Finland’s northern location makes for stark contrasts between the seasons. Summer doesn’t creep up on you here – you really notice the days getting longer. The further north you go, the more sun you’ll see.
As midsummer approaches, the sun sets later and rises earlier. Each day is longer than the last. The opportunities are endless: people spend more and more time outside, walking in the countryside, taking picnics in city parks, canoeing on lakes or playing golf.
Up in the Arctic Circle and in Lapland, the sun does not even set, and the northernmost places in Finland won’t see night time for two months or more around midsummer. Further south, the sun dips below the horizon but quickly pops back up, so the sky never has time to get properly dark. It is a unique experience to be in the peaceful surrounds of night time with the sun still shining on you, seeing the morning mist gathering over a lake before night has even fallen.
The festival of midsummer is a national celebration, with different traditions in different parts of the country. Head to Holiday Club Saariselkä in Lapland on the third weekend in June, and you can experience a traditional midsummer bonfire and midsummer dance. The spa will accommodate guests for a midsummer sauna and if you are staying at one of the Villas or apartments, you can grill sausages on your veranda.
