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

Arts & cultureTravel

Dozens of meters below the ground, in a combined parking space and a fallout shelter, something extraordinary will take place. In the northern city of Oulu, Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen will create an underground world where real pieces of nature interact with digital environments. The simulated virtual world will focus on Oulu’s subarctic setting – one of the fastest-changing environments in the world.

Underground Clash (working title) is one of many installations during Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture in 2026. Mixing art and technology comes naturally in a city with strong underground cultures, a hub for 6G development and a home of global tech companies like smart ring company Oura.

According to programme manager Henri Turunen, bold and curious approaches to technology can make it visible in a new way.

“When you use the latest technology to create something deeply immersive, the experience can feel almost magical,” he says. “There’s a kind of mystique or enchantment that emerges when art and technology meet.”

Embracing the peculiar

Artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen stands in front of a subterranean rock wall.

Artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen is crafting an immersive installation set within an underground car park.

For past decades, Oulu has been known for cultural events and local quirks residents affectionately call oddities. These include the annual Air Guitar World Championships, the techno festival Frozen People (held on the frozen sea), mayonnaise pizza and Screaming Men’s Choir Huutajat who scream and shout instead of singing. The musical subcultures range from harsh noise to electronic music.

Turunen recognises and appreciates these peculiarities. It’s easy to bring together unexpected elements in a community with no fear of experimentation.

“When we work across silos, it becomes easier to try new things and cross different boundaries,” Turunen says. “There’s a certain DIY mindset here, too. If you need a piece of equipment but it’s 600 kilometres away, you have to figure things out together.”

An example of this spirit is Villit – The Wild Ones, an immersive dance performance that can be seen as part of the Oulu 2026 programme during the summer. Created by a large international team, local dancers and community members, the piece invites audiences on a journey across urban space with multiple entry points and a shared final celebration where all paths come together.

“A person who listens is willing 
to change”

Artist Antye Greie-Ripatti stands in front of bare birch trees.

Antye Greie-Ripatti founded the Hai Art organisation, which focuses on artistic intervention.

The final months of 2026 in Oulu will celebrate contrasts: light and dark, technology and art, local and global. It is in this very space where multidisciplinary artist Antye Greie-Ripatti, also known as AGF, has found her niche.

From electronic music and composing to collaborative sound art in political spaces, Antye Greie-Ripatti is known for her unfiltered approach to technology as a medium for creative expression.

Together with her partner Sasu Ripatti, she curates the TAR Festival in November, part of the Capital of Culture programme – a three-day experience of genre-bending art, communality and the northern hospitality.

“We want to highlight the art that makes Oulu the city it is,” Greie-Ripatti says. Oulu is not a large city, but “in a smaller city, offering another layer to the existing reality becomes more tangible, more concrete. You can actually see the impact.”

Liberation through technology

Now based in the municipality Hailuoto, some 50 kilometres from Oulu, Greie-Ripatti balances quiet island life with artistic work. This is in stark contrast to her upbringing in East Germany, where she came of age in the late 1980s.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, she was exposed to personal technology for the first time in her life: computers, the internet and portable devices were music production tools never before available.

“I am a first-generation bedroom producer, meaning I got my start before commercial platforms and streaming services,” she explains.

For the young Antye Greie, with unrestricted use of technology came artistic independence and liberation. The lack of commercialisation allowed her to explore and experiment, eventually finding her own creative nook.

She describes herself as a sound sculptor, turning sounds into pieces of abstract art. Her work considers technology as something inherent to humans – using one’s voice, singing and listening are technologies just as digital software and production tools.

All of her work boils down to a fundamental question: When it comes to art, what do you use technology for? 
It is not simple or easy to determine but: “Do you want to use technology to create or destroy?”

Bouncing sound waves

Greie-Ripatti sees TAR as a chance to bring people together around the idea of creating hope through listening. Since 2020, she has been investigating listening in her work. For example, she has asked children to listen to field recordings of bats, wind and leaves, and re-make these sounds with their own voices. Then they examined and edited the audio waveforms.

“Listening requires openness,” she says. “A person who listens is willing to change.”

Through deep listening she can still find the freedom she felt when she first began making music. Listening opens you up to new, unexpected things. Greie-Ripatti compares this unpredictability to sound itself.

“Sound waves bounce off walls and make new waves; they have a mind of their own. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Isn’t that like life itself?”

By Kristiina Ella Markkanen, ThisisFINLAND Magazine
Photos: Vera Lakovaara, Malthe Ivarrson

Finnish fashion houses greet spring with clean lines and colour

Business & innovationFashion

Flowers and fashion both bloom in Finland when the snow melts and the days get longer and warmer, giving people a great reason to dress up and celebrate.

Dressing up, the Finnish way

A collage shows pastel-toned womenswear, including a pink dress, cream blazer, textured sleeveless dress, jewellery, clutch bag and beige heels, alongside a model wearing a textured pink dress and black heels.

1. Blazer, Almada Label; 2. Dress, Katri Niskanen; 3. Crystal earrings, Keski-Pomppu; 4. Silver bracelet, Annele; 5. Bouclé dress, Andiata; 6. Shoes, Hagelstam; 7. Clutch bag, Nanso.Lookbook image: Katri Niskanen

Finnish festive dressing often leans towards clean lines. The interest comes from cut, materials, colours and detail.

One of the leading names in occasionwear is Katri Niskanen. She became a household name after winning the Finnish version of Project Runway in 2009. Her designs are often seen on the red carpet and at gala events, and brides also turn to her for their special day. Her work is known for fluid fabrics, strong tailoring and a refined sense of how each garment moves with the body.

Another notable brand is Andiata, whose aesthetic is worn across the Nordics, from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Queen Mary of Denmark, as well as Suzanne Innes-Stubb, the first lady of Finland.

Spring celebrations welcome more colour

A collage shows a navy shirt, light blue suit, brown loafers, wristwatch, sunglasses and cufflinks, alongside a model wearing a rust-coloured blazer, dark polo shirt and cream trousers.

1. Shirt, Pure Waste; 2. Tassel loafers, Schoffa; 3. Kelo Blue Field Watch, S.U.F Helsinki; 4. Light Blue Ceremonial Suit, Turo; 5. Sunglasses, Aarni; 6. Silver cufflinks, Lumoava.Lookbook image: Schoffa

Festive dressing is becoming more relaxed and colourful. A suit no longer needs perfectly matching pieces. A blazer paired with contrasting trousers feels modern and intentional.

Schoffa and Turo offer made-to-measure services, creating suits, blazers and trousers tailored to each client’s exact measurements. The result is a precise fit with carefully considered details.

A different approach comes from Pure Waste. Founded in 2013, the brand focuses on circular production. Its garments are made from 100-percent recycled fibres. This shirt (number 1 in the photo), for example, is crafted from recycled cotton and polyester sourced from plastic bottles. Its production uses 99 percent less water and generates 50 percent fewer carbon emissions compared to products made from virgin materials.

Off-duty dressing with intent

A collage shows a beige jacket, black sunglasses, decorative brooch, white shirt, blue jeans, red patterned handbag and brown sneakers, alongside a photo of a model wearing a tan jacket and light trousers.

1. Denim jacket, Marimekko; 2. Sunglasses, Balmuir; 3. Pre-loved brooch, Kalevala; 4. Knitted mini handbag, Marimekko; 5. Crepe shirt, Almada Label; 6. Denim jeans, Gauhar; 7. Suede trainers, Terhi Pölkki.Lookbook image: Makia

Weekend dressing is about ease with intention. Comfort matters, but so does building a wardrobe that feels personal and is easy to mix and match. Pieces designed for rewear are the ones worth investing in.

To bring in personality, the focus shifts to details. Kalevala offers a curated selection of pre-loved jewellery that adds history and individuality to everyday wear. Brooches, in particular, are making a return. Pin one onto a jacket for an instant refresh, or place it on a cap or bag for a fun accent.

Material-driven everyday dressing

A collage shows a tan jacket, red sweatshirt, cream trousers, two-tone cap, brown backpack, sunglasses and dark shoes, alongside a model wearing a similar outfit.

1. Jacket, Makia; 2. Fleece cap, Halti; 3. Sweatshirt, Makia; 4. Chinos, Schoffa; 5. Sunglasses, Aarni; 6. Backpack, Globe Hope; 7. Boat shoes, Pomar.Lookbook image: R-Collection

Casual dressing for men builds on the same principles: function first, combined with an understanding of what works with pieces you already own and wear regularly. The aim is not to reinvent your wardrobe, but to make better use of it.

Materials play a defining role. From Aarni’s sustainably sourced wood frames to Globe Hope backpacks made from surplus cotton, each piece highlights how material choices can shape the design. They bring depth and interest to otherwise simple outfits.

By Johanna Piispa, April 2026
(Images courtesy of the brands)

Why Finnish children dress up as witches at Easter

Life & societyTraditions

An excited group of kids rings the doorbell of a house near the Finnish capital. A smiling neighbour opens the door.

After politely asking for permission, the children recite a traditional rhyme together while waving decorated pussy willow branches. The poem wishes health and prosperity for the coming year and ends with a playful exchange:

“Virvon varvon, tuoreeks terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle!” (In translation: I wave a twig for a fresh and healthy year ahead; a twig for you, a treat for me!)

One by one, the children each hand over a branch and the homeowner places sweets in the baskets they carry.

At a dining table, an adult carefully adds makeup to a child’s face as part of Easter preparations in Finland, with festive decorations around the room.

Ulrike Kivelä carefully applies Easter witch makeup to Felisa’s cheeks.

On a residential street in Finland, a child in an Easter witch outfit walks along the pavement as a neighbour with a pram and two dogs approaches.

Little Felisa bumps into some neighbours on her way to the next house.

A small leafless tree outside a brick house in Finland is decorated with colourful Easter eggs hanging from its branches.

Easter decorations are already set out. The Easter egg, symbolising life and rebirth, is one of the most common decorations.

Easter is a Christian holiday, yet in Finland its traditions form a unique blend of ancient folklore and the celebration of spring’s arrival after winter.

Homes are decorated with colourful symbols of renewal – daffodils, freshly grown Easter grass and hand-painted eggs. But for many, the most anticipated tradition takes place on Palm Sunday or Holy Saturday, when children all around Finland dress up as witches and go from door to door, offering blessings and decorated willow branches in exchange for sweets.

We joined local children in the Lippajärvi neighbourhood in Espoo, west of Helsinki, to follow how the tradition continues today.

Children in Finland dressed as Easter witches stand at a front door holding decorated willow branches and baskets for sweets.

There’s no shyness in sight when the children ring the doorbell.

A wicker basket containing assorted sweets is carried by a child taking part in Easter traditions in Finland.

The day has been successful. Sweets are piling up in the baskets, and there are still a number of houses to go.

A child dressed as a witch in a pink outfit and black hat stands outdoors in Finland holding a basket and leash beside a dog wearing bunny ears.

In the Easter spirit, the family dog is also wearing a pair of bunny ears, while Emily, 5, is dressed as a witch.

At the German-Finnish Kivelä family home, the day begins with a flurry of preparations. Mother Ulrike Kivelä helps Felisa, 3, and Tapio, 7, get into costume. She paints rosy cheeks and freckles on Felisa, while Tapio gets a little wizard’s moustache and beard.

The family is flying to Germany for Easter, but their mother deliberately booked a later flight so the children could take part in the Finnish tradition. “It’s important to create these memories for them,” she says.

Before heading out, the children meet up with family friends from the same neighbourhood. Viljo, 8, and Ivo, 5, are also dressed as witches, ready for the day’s adventure. Their mother, Daria Dunajewdka, carries a large bundle of beautifully decorated pussy willow branches that the children have prepared for the event.

Viljo, in particular, has been especially eager about decorating them – “for him, it’s even more important than the chocolate reward,” Daria says.

Children in Easter witch costumes stand at a doorway holding decorated willow branches while an adult answers from inside.

Ivo, Felisa and Viljo are greeted by the residents. In this family-friendly neighbourhood most people are prepared for Easter visitors.

Two children pose in a yard with a dog, one wearing a black witch’s hat and patterned dress, the other in a bright red top.

Friends Ella, 9, and Ida, 9, have a clever trick to collect candy faster: they each offer two branches at every door to double their reward.

Three children in Easter witch costumes walk along a residential road carrying baskets and decorated willow branches.

Little witches rush off to the next house.

The tradition of going from door to door at Easter is known as virpominen (“the act of wishing someone happiness with a willow branch”). It is a vivid example of how cultural traditions mix and evolve over time. The custom of blessing neighbours and relatives with willow branches originates in eastern Finland.

The branches symbolise the palm leaves that, according to the Gospels, people laid on the ground when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Dressing up as witches, on the other hand, comes from western Finnish folklore, where people once believed that witches and evil spirits roamed freely around Easter. To ward them off, spells were cast and bonfires were lit. Over time, these two traditions merged, and the blessing ritual was combined with the playful witch costumes.

The next stop is at the children’s kindergarten teacher’s door. Most of the other visits are also at familiar houses in the family-friendly neighbourhood. From the smiles that greet them, it’s clear the little witches are welcome visitors. The steadily growing piles of sweets in their baskets are another sure sign that they were expected to call.

An adult gives treats to children dressed as witches at a front door, their baskets and colourful willow branches held nearby.

A decorated willow branch is exchanged for sweets. Typically they are chocolate eggs and other Easter-themed treats.

Children dressed for Finnish Easter traditions pose beside a utility box, carrying baskets and wearing headscarves and bunny ears.

Brothers Samuel, 3, Mikael, 7, and Simeon, 5, have finished their rounds. They still have to wait until lunch is over before tasting the day’s candy catch.

A costumed child with a hat and cape carries willow twigs and sweets while hurrying through a neighbourhood during Finnish Easter traditions.

Lilian, 10, hurries to the next house. Most years she has dressed as a witch, but this year she is trying something different.

More children appear along the way on the sunlit streets. Most are dressed as traditional witches, but among them are also chicks, bunnies, a dinosaur and even a Moomin character, Little My (the world-famous Moomins are the creation of Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson). The variety of costumes shows how the tradition continues to evolve and adapt. The children pause to compare their catches before setting off again. The group hurries to the next house with such excitement that the youngest, Felisa, struggles to keep up.

As their route nears its end and the idea of heading home is mentioned, the children protest in unison: “Not yet, not yet!” Only when their last branch has been handed out are they finally ready to return, their baskets heavily laden with sweets.

For these little witches, the day has been a success.

Text by Ilona Koskela, photos by Mikko Suutarinen, April 2026

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

Business & innovationStartups

People in Finland build community is built through shared activities like talkoot – neighbours helping out together, for instance spring cleaning gardens and courtyards after the snow has melted – and hobbies that act as social glue. Indeed, around 90 percent of Finns have at least one hobby – including almost all children under ten. Participation isn’t unusual; it’s expected.

“I first started doing gymnastics when I was five,” says Meri-Tuuli Helin, a Turku-based mother of two. “Even when I returned to it later, after 20 years, it felt like coming back to the community. We all share the same hobby and the same interest.”

Belonging by design

A woman, Meri-Tuuli Helin, CEO of Gubbe, stands smiling with her arms crossed against a pink background, wearing a light pink Gubbe sweatshirt.

“You can give – and get – so much from someone who has lived a different life,” says Meri-Tuuli Helin, CEO of Gubbe.Photo: Gubbe

Helin has since passed her enthusiasm on to her children, whom she regularly ferries between after school activities in a flurry of jackets, boots and sports gear. But Helin also works to maintain connections later in life – particularly when mobility, health or daily routines begin to shift.

As the CEO of Gubbe, Helin enables families to arrange regular visits for their older relatives. Most of these are carried out by young people, many of them students. Together, they bake pulla (a traditional Finnish sweet bun), go for a walk, tidy the flat or simply sit and talk. Efficiency isn’t the point. Presence is.

“It’s like a personal trainer that comes to help you stay active and live your wonderful life until the end,” Helin says.

The exchange runs both ways. Older people remain anchored in everyday life; youngsters gain flexible, meaningful work – and often an unexpected friendship.

“The most heartwarming thing is bringing together two generations,” Helin says. “You can give – and get – so much from someone who has lived a different life.”

For Helin, these small encounters are building towards something bigger on the horizon.

“The dream is to one day create homes similar to elderly housing, but where young people and older residents live together,” she says. “A real community, with shared activities and everyday life side by side.”

Asking is a strength

A woman and a man shovel snow side by side in a wintery yard while a dog runs between them.

From silence to solidarity, Commu is lowering the threshold for asking for help.Photo: Commu

The same logic is reshaping everyday life in Finland, as digital platforms make asking for help simpler – and increasingly normal.

“With a few clicks of a button, just like you would order food for home delivery, you can find help,” says Karoliina Kauhanen, one of the founders of Commu, an app that connects people in need with neighbours willing to offer their time.

The appetite is there. Since launching in 2022, Commu has attracted more than 100,000 users in Finland.

“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but the bravest thing you can do for yourself when you’re in need,” Kauhanen says.

Often, what people are looking for is simply someone to talk to.

“Loneliness is one of the biggest social issues of our lifetime,” Kauhanen says. “It can’t be fixed with clinical tools alone.”

From silence to solidarity

Karoliina Kauhanen, founder of Commu, smiles in a green hoodie while holding up a smartphone displaying the Commu app.

“If you don’t say anything, how can anybody ever help you?” asks Karoliina Kauhanen, founder of Commu.Photo: Commu

The Commu app offers a way into a community for people in a broad range of scenarios – whether it’s a newcomer to Finland navigating their integration or someone suddenly faced with unimaginable circumstances.

Kauhanen recalls how a recently widowed father hesitated before reaching out. “Asking for help was really, really difficult for him – but he just had to do it, to get the funeral and everyday life in order.”

People stepped up.

“He got the support that he needed during those first terrible weeks to survive for his children.”

Normalising asking for help has caught on fast elsewhere, too. Commu users can be found in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Germany.

“We are seeing this wave of people wanting to do good for their own welfare and their community,” Kauhanen says.

“I have experienced what it’s like to be left alone without a way out. But I have also experienced the other side: how good it feels when someone finally sees you and the issue that you’re struggling with and you go about it together.”

By James O’Sullivan, April 2026

Finnish city of Vaasa enjoys Unicef recognition for child-friendly urban life

Life & societyChildren

The recognition reflects wide-ranging work across the city: training staff in children’s rights, improving public transport and cycle paths, expanding access to hobbies and leisure activities, and creating structures that ensure children and young people can take part in planning and decision-making.

Unicef Finland commended the city’s approach, noting: “Vaasa has integrated the Child-Friendly Municipality work into the city’s 2026–2030 strategy. This is a remarkable achievement that reflects strong political commitment and effective collaboration.”

Christina Knookala, Vaasa’s former director of education and culture, highlights how broadly the work has taken hold: “The development work spans the entire city and all sectors, from urban and transport planning to early childhood education and care, as well as basic education.”

She adds: “Through the Child-Friendly Municipality work, the views of children and young people are now being taken into account more effectively, starting from the planning stage. Vaasa will become an even better place to grow up and live in.”

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

Arts & cultureArt

While Finland has a deep tradition of handmade textiles, industrial production in the 20th century unlocked new creative possibilities. Designers embraced fabric as a medium, producing some of the world’s most iconic patterns.

EMMA’s exhibition Draped: Art of Printed Fabrics (until March 14, 2027) explores this evolution, showcasing the historical and artistic significance of Finnish textile design.

A museum wrapped in fabric

A blue illuminated sculpture stands outside the EMMA Museum at dusk, with the lit museum entrance visible through surrounding pine trees.

Set inside a former printing house, EMMA occupies a 1960s concrete brutalist building with expansive interiors originally built to accommodate massive printing presses.Photo: Ari Karttunen / EMMA Museum

Located west of Helsinki in Espoo’s Tapiola district, EMMA occupies a former printing house. Its vast, light-filled spaces provide the perfect setting for an immersive display of colour, pattern and textile artistry.

Featuring over 30 artists, the exhibition spans nearly a century, from the 1930s to today. It highlights pioneers of Finnish textile art, including early innovators like Aino Marsio-Aalto, Maija Isola, Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi and Howard Smith – designers whose work has been closely associated with iconic Finnish brands such as Artek, Marimekko and Vallila.

The selection ranges from classic commercial patterns to experimental works that push textile design in new artistic directions.

From everyday objects to iconic designs

A visitor stands with hands clasped, viewing Maija Isola’s Päärynä pear-patterned textile.

Maija Isola’s Päärynä (pear) captures her habit of painting patterns at full width, translating observations of nature into bold, graphic textile forms.Photo: Paula Virta / EMMA Museum

One of the exhibition’s highlights is Maija Isola’s Päärynä (Pear) pattern, designed for Marimekko in 1969. This playful, organic design features a stylised pear in a bold, graphic arrangement, reflecting Isola’s ability to capture nature in a strikingly modern way.

Isola often painted patterns by hand across the full width of the fabric, believing that industrial art needed the freedom of hand-painted designs to stay alive. This approach resulted in works that combined the colourful expressiveness of handcrafted art with the bold simplicity of minimalist design. As one of Marimekko’s most influential designers, Isola helped shape the brand’s iconic visual language, and her work remains a key part of its legacy.

Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi’s Tibet fabric shows alternating black and blue fields crossed by evenly spaced white horizontal lines.

In Tibet, Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi turned the small irregularities of manual printing into a defining feature, allowing misaligned lines and open areas to become part of the design.Photo: Ari Karttunen / EMMA Museum

Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi’s Tibet fabric is another standout example. In 1952, Marimekko cofounder Armi Ratia requested a pattern similar to Viola Gråsten’s Oomph, but Nurmesniemi took a different approach, creating a design with bold, abstract colour fields and unprinted areas that embraced the slight irregularities of manual printing.

The result was so strikingly modern that Ratia recognised Nurmesniemi’s unique creative vision, allowing her to explore new directions within the brand, solidifying Tibet as a defining work in Finnish textile history.

American-born artist Howard Smith also left a lasting mark on Finnish textiles. Arriving in Finland in 1962 as part of an American art exhibition – unaware that it was organised by the CIA – he quickly made the country his home. In 1968, he was commissioned by Vallila to design 25 patterns, half of which were produced.

His Makeba design, named after singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba, remains in production today. Smith saw flowers as a way to share his passion for nature, creating bold, rhythmic patterns that brought beauty and peace to everyday life. Beyond textiles, he also designed Vallila’s logo, which is still in use.

Innovation in textile art

Two visitors stand beside large suspended textiles with layered, organic patterns in earthy reds and blues.

Suspended fabrics from the New Landscapes in Textile Design project illustrate how experimentation with digital tools and traditional weaving can produce more sustainable textiles.Photo: Ari Karttunen / EMMA Museum

Draped also highlights contemporary innovations in textile design. A project entitled New Landscapes in Textile Design, led by designers Maija Fagerlund, Emilia Kuurila, Maarit Salolainen and Anna Semi of Aalto University, forms part of the EMMA exhibition. It explores ways to reduce the environmental impact of textile production.

The project focuses on creating more sustainable textiles by repurposing surplus yarns and combining traditional jacquard weaving with digital pigment printing to minimize waste. Digital tools play a crucial role in making jacquard weaving more efficient, allowing for precise, intricate patterns with less material waste, and offering new possibilities for sustainable design.

Designer and Aalto alumna Sabina Simonsen notes, “As a practice rooted in tradition, textile design is by its very nature intertwined with materiality. While its environmental impact is undeniable, it is hardly set in stone. The naturalistic designs in the New Landscapes in Textile Design project extend beyond their artistic expression, exemplifying the sustainable potential of designing with hybrid techniques – creating new traditions in textile design.”

The legacy and future of Finnish textile design

Large suspended textiles with bold graphic patterns and contrasting colours hang across a gallery space at the EMMA Museum.

Bold prints and experimental techniques show how fabric became one of Finland’s most influential design languages.Photo: Ari Karttunen / EMMA Museum

For those eager to explore Finnish design, the exhibition offers a window into the patterns and textures that have shaped the country’s artistic landscape. From iconic works by designers like Maija Isola and Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi to contemporary innovations for sustainability, Draped highlights how Finnish textiles continue to blend tradition with creativity.

By Tyler Walton, March 2026

“Wow” moments in Finnish nature

Life & societyNature

For Taija, time alone in nature counterbalances her job as a hairdresser in central Helsinki and home life with her children.

“At work, I am very sociable and close to the customers, so I need to be alone for at least two or three hours a day,” she says. “Nature balances my mental health and gives me calmness and relaxation that I can’t get anywhere else.”

She runs every morning for an hour or two before work, accompanied by Camu, her young Labradoodle. The two head out again for an evening walk, totalling 10 to 20 kilometres (6 to 12 miles) a day.

“We usually go to a lovely old forest nature reserve in Kivikko, near home. If I want more light in the autumn or winter, I go to the old Malmi airport area, where there are flat meadows. That’s also good for cross-country skiing, but so is Kivikko, where there aren’t as many people,” she says with a grin. She also swims outdoors all year round in a local pond.

Magical moments

Video: ThisisFINLAND

Aino prefers more leisurely strolls along forest trails and duckboards in the nearby Slåttmossen and Vaarala natural areas. In winter, she walks mainly on snow trails in Kivikko. A ceramicist and former art teacher, she moved from Lapland to Helsinki about a decade ago. Aino gets inspiration from nature for her art. She also enjoys identifying bird calls with the help of a mobile app, and taking pictures, especially of lizards.

“Slåttmossen has a bog area with beautiful blooming marsh rosemary and even cloudberries, which remind me of Lapland,” she says. “Vaarala has a tall spruce forest. I went walking there last spring when I was feeling down. A fox ran past me, then stopped a few metres away and looked me in the eye for a long time. It was somehow comforting and cheered me up.”

In a forest area in Helsinki, Finland, a close-up shows a hand grasping a chanterelle mushroom, about to pick it.

One of the best nature experiences in late summer and autumn is going mushroom picking.

Another “wow” moment was in Lapland, where she used to go on long hiking trips and still has a cabin. “One night, there was moonlight and Northern Lights. The snow was sparkling with this amazing green light, and just then two reindeer came along. It was miraculous.”

Koivuluoma also enjoys Lapland, especially summer camping trips in Urho Kekkonen National Park. “I love the mornings there when it’s completely quiet, still and misty,” she says. She and Eeronheimo both credit their parents for instilling a love of roughing it in nature when they were children.

“I’m completely dependent on nature; I have been since childhood,” says Eeronheimo.

Koivuluoma agrees, saying: “The best thing about Finnish nature is that it’s always nearby, no matter where you live. You can find real nature even in Helsinki.”

In Helsinki, Finland, with a forest visible in the background, two women and a dog walk across a bridge whose guardrails are covered with graffiti art.

Everyone has access to nature

People in Finland are free to enjoy wild areas without landowners’ permission, with certain restrictions. Under the principle of “everyone’s right”, which dates back more than a century, anyone can use natural areas for hiking, cycling, skiing and swimming, for instance, as well as fishing and picking wild berries and mushrooms, with some limits.

This sparsely populated country is about three-quarters forest, so there’s plenty of room to roam – as long as you don’t bother anyone by going too close to their home, yard or farmland. Camping is fine if you don’t litter, stay too long or light a fire without permission.

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

Life & societyFinnishness

Ever since 2018, Finland has topped the World Happiness Report’s list of the happiest countries in the world. As the 2026 edition puts it, “Finland is still in a group of one at the top.”

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network publishes the report to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, which happens annually on March 20.

How do we explain Finnish happiness? What is behind Finland’s repeated recognition as the happiest country in the world?

The short answer is that Finland has fostered an “infrastructure of happiness” (see box below), constructing and maintaining the culture and the social institutions that form the basis and framework for individuals and communities to build their happiness. That includes trust, good governance, education, connection with nature, work-life balance, equality and several more components.

The World Happiness Report’s main listing, “Country rankings by life evaluations,” compares the answers to one of the more than 100 questions in the Gallup World Poll. The question is: On a scale of zero to ten, where do you place your own life (with zero being the worst possible life and ten being the best possible life)?

These “life evaluations” put the focus on people’s contentedness with life. The report uses an average of the three most recent years to arrive at its list of the happiest countries. The figure for Finland in the 2026 edition is 7.764 out of ten.

People called Happiness

Watch as several people named Onni (Happiness) talk about the meaning of happiness.Video: Aarni Holappa/ThisisFINLAND

It just so happens that onni, a Finnish word that means “happiness,” is the first name of more than 10,000 people in Finland. It has been in use as a given name since the early 1800s.

We set out to find out what people named Onni think about Finnish happiness. We asked them several questions:

  • What makes you happy?
  • Why do you think Finland is considered the happiest country in the world?
  • What does happiness mean?

Their answers are both simple and profound. One Onni is happy when he “can make someone else happy.” Another Onni is happy while spending time with his friends swimming or working out.

A third Onni names trust as an important factor in happiness. “In this country, we can trust each other.” Onni number two names “good healthcare, good education and free school meals.”

One of them says that treating people kindly and respectfully “has a big impact on whether you are happy or not.”

Helping happiness happen

Happiness in Finland: A man and a child are balancing together on a set of ropes on a playground on a sunny day with autumn foliage in the background.

Social support (having someone to count on) is a factor that contributes to happiness.Photo: Aleksi Poutanen/Finland Image Bank

Each year, in addition to the rankings table, the World Happiness Report includes articles and data on additional facets of happiness. In 2026, the focus is on the relationship between social media and happiness, especially in young people.

The article titles provide a good indication of the messages within: “International evidence on happiness and social media,” for instance, and “Problematic social media use and adolescent wellbeing.”

Young people whose social media use is less than one hour a day have the highest level of wellbeing – however, teenagers are on it for an average of 2.5 hours each day. The effects of social media depend on the type of social media, the amount of use, and demographic factors.

Happiness in Finland: Two adults and a small child, all in lifejackets, are crossing a calm, forest-lined lake in a rowboat.

For people in Finland, nature is part of the heart of happiness – a source of wellbeing, calmness and contentment.Photo: Carl Bergman/Finland Image Bank

As for the rankings table itself, the report’s authors seek to explain the countries’ life evaluations by comparing data on six key variables: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support (having someone to count on), freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

Research shows life satisfaction correlates with a well-functioning society that provides healthcare, social security and labour market access. Countries can encourage happiness – with its infrastructure of happiness, Finland is helping happiness happen.

Finland and its infrastructure of happiness
  • Trust plays a vital role, and in Finland, trust extends beyond personal relationships to public institutions, governance and even strangers.
  • Good governance and a political system that is transparent, accountable and committed to the rule of law.
  • A societal framework combining stability and safety nets, so individuals can make life choices without fear of failure.
  • A strong sense of shared responsibility promotes a fair and just society, central to happiness. Over 90 percent consider paying taxes an important civic duty.
  • Participation and dialogue: active participation and open dialogue between the public and the authorities foster inclusion and empowerment. Freedom of expression promotes transparency and a thriving democracy.
  • Equality and social justice: Finland’s commitment to equality, including gender equality and strong protections for minorities, fosters a socially inclusive environment that contributes to overall happiness.
  • Education and information: Finland’s world-class education system ensures equal access to high-quality learning, empowering individuals to succeed. Strong press freedom and media literacy enable citizens to navigate information critically, creating an informed and engaged society.
  • Connection with nature is a valued part of daily life and wellbeing. The Finns’ access to and immersion in nature promotes calmness and contentment and reduces stress.
  • Simplicity and sauna: Finnish culture is deeply rooted in an appreciation for simplicity, functionality and the significance of life’s small moments. At the heart of this is the sauna, a space where Finns unwind, disconnect from daily pressures and reconnect with themselves and others in a meaningful way.
  • Finnish society is built to support a balanced life, prioritising personal wellbeing alongside professional commitments. Work policies and social structures enable a lifestyle of productivity and personal fulfillment.

By ThisisFINLAND staff, March 2026