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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Finland

77 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Finland

Updated November 15, 2022

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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.

Helsinki, Finland

The National Library of Finland

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

Kemi, Finland

Kemi Snow Castle

This fantastical icy castle is built anew every winter.

Ruokolahti, Finland

Kummakivi Balancing Rock

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

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.

Helsinki, Finland

Bad Bad Boy

This endearingly discomfited urinating statue commemorates the sneaky pees had by us all.

See All 77 Things To Do in Finland

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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Statues 9 Sculptures 7 Art 6 Sacred Spaces 6 Architectural Oddities 6 Churches 6 History & Culture 6 Geology 6 Abandoned 5 Museums And Collections 5 Outsider Art 5 Arctic Circle 5 Unique Restaurants & Bars 3 Places To Stay 2

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wants to go to Pukkisaari
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wants to go to Lapinlahti Hospital
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wants to go to Lyhdynkantajat (The Lantern Bearers)
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wants to go to Lonna Island

Stories About Finland

Podcast: Luomus Spiders

The tale of a Scandinavian museum's 50-year infestation with Chilean recluse spiders.

by The Podcast Team

October 26, 2022

The Curse of the Viking Sally, the Baltic’s Most Ill-Starred Ship

The one-time floating pleasure palace left a legacy of murder and maritime disaster in its wake.

by Michael Hunt

October 6, 2022

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 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

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

How Finnish Skywatchers Discovered a Strange New Aurora

The mysterious phenomenon resembles green sand dunes in the sky.

by Sabrina Imbler

January 31, 2020

'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

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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