Finnish Lapland If someone had told me that a diehard sun worshipper like me would participate in a winter adventure trip to Finnish Lapland not once but twice, I would have told him he was out of his mind. But there’s a reason I returned a second time: I was … Read more
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen … actually, you probably don’t, but the Sami people do, since their livelihood is reindeer herding. The Sami are the Arctic indigenes of Lapland in northern Finland. You can be immersed in the culture of these fascinating people with a tour … Read more
World Village Festival Hearing the words “world” and “festival” together, I immediately think of people joining hands around a massive bonfire and singing songs about world peace. Finland’s World Village Festival, however, is way more than that (minus the bonfire). If Memorial Day comes around and you have no plans … Read more
Granted, the terms love and anarchy don’t usually go together. In fact, we tend to think of them as polar opposites (unless you love anarchy, in which case, sorry for the assumption). But when there’s a festival that screens such a wide variety of films as the Helsinki International … Read more
It’s that time of year again where love and romance reign supreme. Valentine’s Day is the ideal day for a struggling couple to put aside their differences, or for a happy twosome to fall even more deeply in love. It’s almost impossible for anyone to argue – celebrity or … Read more
Restaurant Spis From restaurateurs Antero Aurivuo, Jaakko Kinnunen and Jani Kinanen and the Swedish word for ‘fireplace’ comes Spis, a grand Helsinki bow to its Nordic roots. Blending design, music, and fashion with traditional cuisine, Spis invites more than just foodies to its tables. The tiny 18-seat café, which … Read more
Only one travel experience includes the phrases “Santa Claus” and “snowmobiling” in the same sentence. On the Arctic Circle Impressions tour offered by Scantours, tourists can first revel in Lapland’s wintry wonderland, then head to Helsinki where they can treat themselves to fine dining and city sightseeing. First stop … Read more
It was June and we were celebrating Midnight Sun, so spirits were high as we boarded the Helsinki flight. I’d already been won over by the boarding passes with all over background images of nature scenes and the Finns in their natural environment, a key element in a trip … Read more
With all of the natural beauty of Northern Europe and none of the ravaging or pillaging, Borton Overseas’ Viking Line offers the grandeur of a cruise ship and the excitement of a Scandinavian vacation. The Viking Line sails daily between Finland, Sweden and Estonia and functions either as a … Read more
Ancient 13th century Finnish royalty knew how to travel – scenic routes, luxurious accommodations, and a host of dutiful servants. Today, people are following in their footsteps by making excursions along the same ancient travel route which ran between Scandinavia and Russia, aptly deemed the King’s Road. As one … Read more
The Land of a Thousand Lakes Imagine a medieval landscape from a scene in Shrek. Imagine yourself in castles, fortresses and manors. Think of winding roads and quaint, quiet villages with a backdrop of ridges, forests and crystal blue lakes. Sounds like a fairytale, right? Wrong. This is ScanAm’s Self-Drive … Read more
Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the center of Helsinki.
Travel Squire goes to Northern Finland to greet a Sami and see some reindeers.
Let’s face it; no one enjoys the logistical barriers that bog down vacations; who really wants to spend time waiting in line for a visa? With the increasingly popular visa-free cruises from Five Stars of Scandinavia Inc., that inconvenience can be easily avoided. Traveling between the exciting cities of Helsinki … Read more
You’re speeding by frozen lakes, snowcapped mountains and frosty evergreen forests on your journey to the White City of the North- if your thoughts immediately jumped to Game of Thrones, a) you would be mistaken, and b) consider yourself a total nerd. Fortunately, there’s a better way to traverse the … Read more