Main page for the series can be found here: Exploring Finland
Join us Exploring Finland! Here are all the posts.
Suomenlinna, an extraordinary sea fortress, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Finland. It is located on a group of six interconnected islands at the entrance to Helsinki’s harbor. As of 2023, approximately 800 permanent residents live on Suomenlinna. This unique island community offers a captivating blend of military history and picturesque nature. Its geography…
Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland. It is located on the southern coast of the country, on a peninsula that juts into the Gulf of Finland. The Helsinki metropolitan area, which includes the neighboring cities of Espoo and Vantaa, has a population of approximately 1.5 million residents, making it Finland’s largest urban…
Kuopio is a city in Eastern Finland, the capital of the North Savonia region. It is largely surrounded by Lake Kallavesi. This gives it a long shoreline and a distinct character. Kuopio is Finland’s eighth most populous municipality, with about 126,000 residents. It serves as an urban center, combining city life with the extensive surrounding…
Siilinjärvi is a significant locality in Eastern Finland. It serves as the main urban center of the Siilinjärvi municipality. This area sits within the Northern Savonia region and the landscape is rich with lakes and expansive forests. Siilinjärvi is known for its natural setting. It also holds an important role in Finland’s industrial landscape. The…
Mariehamn is the capital of the Åland Islands, an autonomous, demilitarized, and Swedish-speaking region of Finland. The town is located on a narrow peninsula on the main island of the archipelago, Fasta Åland. It is defined by its two harbors, one on the eastern shore and one on the western shore, which has made it…
Pålsböle is a village in Finström Municipality on the Åland Islands. It is the church village of the former Finström Parish. The church is today a part of Finström-Geta Congregation. The village is home to around 120 inhabitants and lies just 4 kilometers west of the commercial center in Godby. A Short History of Pålsböle…
Kajaani is a town in the region of Kainuu in central Finland. The town is also known by its Swedish name Kajana, but is unilingually Finnish speaking. With a population of around 29.400 people, the town is the 23rd largest locality in Finland. It lies along the Kajaani River, a river that flows from Lake…
Raatteen Portti lies to the east of Suomussalmi in Eastern Finland. It is the gateway to Raatteentie, the Raate Road. The road played an important role for Finland during the Winter War. It was from here that the Soviets tried to split Finland in half. Today the road is a museum road and Raatteen Portti…
Suomussalmi is a locality as well as municipality in northern Finland, in the region of Kainuu. The main settlement in the municipality shares its name, but is also known by its former name Ämmänsaari. The population of around 7.000 in the municipality is considered to be unilingually Finnish-speaking. This is a border region, with the border…
The Purasjoki Frontline lies along the Raatteentie, the Raate Road, and it played an important role during the Winter War. Purasjoki is the river here, with trenches and other fortifications. These trenches along the Raatteentie lie just to the east of Suomussalmi and not many kilometers from the current border between Finland and Russia. A…
Pelkosenniemi, or Pelkosenniemen Kirkonkylä as it is also known, is a village in Northern Finland, in the province of Finnish Lapland. It is the seat of the local municipality that shares its name. The municipality has a population of around 950 inhabitants, out of whom around 300 lives in the urban area of Pelkosenniemi Church…
Raate is a small border settlement in Eastern Finland, right at the border with Russia. It lies along the historical road Raatteentie, or Raate Road, to the east of Suomussalmi. The area was made famous for the Battle of Raate Road during the Winter War. There is still a border guard station here and the…