| Finland is a country of extreme contrasts - icy | | | | where there is a bar, a restaurant and a chapel made |
| winters and golden summers, and vibrant | | | | out of snow where you can have or see a truly |
| cosmopolitan cities mixed with vast areas of remote | | | | unique wedding. There is also a snow village in Yllas |
| wilderness. You are sure to enjoy these when you | | | | where you will see many astonishing ice sculptures. |
| visit Finland, along with the following. | | | | Saunas |
| The Christmas Country | | | | There are approximately 1.8 million saunas in Finland |
| Christmas is the most festive time of the year for | | | | so make sure you try out at least one when you |
| the Finns, filled with unique and heartwarming | | | | visit Finland. Indeed, the Finns love the sauna. In fact, |
| traditions, which is why it is a great time to visit | | | | the word sauna itself is a word from the Finnish |
| Finland. Get to see the St. Lucia Festival in Helsinki, | | | | language - the only one to be included in the |
| which is one of the country's pre-Christmas | | | | dictionary. Some saunas use electricity while others - |
| celebrations, especially for the Swedish-speaking | | | | roughly 500 - are traditional smoke or wood-burning |
| Finns, and while there, grab the chance to skate at | | | | saunas, which are usually located beside the lake. |
| the city's popular ice rink or shop for crafts and | | | | Popular saunas include the smoke sauna at Hotel |
| delicacies at the St. Thomas Christmas Market. You | | | | Kakslauttanen - the largest in the world with a |
| can visit a graveyard in Helsinki, too, which is filled | | | | capacity of up to 70 people - and the newly opened |
| with candles on Christmas Eve or spend a traditional | | | | Sauna Gondola in Yllas. |
| Christmas Eve dinner with a Finnish family. | | | | Wildlife Watching |
| The best part about spending Christmas in Finland, | | | | Finland is home to an amazing diversity of Finland, |
| though, is that you get to see Santa Claus - for real! | | | | although it is most known for its large population of |
| Drop by the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi and get | | | | European brown bears and wolverines, which you can |
| to meet the man in the red suit himself in his office, | | | | get to see if you visit Finland. Indeed, there are |
| as well as his herd of reindeer and little helpers. You | | | | many wildlife watching tours you can take during |
| don't have to wait until the Christmas season to do | | | | your stay so you can observe rare wild animals in |
| this, though, since the Santa Claus Village is open all | | | | their natural environment without fearing for your life. |
| year. | | | | It is also easy to spot reindeer and different birds |
| Snow Castles and Igloos | | | | such as the elegant whooper swan - Finland's national |
| Have you ever wondered what it's like to sleep in an | | | | bird. |
| igloo? Put an end to your curiosity and spend the | | | | Outdoor Adventures |
| night in one in Finland, such as one of the the | | | | Aside from wildlife watching, there are many exciting |
| Harriniva Igloos, where you can sleep on a double | | | | activities to keep you occupied if you visit Finland |
| bed made of snow under a blanket made of reindeer | | | | during the summer, such as hiking and cycling in its |
| skin. Spending the night in the Kakslauttanen Igloos is | | | | stunning nature parks, horseback riding, playing golf, |
| recommended for couples since most are built for | | | | sailing, kayaking and rafting. In winter, these activities |
| two. There is even one with a clear roof so you can | | | | are replaced with skating, skiing, snowboarding, fishing |
| gaze up at the Arctic skies - or even the Northern | | | | and reindeer or dog sledding, which means you will |
| Lights - while wrapped up in each other's arms. | | | | certainly have a lot to enjoy no matter what time of |
| There are also entire complexes made out of snow | | | | the year you come visit. |
| in Finland during winter like the snow castle in Kemi | | | | |