasises collaboration rather than competition.

“One of the reasons it’s so popular,” Vainio says, “is that it’s very physical and you can express yourself. You have to be skillful and surpass your own limits. But at the same time, it’s not like competing against each other.”

Asked what she hopes visitors will take away from the exhibition, Vainio returns to the people at the heart of circus culture.

“I want them to see how many interesting personalities there are in the circus field,” she says, “because you have to be very brave and open-minded and a bit crazy to be a touring circus artist. You have to be brave enough to forget about what society maybe expects you to do and follow your own path.”

This spirit seems visible in the exhibition’s final room.

After displays filled with daring feats, legendary performers and extraordinary physical skill, visitors arrive at a simple table covered in crayons and paper. Children and grandparents alike sit down to draw clowns, rabbits in hats and circus creatures. One picture shows a cheerful clown with pink-and-blue hair. Another depicts a fish-bodied strongman in tall boots. The drawings are silly yet sincere.

Walking back out through the curtains of Amaze!, what lingers is the strange generosity of circus itself. It is one of the few art forms that still asks people to do something genuinely difficult in front of one another – not to defeat an opponent or prove superiority, but simply to create wonder together.

By Tyler Walton, August 2026

Turning Finnish nature into ink: A peek inside Seed Art Studio

Life & society Art

When you walk into Rushan Nasretdin’s art studio in the southern Finnish town of Järvenpää, you don’t see paint tubes, palettes and canvases. Instead, birch bark, branches and rocks line the shelves. There’s a woodsy, fresh smell and you feel your shoulders relax, as if you just stepped into the forest.

That’s because most of Nasretdin’s art supplies don’t come from a shop, but straight from the Finnish forests and archipelago. As the founder of Seed Art Studio, an English-immersion children’s art studio, Nasretdin leads hands-on natural ink workshops using locally sourced materials.

She also works with what other people might throw away, such as flowers reaching the end of their life, discarded library books and old musical scores.

Following the rhythm of the forest

A close-up of hands painting with natural ink on old sheet music, with small trays of natural materials and ink bottles arranged on a yellow polka-dot tablecloth.

Old musical scores from 1914 and library books bound for the recycling bin find a second life at Seed Art Studio.

For Nasretdin, the whole process is about slowing down and following nature’s rhythms. It all began during Covid-19 as a personal grounding practice: daily two-hour walks in her local forest, observing her surroundings and experimenting with natural materials to create ink.

“When you go out and see what the forest is offering, it’s a very childlike experience,” she says.

While Finland’s “every person’s right” allows people to roam freely and gather certain natural products, such as berries and mushrooms, it does not extend to collecting most other natural materials. Wood, bark, lichen and similar elements can generally only be taken with permission or on private land, and protected areas have stricter rules.

Her inkmaking also follows the seasons: foraging from spring to autumn, then working with those materials through the winter months.

“It’s a blessing that everyone has access to nature here,” says Nasretdin. “I also love feeling a sense of reciprocity: nature is always giving, but how can we give back? Perhaps by even just saying thank you, or teaching our kids to be respectful to the forest.”

Curiosity over craft

A woman, Rushan Nasretdin, sits at a table with two children and two teenagers during a natural ink workshop, everyone engaged with materials spread across a yellow tablecloth.

The kids described the workshop as relaxing – they played, chatted, laughed and picked up English vocabulary for Finnish nature along the way.

What started as a solo practice has bloomed into a distinctive part of Nasretdin’s work. In her workshops, she mostly steps back and lets people play. There’s no guided drawing or perfect outcome. Children as young as two or three find their own way to experiment with how the inks blend with each other on paper.

“I remember this one boy who was completely in the zone for a good hour, like a little scientist-artist, his face full of amazement,” says Nasretdin. “That’s why I do this.”

Unlike conventional paint, natural inks are unpredictable. Ink from poinsettia bracts, for example, begins as a deep red on paper, then slowly shifts to the greenish-grey of the Baltic Sea.

“Working with natural materials is freeing – it gives room for making mistakes and experimentation. You can’t fully control the outcome, so it becomes a co-creation with nature that brings out curiosity and joy.”

At a recent workshop, participants ages nine to 17 created oak leaf mobiles: leaf shapes cut from recycled paper, painted with inks made from acorn caps, rust water, alder cones, aronia berries and birch leaves, then strung on a stick with a pinecone at the end.

A hands-on way to connect with nature

A close-up of a workshop table covered with ink bottles, small cups, paper cut-outs and trays of natural materials, with hands reaching in from the sides.

“There’s a whole world of natural colour out there,” says Nasretdin, whose studio shelves hold everything from alder cones to rust water.

Nasretdin also offers natural ink workshops for adults, adding a touch of creativity to business conferences and work wellbeing days. “You’re touching pieces from nature. It’s a lovely way to reset and reconnect with nature during a hectic day.”

For Nasretdin, the workshops are about more than making art. They’re about helping people – especially children – grow a deeper relationship with the forest and a sense of respect for it.

“I’d love for young children to grow up seeing forests from an even deeper perspective and realise there’s magic there.”

By Kelly Duval; photos by Emilia Kangasluoma, August 2026

Sauna for everyone: the essence of Helsinki’s sauna culture

Life & society Sauna

When Katja Pantzar moved from Canada to Finland in the early 2000s, she planned to stay for one year to explore her Finnish roots. More than 20 years later, she is still there and thriving.

“I fell in love with the lifestyle and the many aspects of life in Finland that made sense to me,” Pantzar says when we meet at the Oodi Library in central Helsinki, which she frequently uses as her workspace.

Carrying a bike helmet in one hand and her work bag in the other, her glowing complexion radiates energy. She has already taken her daily morning dip in the sea. Pantzar cycles almost everywhere she goes in the city and knows all of the many public spots that are easily accessible for swimming and sauna.

“This would not be possible where I grew up in North America,” she says.

Campfire-like atmosphere

A woman (Katja Pantzar) smiles at the camera while wrapped in a towel.

Pantzar lived in New Zealand as a young child. Her family then moved to Vancouver, Canada, where she grew up. She later lived in Toronto before moving to Finland.Photo: Katja Pantzar

When Pantzar first moved to Finland, she didn’t understand the appeal of sauna. Then an acquaintance suggested she try winter swimming. As a journalist and someone eager to try new things, she decided to give it a go.

On a freezing, dark February morning, she stood on a dock in Helsinki’s Katajanokka neighbourhood, dressed only in her swimsuit, feeling slightly ridiculous. Gathering her courage, she slipped into the icy water for a few seconds. Her body tingled with sharp, prickling sensations.

“But as soon as I came out, I felt immense euphoria,” Pantzar recalls. “I could not believe how good I felt, both mentally and physically.”

Afterwards, she warmed up in the sauna in the soft, enveloping löyly, the steam created by ladling water onto the hot stones. She began to appreciate the sauna’s peaceful, almost campfire-like atmosphere in a new way.

“People talk quietly, everyone behaves respectfully, there are no phones and everyone is equal,” she says.

Researching Nordic wellbeing

People enter the water from a pier in a winter landscape.

Ice swimming is a popular pastime in Finland.Photo: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio, Helsinki Partners

Inspired by the experience, Pantzar embarked on a personal journey of discovery and began researching sauna and the health benefits of alternating hot and cold.

This led to her first book, The Finnish Way (Penguin Random House, 2018), about Nordic wellbeing, winter swimming and sisu, a Finnish word often translated as resilience, courage or perseverance. The book has appeared in 24 languages and is a bestseller in the US.

“In many countries, wellbeing is associated with money and status, whereas in Finland everyone has access to parks, forests, cycling routes, swimming spots and saunas,” Pantzar says.

Coincidentally, the book was published around the same time Finland was first singled out as the happiest country in the world by the World Happiness Report, sparking increased international interest in the country.

“The metrics focus on wellbeing, such as safety, trust in government and other people, access to healthcare and high-quality education, and overall quality of life,” Pantzar says. “These are all aspects of Finnish society that appeal to me.” She adds that she is especially happy to be raising her child in Finland.

Sharing the essence of sauna

Six sauna bathers sit on wooden sauna benches wearing swimsuits.

Sauna brings people together and creates an offline space for connection and community. Public saunas, like Kotiharju in the picture, are open to everyone.Photo: Maija Astikainen, Helsinki Partners

As people frequently asked Pantzar to recommend saunas in the Helsinki area, she realised there was limited information available about the wide range of public saunas open to everyone. She also wanted to share what she sees as the true essence of sauna culture.

That inspired her to write Helsinki by Sauna (Siltala, 2025), a curated guide to public saunas in and around the capital. From city-centre favourites to island retreats, most are accessible by foot, bike, public transport or a short boat trip. While the book can be used as a travel guide, it is equally valuable for locals exploring their city.

“Sauna brings people together and creates an offline space for connection and community,” Pantzar says. “I often tell visitors to Finland that the best way to meet people is to go to a sauna.”

Through her own winter swimming and sauna routine, Pantzar has built friendships and a strong sense of belonging. For her, sauna has become a natural part of everyday life – one that remains open to everyone and quietly shapes the way people connect in Helsinki.

Katja Pantzar’s top 3 Helsinki sauna tips

Villa Salmela Sauna is housed in a little wooden cottage in eastern Helsinki and the only Karelian-inspired sauna in the area. The small, cosy sauna has easy access to swimming and is open year-round.
Kotiharjun Sauna in Kallio is a spiritual experience going back in time. Opened in 1928, it is housed in an apartment block and has separate saunas for men and women.
The smoke sauna at Löyly is the only authentic smoke sauna in the city centre. Outside Helsinki, smoke saunas are available in Kuusijärvi.

By Catarina Stewen, August 2026

Finland’s Aalto Works joins UNESCO World Heritage List

Arts & culture Design

Finland’s internationally acclaimed architectural heritage has received its latest global recognition as Aalto Works, a collection of 13 buildings and sites designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto, joins the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Aalto Works ensemble comprises examples of modern architecture across Finland, showcasing the work of one of the country’s most influential architectural families.

Completed between 1928 and 1988, the sites span both cities and rural communities, illustrating how the ideals of modern architecture were adapted to local needs. Characterised by a human-centred approach, Aalto architecture places people and everyday life at the heart of design.

The sites include Studio Aalto, the Aalto House, Finlandia Hall, National Pensions Institute (Kela) and the House of Culture in Helsinki, the University of Jyväskylä Aalto Campus, Muuratsalo Experimental House and Säynätsalo Town Hall in the Jyväskylä region, Paimio Sanatorium, the Seinäjoki Civic Centre, the Sunila Pulp Mill Residential Area in Kotka, Villa Mairea in Noormarkku, Pori, and the Church of the Three Crosses in Imatra.

The decision was made by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during its session held in Busan, South Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026.

Finland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The UNESCO World Heritage List recognises cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value. It currently includes 1,273 sites around the world.

With the inscription of Aalto Works, Finland now has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites: seven cultural sites and one natural site.

Finland’s World Heritage Sites are Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Old Rauma, Petäjävesi Old Church, the Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, the Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki, the Struve Geodetic Arc, the Kvarken Archipelago, and Aalto Works.

By ThisisFINLAND staff, July 2026

Finnish startups go beyond buzzwords

Business & innovation Startups

Lifting off

Born in a barn in Finland, Kelluu is redefining how humanity observes the planet.  For Jiri Jormakka, cofounder and head of sales, their northern roots are a strength.

“Our airships complement existing methods like drones, helicopters and satellites, but we bring something none of them can: precise, continuous and scalable coverage of vast areas. They don’t just float, they move tirelessly across the skies, staying aloft for long durations and collecting the kind of high-resolution data the world needs. If we can fly in arctic conditions, we can fly anywhere.

Our customers include cities, public parties, mining companies and power providers, organisations that need precise, continuous insights about the world below. At the same time, we are among the select few in the NATO DIANA accelerator, applying our technology to defence and security. And looking ahead, we’re building the capability to scan entire nations every year, creating a digital twin of the Earth. That kind of data will transform how we fight climate change, manage resources and secure our societies.

I focus on sales and strategy, driving the vision forward. We started in 2018 with nothing but an idea in a barn, and now we are 50 people strong, moving fast and scaling globally. The way I see it, this isn’t just a company, it’s a mission. And I’m in the game for as long as it takes.”

Leading with empathy

Fadumo Ali, CEO of Hoiwa, is using automation to solve inefficiency — while building a legacy rooted in empathy.

“I am a problem solver and when I feel something is worth the leap, I go for it. You cannot achieve great things without taking risks.

Hoiwa started as a staffing agency to help fill the shortage of healthcare professionals. In 2024, we shifted our focus. Now, we tackle inefficiency in organisations by using our AI-powered software to automate everything that can be automated.

Achieving goals feels good, but the real lessons come from the journey. Shifting from the original business idea to plan B was challenging, but my family, especially my brothers and my close friends, stood by me and the company, helping us grow and pushing us forward.

My goal is to build multiple companies and leave a legacy in the business world. I want to be a role model for the next generation and show that you can lead with empathy and do things your own way.”

Trust as strategy

As the cofounder of SelfHack, Lalin Keyvan wants to turn cybersecurity from a burden into a strategic advantage.

“I studied architecture, but I’ve always been drawn to invisible structures. Today, that means digital. In May 2024, we founded SelfHack to tackle a costly and recurring problem: cyber attacks.

We help businesses identify their vulnerabilities before hackers do. Regulations like GDPR require regular penetration testing, but it’s often expensive and time-consuming. We use AI to automate the process, making it faster, more affordable and more effective. I translate complex security technology into a clear, user-friendly product.

I am originally from Türkiye, but I came to Finland inspired by its reputation for happiness and equality.
The country has strong gender equality and a growing startup community that supports people doing meaningful work, no matter where they come from.

Our goal is a mindset shift: cybersecurity shouldn’t just be a legal burden. It should be a strategic advantage, an invisible layer of trust.”

The power of play

Ansu Lönnberg is cofounder of Mainframe Industries. Starting a game company in Finland gives the team confidence, she says.

“Mainframe Industries was founded in Finland in 2019 when Icelandic game veterans, Reynir Harðarson, Thor Gunnarsson and Kjartan Emilsson turned to their network here to find experienced game developers to make reality of their vision for a Social Sandbox MMO game. They also needed someone to start and run the company – I was introduced for this role and got the part.

That’s how this industry works: people use their international networks to help new teams get started. This is my fourth startup, but the first where I’m a cofounder.

We launched the early access version of Pax Dei in June 2024. It is a beautiful landscape set in a medieval fantasy world where players gather resources, build, explore, defeat enemies and most importantly form meaningful relationships. Together players are able to defeat enemies and build cities. The social aspect is everything. You can quit a game, but you don’t quit your friends.

Doing this in Finland gives us confidence. We have successful role models to look up to. Normally, games of this scale are built by hundreds of people. We’re just around 50, so we work smart. The industry support is incredible, whether you fail or succeed. If you fail, you take a breather and then build something new. Hopefully, we’ll be one of the great success stories others will look up to.”

Text: Laura Iisalo, ThisisFINLAND Magazine
Photography: Outi Törmälä

Remote Finnish smoke sauna draws visitors from near and far

Life & society Sauna

On the shores of Lake Rikkavesi in North Savo, a region in eastern Finland, an age-old Finnish tradition continues to thrive: a smoke sauna heated every Wednesday during summer, open to everyone.

At Kaavinkoski Saunapirtti (Kaavinkoski sauna cabin) on a tranquil evening, soft steam rises from the hot stones. The summer sunlight lingers well into the night, and as many as 50 bathers may gather to share the sauna experience.

It takes volunteers around six hours to heat the smoke sauna each time, so it’s no small feat. Matti Rahunen, chair of the local village association, is happy to talk about the tradition.

“The first thing people should know about a Finnish smoke sauna is that there isn’t any smoke inside it when you come to bathe,” Rahunen explains.

Good things happen slowly

Two men sit in a dark sauna. One throws water onto the stove.

Smoke has darkened the walls of the sauna.Photo: Matti Rahunen

The sauna is warmed with smoke by slowly feeding a fire until the massive sauna stones glow with stored heat. After around five to six hours, all the smoke is carefully vented through the door and roof hatch, the floors and benches are washed, and the sauna is ready to welcome bathers.

Alongside Rahunen, six other volunteers from the Northeast Tuusniemi Village Association take turns preparing the sauna. The tradition is upheld by true Finnish talkoohenki, the communal spirit of showing up and doing your part to keep the community thriving.

Rahunen says that taking a full day to prepare the smoke sauna is enjoyable: a soothing ritual in itself. And, he says, it is never a lonely task.

“Locals know we heat the sauna on summer Wednesdays,” he says. “Throughout the day, one visitor after another drops by to greet whoever is on duty.”

Describing the indescribable

A wooden sauna and outbuilding are on a lake shore in a forest.

The sauna is located on the shore of Lake Rikkavesi.Photo: the Northeast Tuusniemi Village Association

“Some arrive by boat, others while out walking their dog,” says Rahunen. “One summer resident from nearby even flies in at least once each summer by seaplane – landing right there on the lake – and often stays the whole evening to relax in the sauna.”

Monika and Dieter Beyer, from a small town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, have vacationed in Finland almost every summer for more than 20 years. On summer Wednesdays, Monika can usually be found at Kaavinkoski Saunapirtti, bathing in the soft heat of the sauna, taking refreshing dips in the lake and chatting with Finnish friends she has made over the years.

“I still remember my first smoke sauna here,” she says. “I had memorised a few standard sentences in Finnish. Basically, I knew how to say, ‘I am a German tourist. Unfortunately, I do not speak Finnish.’”

That wasn’t an issue. “I’ll never forget the happy reply I received from the volunteer warming the sauna: ‘That’s not a problem; I speak a little German!’”

Monika Beyer emphasises that a Finnish smoke sauna is an experience like no other.

“This type of sauna is so original, so special,” she says. “No artificial infusion fragrances, just a completely natural, soft smoky scent. It really cannot be compared to other kinds of saunas.”

She savours the experience: “Enjoying the heat, gently ladling pure water on the stones – it’s so relaxing, it’s almost indescribable. It always makes me feel like a new person. Everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime.”

Evening coffee by the lake

Several pots sit on a grill over an open fire.

Coffee brewed in a kettle over an open fire is an essential part of the sauna experience. Many visitors linger afterwards to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.Photo: the Northeast Tuusniemi Village Association

On smoke sauna evenings, men have their turn at six o’clock, and at half past seven they clear out and the women take over.

“For the first 18 years, women went first,” Rahunen says. “Two years ago, we decided to switch the order around. Which works better? I guess we’ll give it another 16 years to see. Then we will have a basis for fair comparison.”

Two people sit on a wooden bench next to a fire in a wooded area. A lake is in the background.

The grounds of Kaavinkoski sauna cabin include a campfire site on the lakeshore.Photo: the Northeast Tuusniemi Village Association

It’s a social occasion. After the sauna, most people stay to chat, relax and have an evening coffee brewed the traditional way over an open fire. Nokipannukahvi, which roughly translates to “soot-pot coffee” is another Finnish tradition. Many visitors also bring food to grill in the cosy hut by the lake.

By Joanna Sinclair, July 2026

Tag: English