Lifestyle - thisisFINLAND

Delicacies from the top of the world go down well: northern Finnish recipes

The northernmost part of Finland has its own culinary specialities, including recipes that use unusually flavourful potatoes, delicate orange cloudberries and reindeer meat.

Arts & culture Design

Finnish design company Iittala celebrates 140 years of creating a world in glass

The town of Iittala, 125 kilometres (75 miles) north of Helsinki, has a tradition of glassblowing and design that goes all the way back to 1881. As the Iittala brand celebrates 140 years of creativity, we look at its prominent place in Finnish design.

Life & society Wellbeing

Summer in the city: An open-air pool beckons in the heart of Helsinki

Helsinki Swimming Stadium is an oasis. In a park in the middle of the Finnish capital, you can swim in a heated, Olympic-size outdoor pool or work out at an open-air gym.

85.4%

of Finns live in urban areas

Source: UN World Urbanisation Prospects

Arts & culture Visual arts

Art in the archipelago: Helsinki Biennial reflects global concerns

Exploring identity, interconnectedness and the ecological crisis, the event’s theme and subtitle, “The Same Sea,” is more relevant than ever in a world marked by a pandemic.

Life & society History

Åland marks centenary of autonomy agreement with a year full of events

The 100-year anniversary of a unique and enduring agreement in the Åland Islands is the occasion for a yearlong programme of special events and celebrations.

3.2 million

Amount of saunas in Finland

Source: Finnish Sauna Society

Life & society Family

Finnish society places value on family time and inclusivity

The significance that Finnish people attach to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may reflect something that goes beyond the holidays themselves. It may be indicative of the way Finland, as a society, views and supports parents and families.

Life & society Cuisine

A whole bunch of brunch for May Day: Finland’s festival of spring arrives

May Day, traditionally the wildest party of the year in Finland, starts on April 30 and continues on May 1, when people take to the parks for a picnic brunch. Chef Timo Lepistö provides us with recipes that fit the holiday. Even in times of social distancing, there will be some version of brunch.

Arts & culture Art

Helsinki show spotlights the continual renewal of an age-old Finnish art form

It’s a word that many find difficult to pronounce, but the technique and designs of “ryijy” tapestries hold a special place in Finnish culture. We visit an extensive ryijy exhibition at Kunsthalle Helsinki to see a traditional art form that remains vibrant.

500,400

Number of summer cottages in Finland

Source: Statistics Finland