Finland is considered to lie wholly in the boreal zone, and our weather can change rapidly since we're located in the zone where tropical and polar air masses meet. We're near enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be warmed by the Gulf Stream, which means that our climate isn't exactly as cold as our Northern position may suggest. But temperatures vary a lot between the southern and northern Finland; the southern part's weather is warmer than up north where winter is known to be harsh. Another thing to consider is the Baltic sea - it's windy at the coasts most of the time.

Generally our temperatures can go from +15c - +30c in summer to 0 - -30c in winter depending on the location. Since we're up north, our summers are short but bright and our winters are long and dark. Daylight lasts around 18 hours during the summer solstice days and only around 6 hours around the winter solstice in south. In Lapland, there's a period in summer when the sun will not set for about two months and an equivalent period when the sun doesn't rise above the horizon in winter.

Spring arrives to Finland in March while the month is sometimes referred to as a transition month between winter and spring. Some of the first fauna to bloom are willow and coltsfoot (which some consider to be a sign that spring has officially begun). Normally cotyledons of trees can be spotted in the beginning of May.

Fall arrives to different parts of Finland at very different times. The higher you go, the earlier you'll spot signs of ruska (fall colors). By the end of September, all of Finland has entered the months of fall.

Ruska in Levi:


If I had to describe Finland's nature with one word, it would be rugged, especially in Lapland. Taiga covers most of our land, while the southwestern coast forests are usually mixed forests. On the countryside, large fields are a typical landscape, be it natural fields or crop. Generally snow covers our ground in the north for months (in Lapland, snow lasts on the ground for over half a year) while it can melt in other parts of the country, especially in south where the climate is warmer. Finnish animals have gotten used to long winters, which can cause problems for them during years of less snow.

Simo River (in Lapland) in winter:


As mentioned in the introduction thread, Finland has a lot of lakes. The biggest lake of our country, Saimaa, is divided by narrow canals into many parts and is also spotted with many islands. Saimaa is also the home for Saimaa Ringed Seal, a subspecies of ringed seals. The population descends from ringed seals that were separated when the land rose after the last ice age. They're a critically endangered and protected species. Another of Saimaa's endangered species is the Saimaa Salmon.

Top picture is of Hietasaari, a part of Saimaa. Bottom picture is of the Saimaa Ringer Seal:

I will focus on tiny snippets of multiple places in this topic. However, if you’re curious about anything, please ask!


Lapland:
Lapland's nature may be the most well-known part of Finnish nature. Filled with taiga and fells, the nature and temperature are rugged but preserving. Up north you can spot stars much better than near big cities, and northern lights fill the dark sky with colors. They even host northern light safaris in Lapland.




Koli:
If you happen to be up north but not exactly in Lapland, Koli is a wonderful place to visit. The nature in Koli is impressive especially during fall, and if you’re looking for a place to relax in, or practice photography, this is an excellent place for that.



Imatrankoski (Imatra’s River):
Imatra’s river is quite a famous one. It is harnessed nowadays, and is only let loose for “Imatrankoski Rapids Shows” which gather a lot of audience. If you happen to visit the area, the Valtionhotelli (Grand Hotel) is the best place to say in. Imatra is one of the cities by Saimaa.

Imatrankoski:

Saimaa:
If you like lake cruises, definitely book tickets for a Saimaa cruise. These cruises let you see multiple cities by the Saimaa Lake and are among the most popular inland cruises in Finland. Saimaa has a lot of resort events and places to visit.
 



Turun Saaristo:
Turun Saaristo (Turku’s islands) are worth checking out if you make a trip to southwest Finland. Another great resort place is Turunlinna (Turku’s castle). Turku is the oldest city of Finland and there is a lot of old architecture to see there.

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Helsinki is the capital of Finland. There are a lot of things to see here depending on the season. You can see a mix of older and newer architecture in the center of the city. There are a lot of museums here, the most modern of them being the Kiasma contemporary art museum.




Suomenlinna:
Suomenlinna is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Finland. It is an island fortress built on multiple islands. On top of being a tourist attraction, many culture events are hosted here. There's also a summer theater in there, so if you're interested in history, nature or theater, I recommend going there.




Temppeliaukion Kirkko (Temppeliaukio Chrurch):
This church is different from the other ones in Helsinki. It is actually built directly into solid rock and has a very different architecture than the other churches of Helsinki. The acoustics are amazing thanks to the structure.




Tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral):
Tuomiokirkko is one of the most well-known monuments and tourist attractions in Finland. The architecture is beautiful and definitely worth to check out. Same applies to Uspeski Cathedral which is an orthodox church located near Tuomiokirkko.  

Tuomiokirkko:


Uspenski Cathedral:



Kaisaniemi's botanical garden (Kaiseniemen Luonnontieteellinen Puutarha):
Kaisaniemi's botanical garden holds many rare flora in there. The outer park is free, but if you want to see more exotic flora, you need to pay for a ticket to get inside the greenhouse.




In December, Helsinki (and many other cities) lights up with multiple Christmas lights in parks and streets. Around when the second week of December starts, Tuomaan markkinat (Tuomas’ Market) starts at Senaatintori (Senate’s Square). Nowadays this event takes inspiration from German Christmas markets and an atmospheric place around this time.

The center of Helsinki in winter:


Tuomaan Markkinat: