Most naturally beautiful part of Finland

Most naturally beautiful part of Finland

What is the most naturally beautiful part of Finland, (region?, county?, area?). I have 3 weeks to explore Southern, Eastern, and Western Finland (south of Oulu). Where do your recommend. My starting point is Helsinki, and my ending point is Turku (to catch a boat to Stockholm). This trip will take place in September, with IMPORTANT FOCUS on AUTUMN COLOURS.

I want to see the most colourful leaf changes in natural parts of Finland%26#39;s forests, and I need to arrive at the peak of autumn colour season in Southern Finland. When would that be?

I%26#39;ve heard Koli National Park is the best?

Thanks

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Now THAT%26#39;s a tough one. The question of beauty is highly subjective, and to cap it all, you want us to predict the turn of the seasons.

Still, never let it be said I%26#39;ve turned down a challenge. Many will tell you the lakelands (1), with their glacier-carved ridges winding between island-studded lakes, are the most exquisite part of this country. Good bases for this area include Kuopio and Savonlinna. The downside is that they are best viewed from a summer cottage or from a lake cruise ship, and the season for both is over in September.

Another candidate is the coastal islands (2), which extend practically along the entire coast but are at their densest in the Turku Archipelago and Åland. Ferry services to these areas are year-round, so you will be able to visit many areas in September.

Finally there is Lapland (3), famed for its austere scenery of rugged fells and harsh remoteness.

From the perspective of autumn colours (which you strongly emphasise in your question). 1 and 3 are your best bet. Autumn naturally comes to Lapland earlier than the southern regions, but I would not like to hazard a guess as to where and when the colours will be at their height. If possible, you should leave your detailed planning to a later date. There is little competition for accommodation outside the main cities at that time of year.

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Will you be travelling by public transportation or will you have a car?

Here%26#39;s one suggested Itinerary:

Helsinki - Lakeland (Lappeenranta/Savonlinna/Kuopio) - Kajaani - Kuusamo - Rovaniemi - Oulu - Vaasa - Turku.

This can be done both by public tranportation (trains %26amp; buses) as well as by a car.

Helsinki - Kuopio (or other localities in the lakeland) or reachable by train. From Kuopio you can continue by train to Kajaani and continue from there by a bus to Kuusamo and Rovaniemi from where you can again hop on train down to Oulu. From Oulu you can take a train or bus to Turku (different routes). However, the Oulu - Turku leg is more beautiful if you drive it by a car as then you can take the smaller coastal roads (from the main road 8 you can%26#39;t see the sea).

Suggested driving itineraries you can check also on Finnish Tourist Board%26#39;s website: http://www.visitfinland.com/w5/index.nsf/(pages)/Touring

You can e.g. combine parts of the routes Cultural Lakeland Tour, Via Karelia, Midnight Sun Tour of Lapland and the Idyllic Wooden Towns of the West Coast.

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%26quot;This trip will take place in September, with IMPORTANT FOCUS on AUTUMN COLOURS.%26quot;

Koli is fine, (as is the Lake Saimaa region as well and much more easier to access) for beautiful lake scenery. HOWEVER these parts of Finland grow mostly evergreen pine forests, so there%26#39;s nothing much to see about autumn colors. And in September our birches in Southern Finland as still green.

For Autumn colors I suggest you go to Lapland as far north as feasible, preferably further north than Kolari (train) or Kittilä (airport). Saariselkä would be fine and easily accessible by plane. The best time there is usually the second week of September.

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Regarding the timing: In the northernmost Lapland autumn colours are at their best usually in the second week of September, in Oulu Province in the third - fourth week of September (in the eastern part earlier than in the coastal regions). In the southern coast of Finland the autumn colours (in Finnish %26quot;ruska%26quot;, russet) can be seen in the change of September to October. The first signs of ruska can be seen already 2 -3 weeks before the peak time, i.e. in Lapland alreay in the end of August and even in the Southern Finland in early September.

However, many things, such as rains or draught of summer, mycoses etc. affect the brightness of autumn colours. The beginning of it is regulated mostly by the (decreasing) length of daylight and declining temperatures. Therefore the start of the autumn colours does not differ very much but the brightness of them vary from year to year.

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Thanks for that, i will have no choice but to hope for autumn colours in Lakeland.

Lappland is not an option, too far, and I don%26#39;t have a car, I will be hitchiking, and couchsurfing tooo.

The lakes near the Russian border look amazing on Google Maps.

I will beging in Helsinki Sept 1, and finish in Turku in late September.

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Hitchiking in Lapland is not a very good idea, either. Distances are vast and at times there may be very very little traffic between the localities, so you might end up walking ;-) . The same risk is involved with hitchiking in the other %26quot;touristic areas%26quot;, too as you will be travelling way past the peak holiday season.

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Finland is not a great country for hitchhiking. I did a lot of it years ago, when it was more in fashion, and it%26#39;s gotten worse since. You hardly ever see people hitching any more and there are good reasons for that.

September is not a good month for spending hours by the roadside waiting for a ride. I suggest you check out train and bus links as a plan B.

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%26quot;I will be hitchiking%26quot;

Good luck! I%26#39;ve driven a few thousand kilometers on the main roads of Finland this summer and haven%26#39;t seen a single hitchiker. So it seems not to be too popular.

The cost to travel near Russian border to Lappeenranta or Imatra is some 50€ if you take the bus from Helsinki airport to Tikkurila railway station and the train to either one of these towns. Takes like 3 hours.