Suomalainen luonto

Finnish nature is exceptionally beautiful and untouched on a European scale. Of the country's land area, more than 70 percent is forest, which is the largest share in Europe. In addition, Finland has over 180,000 lakes, from which the nickname "Land of a Thousand Lakes" comes. This natural wealth shapes Finnish identity and leisure habits profoundly.

A special feature in Finnish nature is "everyman's right" (jokamiehenoikeus). This law permits anyone — citizen or tourist — to move freely in nature, pick berries and mushrooms, fish with a rod, camp for one night. This isn't a self-evident thing in the world. In many countries forests and shores are private property to which there is no access. In Finland nature belongs to everyone, even though the land may be in private ownership.

What do Finns do in nature? First it's worth mentioning berry picking. In summers the forests fill with people with buckets in their hands. They pick blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries and at the end of summer cloudberries. The berries are kept in the freezer or made into jam. From them you get vitamins for the whole winter.

Mushrooming is another popular hobby. There are hundreds of mushroom species in Finland, and households typically pick chanterelles, porcinis and funnel chanterelles. Mushrooming, however, requires knowledge, as there are also poisonous mushrooms. Beginners must go with an experienced person.

Fishing is a traditional way to obtain food, and it's also a hobby. In Finland angling is free and permitted for everyone. For trolling and netting a permit is needed. The most common catches are perch, pike, zander, burbot, and in summer also salmon. My wife's grandfather, who lived a fisherman's life in Finland, taught me the basics. This has been one of the most beautiful shared moments in my new country.

Hiking is more and more popular, especially in summer. Finland has about 40 national parks offering excellent surroundings for hiking. The favorite destination of southern Finns is Nuuksio, only half an hour from Helsinki. In Lapland Pallas-Ylläs and Kilpisjärvi attract fell hikers. Routes range from short day walks to multi-week expeditions.

In winter nature gets a completely different face. Snow covers the ground, lakes freeze over, and daylight shortens — in northernmost Lapland the sun doesn't rise for several weeks. This polar night, called kaamos, is an unknown experience to most people from other countries. The first month of kaamos has been the psychologically hardest moment in Finland for me.

But there is also magic in kaamos. The darkness is brightened by the northern lights, which farther north can be seen almost every clear night. I have seen the northern lights once, when we were in Lapland. Green, violet and red light dances in the sky. Words can't describe it. It can only be experienced.

Cross-country skiing is the winter national hobby. Finns ski from small childhood. Cross-country in particular is almost a national sport. Every municipality has ski trails. On a winter evening when there's snow on the ground, people go skiing after the workday. Those with time ski tens of kilometres per week.

Ice swimming is perhaps the most exotic winter hobby. A hole is cut in the ice and people go swimming. The water is one degree to zero. The jump is short — just a couple of seconds — but the experience is powerful. The first time I was very afraid, but after a minute I was hooked.

Finnish nature teaches humility. It is greater than a human being. But it is also present, accessible, near. A city dweller can in half an hour be in the forest alone. This is the Finns' greatest advantage in the world. Even if everything around were to change, the forest remains, the lake remains, the rhythm of the seasons remains. Finland remains in nature.