Water Is Enough Reason To Visit Finland Here's Why

Finland is a land of thousands of lakes, and much of Finnish lifestyle revolves around the glittering waters. From pure tap water to kayaking and ice hole fishing, here is why water is enough reason to visit Finland!

The water is clean

About 9.4% of Finland is covered by lakes, and according to UNICEF, water in Finland is the cleanest in the world – as is Finnish air! Maybe this is one of the reasons the Finns’ everyday lives revolve around water quite heavily. From fishing to year-round swimming and ice skating, the Finns take full advantage of the privilege to access clean water and lakes.

Summer cottages and saunas

Winter swimming

If you are into a more extreme experience, try ice hole swimming! There are clubs in nearly every Finnish town and city where you can try and tip your head in ice cold water. It might be a bit nippy getting in, but the fresh and energetic feeling afterward makes you addicted to this winter sport pretty quickly!

Summer water sports

In Finland, you can try kayaking, standup paddleboarding, swimming, fishing, water skating, surfing… and the list goes on. Lakes are everywhere in Finland, and it is pretty common to enjoy them to the fullest. There are plenty of rental opportunities from standup paddleboarding to trips on slow boats. Local tourist information centers are also happy to help with any inquiries.

Standup paddleboarding at the Finnish Lakeland.

Beauty varies according to season

One special feature of Finnish waterside scenery is how drastically the seasons affect it. In summer and spring, the lakes glitter an inviting bright blue, whereas in autumn the colorful trees are reflected in the water’s dark surface. During winter, the lakes freeze for a fairytale-like beauty – as well as an opportunity for whole other types of activities such as ice hole fishing and rally driving on ice.

Everyman’s right

Enjoying clean water is everyman’s right in Finland: in general, you are allowed to fish, go rowing on the lakes or take a swim in any Finnish lake. The tap water, which is typically drawn from pure groundwater, is also perfectly drinkable everywhere in Finland – so there is no need to buy bottled water whilst visiting!

Refreshing spring water at a Natural Park in Finland

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.