Falling for Finland

Many readers may have stopped briefly in Nordic ports on Baltic cruises, but I decided to spend eleven landlubbing days in Finland recently. 

The timing was based on the November 1st NHL Global Series, but the underlying mission was to explore a new destination, one that was off the beaten path, for the benefit of my clients and looking at the possibility of escorting a group there in the future.

We divided our time among three Finnish locations: Helsinki, the capital; Tampere, Finland's "Home of Hockey"; and Ivalo, in far northern Lapland.

Helsinki is a lovely seaside city that invites the visitor warmly, with a manageable size and friendly locals. Helsinki has been under both Swedish and Russian domination in its history, and eventually declared its independence from Russia in 1917.

The painting below, by Hugo Backmansson, depicts Helsinki's South Harbor area as it was in 1925. It looks astonishingly similar even today, 100 years later, with the red brick market still offering local culinary highlights. This painting was one of many fine works at the beautiful Ateneum, which is the main repository of Finnish art. The city is also home to contemporary and design collections, as well as an excellent symphony concert hall--perfect for hearing music by Finnish favorite son Sibelius.

CAPTIVATING NORDIC DESIGN

A leisurely walk around town will yield all sorts of architectural marvels, from the huge, impressive 2018 central library (below, left, and arguably worth a tour by itself) to elegant neoclassical buildings from the 19th century. But my favorite discoveries were the innumerable design details that characterize the Jugendstil period. Pictured here is a detail from the Pohjola Insurance company building, which draws on local mythological lore. The figures that guard the main train station are another example. The heyday of this style also coincided with the nationalism that led to Finland's independence.

HOME OF HOCKEY

You can hardly visit Finland without appreciating its hockey fanaticism. Its national league has some impressive clubs, and they have produced a steady stream of NHL stars. I highly recommend taking in a local match if you're there during the hockey season. Jokerit is a Helsinki team with a rich history and infectiously fun atmosphere at its games. 

If you find yourself in Tampere, the heart of Finnish hockey culture, make time for the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. The museum's historic collection should be a thrill for any fan of the sport. The photo on the left, below, shows a vintage hockey sweater--when they really were sweaters and the game was played outdoors--along with a little mascot doll that one goalie always placed on top of his net. This temple of hockey is actually part of a complex of several museums (art, natural history, etc) that can all be visited with your one admission ticket.

ADVENTURES IN LAPLAND

Our final stop was in Lapland's Inari region. While Santa Claus apparently lives in Rovaniemi, in the lower reaches of the arctic circle, we chose to base ourselves 300 kilometers farther north. While no one can guarantee much when it comes to Mother Nature, we wanted to increase our odds of seeing the elusive but awe-inspiring aurora borealis by staying in the northern reaches of Finnish Lapland.

OUR COZY ACCOMMODATION

We spent several days at a small resort village, where each cabin has a north-facing view through a roof partly made of heated, insulated glass, so that you can look out at the stars from your bed. The cabins are mostly grouped around a reindeer enclosure, and there are feedings with guest participation each morning (Roope the reindeer is pictured above). Speaking of feeding, breakfast and dinner for guests are also included with room rates, and the food was excellent.

ENJOYING NATURE AND LAPPISH CULTURE

During the day, you have lots of (mainly) outdoorsy activity options, which vary according to the season. Since there were just a few inches of snow on the ground during our visit, our selected options included e-biking, hiking, aurora chasing, a husky safari with a little wagon-like contraption (rather than a sled), and a visit to a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Sami people, Europe's only recognized indigenous group. 

In the winter, those options would have also included cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, reindeer-led sleigh rides, and more. The resort provides all kinds of gear on a complimentary basis to make your stay easier and your packing lighter: snow boots, wool socks, skis, poles, insulated coverall jumpsuits, wool hats, mittens...you name it. (Photo above, right, shows the "safari hut" with all the gear.) 

And if you need to warm up after a day of outdoor pursuits, there are several private saunas available for booking.

(Below: our Alaskan husky dog team, left, and a Sami bear trap, right. Don't ask me to explain how it works!)

THE BUCKET LIST AURORA SIGHTING: CHECK!

Last but not least: the aurora chasing! We spent several hours outside jaunting around the area by van with a few other guests on our first night, which turned out to be the luckiest because the following two nights were rather cloudy. Our guide knew exactly which locations would provide advantageous viewing opportunities. He used his professional-grade camera to capture the vivid images below and shared them with the group. My ancient iPhone did pick up the greens against the dark sky, but to the naked eye the colors are more subtle and pastel-toned. It was unforgettable!

Although the lights can potentially be seen from late August through April, the best time for the aurora is near the spring and autumn equinoxes, and the next couple of years should fit a pattern of higher activity level for the conditions that cause the lights to appear more strongly. I am actively working on the schedule for 2026 trips and hope to include Finland around one of these peak times.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES?

If we do include Finland on the Small Group Trips plan for 2026 (probably Helsinki and Lapland plus Stockholm, Sweden, perhaps?), would you rather go in the fall, when the natural scenery may not be as impressive but the temperatures are milder; or would you prefer the early spring, when the weather would be colder and there would be more of a Winter Wonderland effect with the season's snow still present? Let me know!

SMALL GROUP TRIP UPDATES

While some Mon Voyage trips are sold out, there is availability for the following:

Gems of Southeast Europe: Luxurious late June 2025 river cruise aboard the AmaMagna. We'll visit countries that spent many decades behind the Iron Curtain, a change of pace from some of the more typical river cruise itineraries. This cruise will surely be both enlightening and educational, in addition to being relaxing and indulgent. Read more here.

One week in Hungarian wine country and Budapest: Reservations for this specially curated land tour in early July 2025 are very limited. Discover all the wine you never knew you loved as we explore some very colorful Hungarian history and culture. Cap it off with an art nouveau tour of Budapest and a visit to the the INSIDE of the neo-Gothic Parliament building. See the brochure here.

You are welcome to participate in either the cruise or the Hungary tour, or both together.

FRANCE: Rhône Roaming and Ravishing Riviera Again, this is a paired trip with a week on the Rhône River aboard the luxurious Riverside Ravel and/or a week exploring the French Riviera, based in Nice. Read more here on this gorgeous late August 2025 tour, and join us for one segment or both. Minimums must be reached by January 31st or this trip will be tabled.

SOUTH AMERICA: Wonders of Colombia WOW! The Wall Street Journal featured this brand new AmaWaterways itinerary prominently in its 2025 Travel hot list--and now there is ONE CABIN LEFT (a junior suite) on our date in January 2026. Contact me immediately to join the group. Take a look at this cruise here.