More and more research is providing further evidence that spending time in nature has great health benefits. This is no surprise to most Finns who have always had a close connection to nature and regularly visit the great outdoors to exercise and relax. Even as Finland has become more urbanized in recent decades, town planning has always included easy access to nature. All Finns can quickly and easily visit a forest or another nature site just a short trip from their homes. Perhaps this is one reason Finns always top the lists of the happiest people in the world.
While vigorously exercising in the great outdoors is obviously beneficial, you don’t have to be a serious runner, hiker, or skier to reap the benefits. Just spending time in nature contributes to well-being. Whether you call it nature therapy, ecotherapy, shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, everyone agrees that being in nature is good for our mental health, too.
Finland obviously has an abundance of places to soak up the best nature has to offer, but Finland also has exceptional features that can create a life-changing experience you’ll remember for a long time.
In winter the phenomenal Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are observable throughout the country. To see the entire sky lit up by giant curtains of swirling colours is a truly jaw-dropping experience. In summer the midnight sun is another natural wonder worth experiencing. Clocks lose their importance when the day never ends. The autumn colours are famously more intense at the higher latitudes. Not only the trees turn bright colours, but the ground cover also turns many shades of yellow, orange, and red.
With all this pristine nature, clean air and water, and sparsely populated wilderness, Finland’s nature is remarkably accessible. Compared to many other parts of the world that also have an abundance of unspoiled nature, Finland has excellent services and transport infrastructure that makes getting back to nature quicker, easier, and safer.