The happiest country in the world

Words by Louise Longman

Hendrik Morkel / Unsplash

Finland is a land defined by nature and the stark contrasts of its seasons. It’s the ‘land of a thousand lakes’, the Midnight Sun and the Aurora Borealis. It’s envied the world over for its pure air, pristine wilderness and leading Nordic design.

isit Finland in summer and you’ll enjoy almost two full months of glorious Midnight Sun, where long days can be spent in fresh boreal forests beside tranquil lakes. Head to Finland in winter and you’ll find a country transformed into a festive wonderland, where the sea freezes and vast areas are covered in a blanket of dazzling snow.

After a dark, snowbound winter, the Finns are rewarded every year with the long, light days of summer. Venture north of the Arctic Circle and the sun doesn’t set at all from May to August, while further south the sun can be visible nearly around the clock during June and July.

A nocturnal swim and sauna are a definite must under the Midnight Sun, which takes on a reddish- yellow colour and everything is bathed in a warm, bright light. Lakes and sea waters warm up from June onwards. Summer is an amazing time to go hiking, camping and canoeing in Finland in wilderness areas further north like the reindeer-bobbled fells of Urho Kekkonen National Park in Northern Lapland, above the Arctic Circle.

Join the Finns in summer and travel north to the lakes where many own log cabins in the middle of nowhere. There are vast national parks of pine forests and placid bodies of water that earned the country its nickname ‘land of the 1,000 lakes’ – there are actually 187,888 lakes in Finland.

Aland Archipelago is the sunniest spot in northern Europe and its sweeping white-sand beaches and flat, scenic cycling routes attract holidaymakers during summer. Outside the lively capital Mariehamn, a sleepy haze hangs over the islands’ tiny villages. And it’s surprisingly easy to find your own remote beach among the 6,500 skerries (rocky islets).

The climax of the summer months is juhannus – the summer solstice celebration held at the end of June, when families come together for picnics and dancing around bonfires, a long-standing tradition believed to keep evil spirits away.

In September forests start to turn gold and crimson and reindeer begin to rut and as snow arrives in October, a hush falls over the country. But with winter comes a festivity and sparkle that is hard to rival.

As the days get shorter, Finland transforms into a Narnia-inspired landscape with dogsledding, snowmobiling, skiing and magical overnight stays in ice hotels.

Get lucky in Lapland and you’ll see Finland’s spectacular light show – the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights – with October, November and March statistically the best months. The Northern Lights can be seen from the country’s Arctic Lapland province, the largest and northernmost region of Finland bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia and the Baltic Sea.

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This vast area is known for its subarctic wilderness, ski resorts and natural phenomena including the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. The region’s capital, Rovaniemi, isn’t just the home of Father Christmas, but it’s also the gateway to Lapland, homeland of the indigenous Sami people.

In addition to its stunning natural beauty, Finland is overflowing with great Nordic design, good food that promotes its edible riches, and interesting museums in striking buildings. Said to be one of the world’s most liveable cities, Helsinki should be included on any trip to Finland.

The walkable capital of Finland has restaurants of all styles and ethnic origins and proudly promotes its seasonal produce, which can range from forest mushrooms and foraged herbs to game, freshwater fish and dark breads.

There are three iconic Finnish design stores that style aficionados will love: Artek, a Finnish furniture company famous for its bent-wood chairs; 140-year-old Finnish glassware, tableware and interiors brand Iittala; and Marimeko, a Finnish textiles, clothing and home furnishings brand founded in Helsinki in 1951. The city’s Töölönlahti area has one of the largest selections of iconic architecture including modernist Finlandia Hall, design by celebrated Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. This white marble-clad concert and conference building is impressive down to the smallest details. Right next to Finlandia Hall is the Parliament House, a sturdy and classic symbol of Finnish democracy.

Steps away from Parliament House are the Oodi Library, Musiikkitalo Concert Hall and Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma – all of which are icons of modern Finnish architecture. And a short walk to the other side of Töölönlahti brings you to the Olympic Stadium, built in 1938. For fans of functionalist architecture of the early 20th century, this building is one of the most striking Olympic stadiums in the world, and is the largest stadium in the country.

And no trip to Finland would be complete without a trip to the sauna. In Finland the sauna isn’t a luxury, it’s a way of life. Stripping naked, roasting in a sauna heated to 80°C, beating yourself with a circulation- boosting birch whisk - a vasta or vihta - and then diving into an avanto or ice hole is the idea of fun to the people of Finland.

There are around 3 million saunas in Finland – a country with a population of just 5.5 million. Saunas are where Finns socialise, do business, rest, meditate and cleanse. Learning the art of sauna-going offers a window into the country’s soul.