thisisFINLAND

Rethinking Finnish sauna

Hidden beyond the building sites of the vast new urban district of Kalasatama lies Helsinki’s best-known secret, Sompasauna.

Arts & culture Music

Two Finnish musicians describe their country of crazy ideas

Finnish musicians Dalia Stasevska and Lauri Porra are a couple who enjoy breaking musical boundaries.

Life & society Architecture

Helsinki’s renovated Olympic Stadium launches into a new era

The Olympic Stadium was unveiled four years after extensive renovations began. Its 1930s functionalist architecture and design have been meticulously preserved and enhanced with 21st-century technology and facilities (see photo show).

1902

The year Francisco Tárrega composed the waltz that later became the Nokia ringtone

Life & society Animals

Canines contribute to Covid-19 testing at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport

Making an unusual coronavirus test available to passengers at the airport could provide a needed boost to confidence in international travel.

Life & society Language

A next-level Finnish language experience: Discovering dialects

Whether or not you’ve mastered Finnish, dive with us into its different dialects, as deep as you dare. You’ll get a closer look at the essence of the language.

Life & society Nature

Finding the fruits of the Finnish forest

Going out to the woods to collect mushrooms and berries is a natural pastime in Finland – some might even call it a sport.

Life & society Equality

Helsinki proudly displays the colours of the rainbow

Helsinki Pride Week 2020 happens from September 7 to 13 on the streets and online.

Arts & culture Film

Filming the unusual story of Moomin creator Tove Jansson in Helsinki

We speak to director Zaida Bergroth about a film that shows viewers a new side of Finland’s Tove Jansson, the much-loved writer and artist who created the world-famous Moomin stories.

Mellunmäki

The world's northernmost metro station, in Helsinki

things you should and shouldn’t know