Ten Things That Will Shock You About Finland Travel
Greetings from Turku, Finland! I was an exchange student here in high school, and really love this city. Today, we’re sharing the ten things that often shock tourists about Finland culture and Finland travel.
Finland Travel Shock #1 Finnish Sauna Experience
Yes, the Finns get naked when they go to the sauna. (Pronounced sow-na, not saw-na) If you haven’t experienced a sauna, it’s the small room with hot stones that you pour water on to create steam. Saunas are very popular in Finland, and people even have them in their homes. It’s one of those things you have to do when you visit Finland. What usually shocks tourists about the sauna experience is that you go in the nude.
Finland Travel Shock #2 Finns Can Speak While Inhaling Air
For me, this is shocking and disturbing. Finns can talk while inhaling. This usually happens during a positive, or affirmative answer, like yes, or yeah. The sound is made while breathing in, which is very unique.
Finland Travel Shock #3 How Much the Finns Love Nature
It’s not just au natural in the sauna; Finns really love nature. It’s a very clean, pristine country. Finns really get out and enjoy nature. Many Finns keep a weekend house on a lake or in the woods. Mushroom hunting isn’t just for old people in Finland. You’ll really get a sense of nature around you in Finland, starting with the clean air.
Finland Travel Shock #4 How Much the Finns Enjoy Silence
The Finns love to contemplate life in silence. The trains are eerily quiet, and the only sounds we heard were our kids and a group of Americans. Even around town, just walking about, you’ll notice it’s very quiet. Don’t mistake this for an aversion to conversation, as Finns are very easy to talk to and knowledgeable about current events and news.
Finland Travel Shock #5 How Much the Finns Enjoy Cleanliness
In addition to keeping nature clean and free from litter or graffiti, Finns are just a very clean society. This applies to their homes, the communities and even the food. Don’t be surprised if you see Finns eating a hamburger with a fork and knife to avoid making a mess! This also means it’s a good idea to remove your shoes before entering a Finnish house.
Finland Travel Shock #6 Salmiakki & Other Interesting Food
Something that shocks many new visitors to Finland are some of the little snacks and foods that are served. Reindeer is a pretty tasty item common on Finnish menus, and anything with mushrooms will be delicious. However, there are some pretty unusual items in Finnish cuisine, as well. They have really good candy, and then they have salmiakki, which tastes as though black licorice and salt had a baby. Turkish peber is another candy that’s an acquired taste. (See what our kids thought!)
Finland Travel Shock #7 How Difficult the Finnish Language is for Foreigners
The Finnish language is pretty much incomprehensible to almost everyone outside of Finland. With Swedish, it’s possible to decipher a few words, but not in Finland! They speak English really well, though, so there’s no worry if you don’t speak Finnish. There’s no “he” or “she” in Finnish, so sometimes that might trip them up when speaking English.
Finland Travel Shock #8 Finnish and Swedish Names on Signs
Finland has two official languages: Swedish and Finnish. What’s shocking is that when you see signs for places, the Finnish and Swedish names for a place can be very different from each other. Turku is called Abo in Swedish, so that can be confusing.
Finland Travel Shock #9 Finnish Logic
You may see a few things in Finland that really make you wonder. Small things seem to lack logic in Finland. For example, at a ski resort, the line for the ski lift may cut right across the ski slope, in the path of downhill skiers. Or the escalators may stop at every floor on the way up, but not so on the way down.
Finland Travel Shock #10 You Can Only Buy Hard Alcohol at Alko
As much as Finns love their liquor, it’s a bit shocking that you can only buy hard alcohol at the state run liquor stores, not in the grocery stores. Alko also has odd hours, so if you are attending a party, or just want to make drinks at your hotel, be sure to plan ahead.
These are just a few fun tidbits about Finnish culture. It’s a shockingly beautiful country, with endless daylight in the summer, Northern Lights in the winter, and beautiful cities year-round. For more Finland travel tips, check out some of our other blog posts and videos: