148 TOURISM LAW IN EUROPE Helsinki is the largest city in Finland and the metropolitan area is the home of 1.4 million people. Baltic Sea is one of the most characterising elements of the city and the Helsinki Archipelago alone consists of over 300 islands. In addition to Helsinki, the capital region is made of a hub of other interesting cities and sights to visit. There are six national parks less than two hours away from Helsinki and countless other nature sites to visit. Finland’s coast boasts the world’s largest archipelago. Old wooden towns, lighthouses, historical manors and stone churches, large national parks stretching over land and sea – this sums up coastal Finland in a nutshell. Archipelago is especially lively in the summer months but slows down during the winter months. Finland has a total of seven Unesco World Heritage sites, of which three can be experienced in the coastal area. Finland has over 188,000 lakes and around 180,000 islands, many located in the Lakeland district, the largest in Europe. In fact, over 90% of Finland is covered in either forest or water. Finnish Lakeland is a blue labyrinth of lakes, islands, rivers and canals, interspersed with forests and ridges, stretching for hundreds of kilometers in a staggeringly beautiful landscape. The northernmost part of Finland, Lapland, is an arctic region full of contrasts where 24-hour sunlight in the summer replaces the dark winter days of polar night (kaamos) filled with Northern Lights. Every season in Lapland is uniquely different from each other. During the winter and spring snow covered hills and fells offer exciting experiences for all winter outdoors enthusiasts from skiers to snowshoe walkers. During the summer, there are endless nightless nights and peaceful arctic nature as far as the eye can see. Summer’s glow is followed by the majestic season of fall when the forested area of Lapland gets its iconic ‘Ruska’ colors. Like in other Nordic countries, travellers visiting Finland and its citizens alike enjoy the concept of everyman’s rights (jokamiehenoikeudet in Finnish)2. Everyone may walk, ski, ride a horse or cycle freely in the countryside where this does not harm the natural environment or the landowner. These rights are not directly codified into the legislation, rather they are based upon the principle of if something is not explicitly forbidden elsewhere, it is allowed and protected by the freedom to roam. However, one may not disturb others or damage property, disturb breeding birds or game animals nor cut down or damage living trees or collect wood etc. on other people’s property. 2 Please, see more: https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/159060 (06.12.2021).
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