The essence of summer in Finland

The best shots of our summer photo contest show the beauty of Finnish nature in the summertime – not forgetting the joy of summer activities.

Summer is turning to autumn in Finland, so it is time to look back and reminisce the warm sunny days. We asked our readers to send us great summer photos of Finland on our Facebook page, and we were simply amazed by the number and quality of the photos we received. From magnificent nature scenery to relaxing cottage life, from city sights to festival ambience, the photos definitely showed the best sides of the Finnish summer. Check out the slideshow below!

The best of thisisFINLAND’s summer photo contest

Vaasa Photo by Alexander Horn

Imatra Photo by Anna Brady

Åland Photo by Denisse Islas

Rock The Beach festival in Helsinki Photo by Stefanie Haas

Utsjoki Photo by Jasmine Lappalainen

Rovaniemi Photo by Jasmine Lappalainen

Utraslahti, Punkaharju Photo by Jonas Burow

Jyväskylä Photo by Ronan Browne

Vantaa Photo by Pirja Paasilahti

Lapland Photo by Chiming Zhang

Savonlinna Photo by Frans Botha

Mahnala Photo by Jani Vienonen

Life & society Webpick

Finnish sauna offers a warm welcome for people from all walks of life

In Finland, sauna is not a rare luxury, but a central part of the culture. In fact, did you know that there are more saunas than cars in Finland?

Arts & culture Nature

The Finnish island where Moomin author Tove Jansson used to live still inspires artists

Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin books, spent almost 30 summers on Klovharun, a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland. Since then, hundreds of artists have enjoyed week-long residencies at the isolated, inspiring location.

Arts & culture Architecture

Eye-catching Helsinki architecture: Exploring more Finnish art nouveau marvels

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Business & innovation Work

Gathering experiences of working life in Finland

Finland is looking for international talent to join its workforce, especially for positions in the health and ICT sectors. Professors of practice Jamie Hyneman and Jorma Turunen talk about their experiences working in Finland. We also speak to startup entrepreneurs Iranthi Gomes and Anna Fatima Sambou about launching a business in the country.