Why Finland is so hot these days

Hot, in a “cool” kinda sense, as in: why are Helsinki and Finland such popular destinations for travellers?

When I moved to Helsinki in 2010, most people were quite surprised and they didn’t really have anything in mind when hearing about Helsinki. Most people didn’t really have an image in their minds when they hear about Finland, except for maybe saunas and cold winters. This has vastly changed over the years, nowadays people ask me what made me stay here, but they aren’t surprised that I did. The same goes for visitors – Helsinki is known for being the edgy Nordic secret destination, in almost any season. Whenever I had people visit me, they were surprised by what the city had to offer, and I never really had trouble convincing anyone to go on a trip up here. What has changed, what catches peoples eye and what makes Finland so appealing?

Hear me out – I know that the chilly Northern temperatures are not exactly what most people are looking for and the frosty, dark winters scare many away as well. But look at it from the other side: whereas this year pretty much all of Europe was suffering from a severe heatwave,  droughts and water shortages; the Finnish summer was gracing us with mild temperatures, nightless nights and cool, crystal clear lakes.

Same goes for the winter, while central Europe complains about muddy grey, slushy winters that are more like an endless autumn, Finland will take your breath away with white forests, magical Northern Lights and a true winter experience that you most certainly won’t find in most countries. There is still a real winter here, so make use of it while you can. Want to become a husky guide or an Aurora spotter? These jobs exist here too. Read more about these opportunities here.