Best "natural landscape" Route to take in Finland in summer?

Best %26quot;natural landscape%26quot; Route to take in Finland in summer?

I%26#39;m not sure if I should explore the interior of Finland on my trip to Scandanavia this summer. I know Finland is a flat country, and I%26#39;m a landscape photographer. I know there are lakes, and forests, but Finland distances are great, and my time in the country is limited to 3-4 weeks, and I want to know Helsinki well. My question is what can I expect to find If I go hitchiking, exploring the heart of Finland?

What route should I take that will lead me back to Umeo, or Stockholm, Sweden (my next destination after Finland)? I%26#39;ve heard the archipelego around Turku is the nicest area of the country. I don%26#39;t have time, resources to go all the way to Lapland, but I heard for example rt. 62 around Pumaala is the nicest area of the country for photography, nature, and untouched wildernesss.

What do you think?

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Koli has been famous (in Finland, anyway) for its striking scenery for well over a century. Check it out with a search on a photo site (Flickr for instance) and you%26#39;ll see why.

Finland is not really flat just because it lacks mountains. Glacial ridges are far more common than flat land.

Actually 3-4 weeks is a fair amount of time, more than most visitors spend here.

For hitching you should do most of your travelling on main roads as it%26#39;s likely to be very slow going anywhere else. This means entering and leaving via Turku.

The Turku Archipelago is strikingly beautiful but I wouldn%26#39;t agree it%26#39;s the most beautiful region in Finland. The waterways and ridges of the lakelands and the wild fells of Lapland have their fans.

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I would not spend too much time in Helsinki. If you got 3-4 weeks, max 1 should be spent in Helsinki.

Definitely you should explore the Lake District, the route you are referring to is The Green Gold Culture Road, finlandexpert.fi/files/343/SuomenMatkailutie… one of the best routes in Finland for scenery.

If you are heading to Sweden, you should take the morning ferry from Turku to Stockholm via Åland, with possibly a 1 to 2 days stop in Åland. This way you%26#39;ll see both the Finnish and Swedish archipelago at their best.

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If you are arriving from Umeå to Vaasa by ferry (or vice versa), you could head to the north less than 100 km and take a look of the coastal road of 7 bridges (the road is about 30 km):

http://www.7siltaa.com/eng/frameset1_eng.php

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Sandia911 just as you have heard, after Lapland, the area around road 62 in Eastern Finland is definitely the most beautiful area of Finland. Gorgeous scenery and beautiful lakes, it does not get more Finnish than that.

The Turku archipelago is beautiful too, but if you have 3-4 weeks, I would definitely recommend renting a car and taking road 62 and visiting the towns there nearby. Visit at least Punkaharju, Puumala, Savonlinna, Imatra and Sulkava while there. In Sulkava, there is a great place for nature photographs called Linnavuori (%26quot;Castle Mountain%26quot;), I recommend a visit. There is a place to grill food there, so take some sausage or other snacks with you. Linnavuori is usually well presented in travel guides, and there are also signs in Sulkava on how to get there.

While taking road 62, it is not even necessary to reserve any lodging, you can also just take lodging on the road. I have done roadtrips like that, and there is always vacancies. Never go to the general camping sites, they are dull and lack personality. Instead choose smaller cabin villages - you can look for these in advance in the internet or on the road (there are signs on the road which show a small cabin, which means lodging available).

In Punkaharju for example, there is a nice horse stable that offers lodging which is way more nice than the general camp site of Punkaharju. Also one place that is a true gem is a place called Sulkavan Oravanpesät (in english %26quot;Sulkava%26#39;s squirrel nest%26quot;) (see http://www.oravanpesat.fi/?q=fi/etusivu) - the page unfortunately is only in Finnish and in Russian. But call them directly. This place is near Sulkava and Linnavuori that I mentioned earlier. They have cabins for rent (and the price is not bad at all), and there is a nice sauna and a river to swim in and they also offer canoes which is really nice). Very charming place, but if you go around the Sulkava Rowing Competition (which is usually the second weekend of July) they are always fully booked.

A week in Eastern Finland is sufficient if you are in a hurry, so you can also consider going to both Eastern Finland and the Turku archipelago. Finland is a small country, so the drives are not long.

Enjoy!

GirlMouse