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things you should and shouldn't know
The northern Finnish city of Oulu puts big ideas into action
A lone figure wearing a headlamp stands beside a lighthouse as aurora lights ripple through the dark sky.
Arts & cultureCulture

The northern Finnish city of Oulu puts big ideas into action

This year’s must-visit destination? Look north to Oulu, the Finnish city that is European Capital of Culture in 2026.

Tagged in ArtCultureFestivalsPerforming artsTravelVisual arts
Helsinki underground: Where the city plays, swims and shelters
A woman stands on padded trampolines at an indoor play centre in a Finnish civil defencive shelter while her baby crawls nearby.
Life & societySociety

Helsinki underground: Where the city plays, swims and shelters

Beneath Helsinki’s streets lies a second city that is carefully planned and actively used. From playgrounds to rehearsal rooms, the Finnish capital has turned preparedness into part of everyday urban life.

Tagged in FinnishnessInnovationLifestyleSociety
Finnish actor Alma Pöysti believes in curiosity, compassion and communication
A woman reclines on a red-and-white-striped chair, gazing thoughtfully into the camera.
Arts & cultureFilm

Finnish actor Alma Pöysti believes in curiosity, compassion and communication

For the award-winning actor Alma Pöysti, culture is a force to be reckoned with. It helps people understand each other in a polarised world in at least four ways, she says.

Tagged in CultureDesignFilmLiterature
Finland’s Nokia Design Archive reveals the human stories behind your favourite phones
A collage of mobile phones and wearable gadgets is arranged on a plain background.
Business & innovationDesign

Finland’s Nokia Design Archive reveals the human stories behind your favourite phones

Prototypes and personal stories reveal how Nokia’s designers shaped the mobile age. We visit the Nokia Design Archive to learn more.

Tagged in BusinessDesignHistoryInnovationTechnology
Producing just enough: Finnish startup uses AI to rethink retail
A person, Eerika Savolainen, sits smiling inside a small glass-walled booth with soft lighting and dark furniture.
Business & innovationTechnology

Producing just enough: Finnish startup uses AI to rethink retail

When the former chief of startup megaevent Slush takes on retail’s overproduction problem, the result is Clair, a Finnish startup using AI to help brands anticipate what customers truly want and produce only as much as needed.

Tagged in BusinessEntrepreneursInnovationTechnology
Yes, Santa Claus is from Finland: Ten top facts about Father Christmas
Santa Claus in a red hat and white beard sits at a wooden desk in a log cabin, writing with a feather quill.
ChristmasChristmas traditions

Yes, Santa Claus is from Finland: Ten top facts about Father Christmas

What do you know about Santa Claus? Here are ten fun facts that might surprise you!

Tagged in Christmas traditionsCultureFinlandLaplandModern ChristmasSanta Claus
Sisu movie sequel: Finnish sisu never goes out of fashion
A bearded man, Jorma Tommila as the character Aatami Korpi, is covered in dirt and sweat while driving a vehicle that has several bullet holes in the windshield.
Arts & cultureFilm

Sisu movie sequel: Finnish sisu never goes out of fashion

Sisu is a Finnish word that refers to a combination of resilience and perseverance. Cited as a Finnish source of strength and wellbeing, it’s also the title of a violent action film whose new sequel is enjoying runaway success.

Tagged in CultureFilmFinnishnessSisuSociety
Finnish foodfluencer wishes you a veggie merry Christmas
A wooden serving spoon lies on top of a baking dish that holds an orange-coloured casserole.
ChristmasCuisine

Finnish foodfluencer wishes you a veggie merry Christmas

You don’t have to compromise on quality or taste to make a holiday dinner with no animal products. Finnish culinary influencer Elina Innanen’s recipes lead us on forays into the world of plant-based cuisine.

Tagged in Christmas cuisineChristmas traditionsCuisineFoodLifestyleRecipes
Find Finnish gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season
Three photos side by side show gift items: a bathrobe; a table with plates, glasses and food containers; and two people in jackets.
ChristmasModern Christmas

Find Finnish gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season

Our Christmas gift guide highlights meaningful pieces by Finnish brands: thoughtful, well-made and designed for everyday happiness.

Tagged in DesignFashionFinnishnessLifestyleModern Christmas
Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season
People in winter clothing stroll through a Christmas market with wooden stalls, a carousel and a sparkling tree at night, in front of a brightly lit white church.
ChristmasChristmas traditions

Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season

As the winter days grow shorter in Helsinki, the city bursts into light, and the Christmas season brings warmth, music and thousands of twinkling bulbs.

Tagged in Christmas traditionsCultureFinnishnessHelsinkiModern ChristmasWinter
The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other
A man is sitting in a chair beside a rack of medical equipment while a woman rolls up his sleeve in preparation for him to donate blood.
Life & societySociety

The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other

At a blood donation centre, we find an example of Finnish talkoohenki, the community spirit of helping each other. As our video conveys, it could be a contributing factor to Finnish happiness.

Tagged in FinnishnessHappinessHealthSocietyWellbeing
How to spot the Northern Lights in Finland
A person in winter clothing stands on snow-covered rocks and gazes at green and purple Northern Lights overhead.
Life & societyNature

How to spot the Northern Lights in Finland

The Northern Lights are visible for human eyes only when it’s dark and the sky is clear and cloudless. In northern Finland they can be witnessed from late August until early April.

Tagged in ArcticEducationNatureTravel
Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom
A man plays a large steel instrument installed at an outdoor playground.
Arts & cultureArt

Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom

Everyone’s an artist in Teemu Keisteri’s family, no matter if they’re four or almost 40. Father and son get creative together and explore Finland’s vibrant children’s culture scene.

Tagged in ArtCultureEducationMusicTravel
What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language
A woman standing outdoors, smiling in sunlight, with trees and green foliage in the background.
Life & societyLanguage

What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language

For polyglot Irina Pravet, learning a language isn’t just about grammar. She sees knowing Finnish as a way to belong – and that’s something you don’t find in textbooks.

Tagged in EntrepreneursFinlandFinnishnessLanguageSociety
Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful
A person holds a small stack of books with soft yarn balls on top – grey, pink and lilac.
Life & societyEducation

Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful

From reading dogs to 3D printers, Finnish libraries are reinventing what it means to be the home of learning and information. Here are some activities you can do in many Finnish libraries.

Tagged in EducationEqualityFinnishnessLifestyleTechnologyTravel
Why are saunas so dear to people in Finland?
Two photos side by side, one showing someone in a sauna with a bucket of water, and the other showing a sauna building on a forested lakeshore.
Life & societySauna

Why are saunas so dear to people in Finland?

Almost every building in Finland has a sauna. Two sauna enthusiasts tell what makes their favourite sauna so special.

Tagged in FinnishnessNatureSaunaWellbeing
Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!
A fancy building with a turret and a balcony also has a statue of a bear perched on the edge of the roof.
Life & societyArchitecture

Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!

If you elevate your gaze, Helsinki’s architecture contains surprising details. Mythical creatures, solemn figures and watchful animals perch high above street level.

Tagged in ArchitectureArtCultureFinnishnessHistorySlideshowsSocietyTravel
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