Climate
In northern Finland/Lapland you are at the same latitude as in central Greenland
that means further north than Iceland. Here summer is the time of the constantly
shining sun. At the arctic circle the sun shines without interruption from
the 21st to the 23rd of June. At that time the average temperatures vary from
+10°C to +15°, but during the day temperatures can rise up to 30°C.
Autumn starts in the middle of August and the first snowfalls may arrive in
October. The never-ending night (Kaamos) at the arctic circle lasts from the
21st to the 24th of December. The average temperature is around – 10°C
to –15°C but it can also fall below –30°C.
Midnight sun
In places further north than 66.5 degree the sun stands for at least 24 hours
over the horizon in the summer. That means in the summer the sun never sets
in Lapland. This phenomenon is called the midnight sun. The best place to
observe it is at the coast or from hills with a good panorama. When we follow
the track of the sun in the evening we see it setting in a gentle continually
flattening curve. The red sunset spreads but shortly before the sun touches
the horizon it starts to rise again surrounded by the red sky in the morning.
Without a watch you easily lose track of time.
Polar night
The opposite of the midnight sun is the polar night in the winter. From November
to January the sun doesn’t appear above the horizon. The duration of
this phenomenon varies in different areas. It is dark for 24 hours up to a
maximum of 1500 hours per year. But often the snow reflects a beautiful kind
of light, even in the pitch-black night. In the area around Taivalkoski there
is a period of daylight for 3 to 4 hours at this time of the year. The Finns
call this darkness Kaamos.
Northern Lights
In the polar night the Northern Lights are the only natural light. Up to now,
nobody has been able to unravel this phenomenon completely. The Northern Lights
are a nocturnal shining that can only be seen near the poles. Their shapes
vary, sometimes you see them as bundled rays , sometimes as curves or as fluttering
ribbons, now and then they stand motionless in the sky. All the colours of
the spectrum are found but the green colour is predominant. It normally happens
in an average height of 100 km, but Northern Lights have already been seen
in a height of 1000 km. The Northern Lights are caused by the sun. It sends
electrified particles to the earth which are attracted by the magnetic poles.
When these particles hit the atmosphere they ionize and are diverted. As the
biggest part of the aerosphere consits of oxygen the particles mostly shine
green.
Population
Around 5 million people live in Finland. The population density is 15 people
per km2. Since 1923 Finland has got freedom of worship. Today 90.9% of the
population are Lutheran and 1.2% are Greek Orthodox. The 55.000 Orthodox Finns
mainly live in Karelia.
Language
93.3% of the population speak Finnish and 65% Swedish. In Lapland around 1.700
inhabitants still speak a Lapp language. The Finnish as well as the Lapp language
belong to the Finnish-Ugrish language family. All in all this language family
is spoken by around 23 million people. Our trips take place in a mainly Finnish
speaking area. In the meantime a lot of young Finns have good command of English.
If you shouldn’t be able to understand each other just try sign language!
Insurance
We suggest to take out a health insurance document for overseas travel (possibly
including repatriation). We also suggest to take out insurance of annulment.
A special luggage insurance is not necessarily needed.
Import regulations
Prohibited: poison, plants; mammals and birds only under certain conditions,
meat (not tinned food), milk, eggs, sausages, weapons only with a special
authorization
Free: 1 l of schnapps, 1 l of wine, 2 l of beer, 200 cigarettes or 250 g of
tobacco, food up to 15 kg (subject to change)
Borders within Scandinavia cause no problems. For further information see
www.finland-tourism.com.
Money/foreign exchange
The national currency is €. At all Finnish banks exchange of money is
unproblematic. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 16.30. it
is possible to withdraw money from the most cash dispensers with a debit card.
Also credit cards are common and accepted in most hotels and shopping centres.
Prices
The average level of Finland’s prices is a little bit higher than those
of Germany and Austria. Compared to Switzerland prices in Finland are often
more reasonable. Also the offer of fresh products is excellent all over the
country in the meantime.
Time
In Finland Eastern time is valid. Switzerland/Germany/Austria 12.00 hours
= Finland 13.00 hours. Summertime starts at the end of March and ends at the
end of October.
Telephone
The country code for Finland is +358. There is very good mobile phone reception
in most parts of northern Finland. In Finland you have to dial the following
country codes: for Germany 99049, for Switzerland 99041 and for Austria 99043.
Electricity
Alternating current (220V/50Hz) with two-pin plugs. Earthed equipment need
an adapter.
Health/mosquitoes
You don’t have to bother about your health in Finland. The mosquito-season
starts at the end of June and ends at the beginning or in the middle of August.
The quantity of the small creatures depends on the quantity of snow in the
winter, on the humidity of the spring and on the heat of the summer. You get
a lot of tips for effective precautionary measures: some people recommend
light coloured clothes , others swear by garlic. Fearless people reach for
means of the chemical industry (typically the Finnish variation is called
“Off”), and others try to put an end to the bloodsuckers with
electronic buzzers. Our experience shows that the best precautionary measure
is a very simple one. You have to look for a dry and a little bit windy picnic
area. Mosquitoes are found mainly in humid areas!
Criminality
Vandalism is the only visible form of criminality in this generally safe country.
But you should observe the usual precautionary measures in Finland.
