Arctic - thisisFINLAND

Autumn brings a festival of colour to Finnish Lapland’s fells

The autumn colours come early in Lapland, in the far north of Finland.

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 Culture

In the far north, Siida shows a Sámi view of how nature and culture go together

Hundreds of kilometres above the Arctic Circle, the Siida Sámi Museum and Nature Centre portrays the culture of the Indigenous Sámi people and the diversity of the region’s flora and fauna.

200

Number of nights the Northern Lights are visible in Finnish Lapland in a typical year

Arts & culture Film

In northern Finland, three unconventional Sámi artists talk about culture and craft

A documentary directed by Auri Ahola traces the career trajectories of three unusual Sámi artists as they discuss their connections to Sámi culture and the landscape of the far north. The film is embedded in our article for you to watch.

Business & innovation Universities

At a university in northern Finland, international cooperation thrives

You never know who you’ll bump into at the Arctic Centre in the city of Rovaniemi. Each of the researchers and students has their own story of how they found their way to northern Finland.

Days of midnight sun in northern Lapland

Life & society Winter

Icy resolve: Creating the world’s widest ice carousel on a Finnish lake

Janne Käpylehto’s newest project – making the largest ice carousel in the world – amounts to a masterclass in sisu, the untranslatable Finnish word that signifies courage and endurance. And we’ve got it on video.

Life & society Travel

In the northern Finnish wilderness, home is where the hut is

While exploring Finland’s outback, hikers, cyclists, skiers and snowshoers can find shelter in a remarkable network of basic trailside accommodations, a tradition that stretches back centuries.

Life & society Nature

North of the Arctic Circle, Finland’s 41st national park helps preserve wilderness and natural splendour

With a vast landscape of peaks, lakes, forests, ridges and gorges, Salla National Park offers visitors summer and winter activities ranging from hiking and biking to skiing and snowshoeing. It’s also easy to find peace and quiet.

Life & society Environment

Peatland restoration strengthens Finland’s biodiversity

Increased government funding is good news for efforts to restore some of the country’s most widespread and important natural habitats. Put on your boots and step with us into the swamps of the Finnish countryside (article includes slideshow).