68 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Finland - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Finland

Saariselkä, Finland

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Rent out a glass igloo to watch the Northern Lights like you live in the future.

Helsinki, Finland

Temppeliaukio Church

A subterranean house of worship carved right out of the bedrock.

Kemi Snow Castle

The fantastical icy castle is built anew every winter.

Helsinki, Finland

The National Library of Finland

Architecturally stunning library serves as the hub of Finnish scholarly life and culture.

Ruokolahti, Finland

Kummakivi Balancing Rock

Legend has this precariously placed rock was placed by giants. Science has another explanation.

Helsinki, Finland

Kamppi Chapel

An alien church provides much needed silence in the midst of a Finland shopping center.

Helsinki, Finland

Götan Maailma

A lovingly curated curio shop in which the taxidermy wear newspaper party hats, and peanut shells are spread across every surface.

Suomussalmi, Finland

The Silent People

Menacing or in memoriam, the Silent People and their meaning are left to interpretation.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Finland

Sirkka, Finland

HaliPuu's Campfire Barista

In the Hugging Tree Forest, lingonberry marshmallows, hot chocolates, and the best campfire lattes north of the Arctic Circle come to you.

Kuopio, Finland

Puijo Tower

A 246-foot-high revolving restaurant rises unexpectedly from a forested Finnish hilltop.

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Stories About Finland

The Glanville fritillary is common throughout most of Europe and parts of northern Africa.

These Butterflies Full of Wasps Full of Microwasps Are a Science Nightmare

Accidentally released on a Finnish island 30 years ago, the parasites are spreading.

by Patrick Barkham

October 11, 2021

The endangered Saimaa ringed seal has adapted over time to both fresh water and the presence of humans.

The Uncertain Future of Finland's Rare Freshwater Seals

The animals face threats from climate change, fishing, and a tourism boom, but their biggest advocate remains hopeful.

by Michael Hunt

The Itäkeskus swimming hall doubles as an emergency shelter beneath Helsinki.

How Cold War Fears Helped Create Helsinki's Subterranean Paradise

The Finnish capital's city-within-a-city has a church, a hockey rink, and stockpiles of life-saving supplies.

by Michael Hunt

The newly described auroral dunes are visible on the left, next to the more common curtain-like forms.

How Finnish Skywatchers Discovered a Strange New Aurora

The mysterious phenomenon resembles green sand dunes in the sky.

by Sabrina Imbler

January 31, 2020

Bright night skies—like this scene in Helsinki, Finland—can be exacerbated by snow.

'Snowglow' Sounds Charming, But It's a Menace to Night Skies

Fresh powder can worsen light pollution, according to new research from Germany.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 13, 2019

Bear soup.

Living Off the Land in the Arctic Circle

In Lapland, chefs and residents hunt and gather to make bear soup, lingonberry syrup, and reindeer.

October 19, 2018

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