thisisFINLAND

Rockers favour Finnish guitars with soul

We meet Finnish luthier Kari Nieminen, whose guitars are in the hands of the Rolling Stones, The Who, ZZ Top and The Rasmus.

Arts & culture Design

Sounds of silence resound in Helsinki

Helsinki’s wooden Chapel of Silence, designed to promote wellbeing, quietly attracts attention in the middle of the city.

Arts & culture Literature

A life that began in Finland

The exciting, moving memoir of a Finnish Canadian forms a great story that goes from post-war Helsinki to western Canada.

Arts & culture Design

Finnish design makes new waves abroad

We talk to a couple of the numerous Finnish designers currently making a name for themselves around the world.

Life & society Sports

Watching Rudolph run in Finnish Lapland

This sport is not for the faint-hearted: Racing along on skis, pulled by reindeer over a frozen lake in Finnish Lapland.

Life & society Slideshows

Winter lifeline spans Helsinki Harbour

Suomenlinna, the historic island fortress outside Helsinki, depends on a ferry link – even when the sea freezes (slideshow).

Business & innovation Technology

Finns defend data-security frontiers

A nightmarish case made two Finns realise the need to secure data. Their company and others in Finland continue to innovate.

Life & society Society

Living as a Finn in Finland

For Finland’s Equality Day (Mar 19) in honour of social activist Minna Canth, we look at the accomplishments of Nasima Razmyar.

Life & society Society

Finland reads

Books are close to the Finns’ hearts. On average, every Finn buys four books and borrows a dozen from the library each year.

Business & innovation Technology

Finnish innovations enrich auto industry

Wooden cars, interactive dashboards displays, systems to detect slick roads: Finland develops innovative auto solutions.

Life & society Sports

Ski border to border in northern Finland

Every March in Border to Border, participants ski more than 440 kilometres (273 miles) across northern Finland in an annual, multiday journey open to all.

Arts & culture Music

Finland’s national instrument gets louder

Finnish Culture Day (Feb 28): The national instrument, the kantele, gets louder and even a bit angry (yes, as in birds).

Arts & culture Film

Finnish Oscar nominee shows comical life

Meet the woman who wrote Finland’s Oscar-nominated short film and find out what inspired her.

Arts & culture Music

Intrepid Finnish bands mix music and fun

Hear how three high-energy Helsinki bands fearlessly mix musical styles for fun: Mopo, Dalindèo and Ricky-Tick Big Band.

Life & society Education

Finnish teachers venture out on exchange

We meet teachers from Finland, famous for its education system, who go abroad to expand their horizons, just as students do.

Business & innovation Economy

Social entrepreneurship rising in Finland

Social entrepreneurship is on the rise in Finland as thousands of companies in the environment, health and culture sectors are making their mark.