thisisFINLAND

Becoming Alan Wake: The Finnish face of a world-famous video game

When Ilkka Villi arrives at the office in the morning, he promptly suits up in a full-body spandex outfit and gets to work pretending to be an action hero.

Arts & culture Festivals

Pop, rap, techno and yoik: Festival in the far north of Finland spotlights Sámi music, culture and languages

The annual festival Ijahis Idja (Nightless Night) in the very northern town of Inari showcases modern and traditional music by Sámi Indigenous people. We talk with several performers about their music and heritage.

Arts & culture Technology

Finnish university project seeks to understand video game culture

With the increasing popularity and impact of video games on today’s cultural landscape comes the need to study and analyse them, too.

#3 passport

Finns can travel visa-free to 175 countries (14 other countries share this honour)

Source: Passport Index

Arts & culture Cuisine

Food first: Finnish festival cuisine emphasises sustainability and artisanal touches

The recipe for the perfect bite? Sustainable, local ingredients turned into world-class artisanal dishes, served with a smile in a laid-back festival setting.

Life & society Quality of life

My happy place in Finland

Four expats in Finland tell their stories and reveal how living there contributes to the way they view and experience happiness.

Life & society Nature

Spending an idyllic week in a Finnish national park, on a shepherding holiday

In several of Finland’s national parks, grazing sheep and cows help maintain traditional landscapes. Holiday-goers can enjoy a week surrounded by natural beauty while looking after the animals.

Arts & culture Webpick

Adventure of a lifetime: Director Charlie McDowell films Finnish author Tove Jansson’s Summer Book

When American director Charlie McDowell set out to adapt Tove Jansson’s Summer Book in Finland’s archipelago, both he and the legendary actress Glenn Close found themselves profoundly affected by the untouched nature.

Arts & culture Finnishness

Visit a scenic Finnish lake essential to the country’s cultural legacy

The shores of one picturesque lake were home to a community of Finland’s most significant artists in the early 1900s – a cultural powerhouse whose legacy and influence is still vibrantly alive.

December 24

Santa Claus arrives with the presents on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day

things you should and shouldn’t know