thisisFINLAND

Helsinki underground: Where the city plays, swims and shelters

Beneath Helsinki’s streets lies a second city that is carefully planned and actively used. From playgrounds to rehearsal rooms, the Finnish capital has turned preparedness into part of everyday urban life.

Arts & culture Film

Finnish actor Alma Pöysti believes in curiosity, compassion and communication

For the award-winning actor Alma Pöysti, culture is a force to be reckoned with. It helps people understand each other in a polarised world in at least four ways, she says.

Business & innovation Design

Finland’s Nokia Design Archive reveals the human stories behind your favourite phones

Prototypes and personal stories reveal how Nokia’s designers shaped the mobile age. We visit the Nokia Design Archive to learn more.

Business & innovation Technology

Producing just enough: Finnish startup uses AI to rethink retail

When the former chief of startup megaevent Slush takes on retail’s overproduction problem, the result is Clair, a Finnish startup using AI to help brands anticipate what customers truly want and produce only as much as needed.

Christmas Christmas traditions

Yes, Santa Claus is from Finland: Ten top facts about Father Christmas

What do you know about Santa Claus? Here are ten fun facts that might surprise you!

Arts & culture Film

Sisu movie sequel: Finnish sisu never goes out of fashion

Sisu is a Finnish word that refers to a combination of resilience and perseverance. Cited as a Finnish source of strength and wellbeing, it’s also the title of a violent action film whose new sequel is enjoying runaway success.

Christmas Cuisine

Finnish foodfluencer wishes you a veggie merry Christmas

You don’t have to compromise on quality or taste to make a holiday dinner with no animal products. Finnish culinary influencer Elina Innanen’s recipes lead us on forays into the world of plant-based cuisine.

Christmas Modern Christmas

Find Finnish gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season

Our Christmas gift guide highlights meaningful pieces by Finnish brands: thoughtful, well-made and designed for everyday happiness.

Christmas Christmas traditions

Finnish Christmas spirit brightens Helsinki streets for holiday season

As the winter days grow shorter in Helsinki, the city bursts into light, and the Christmas season brings warmth, music and thousands of twinkling bulbs.

Life & society Society

The key to Finnish happiness may be people helping each other

At a blood donation centre, we find an example of Finnish talkoohenki, the community spirit of helping each other. As our video conveys, it could be a contributing factor to Finnish happiness.

Life & society Environment

Finnish app mobilises locals to clear out invasive plants

Near Helsinki and elsewhere, a mobile game turns the fight against invasive species into a real-world mission for dedicated players in Finland.

Life & society Nature

How to spot the Northern Lights in Finland

The Northern Lights are visible for human eyes only when it’s dark and the sky is clear and cloudless. In northern Finland they can be witnessed from late August until early April.

Arts & culture Art

Staying playful: A Finnish artist combines fatherhood with creative freedom

Everyone’s an artist in Teemu Keisteri’s family, no matter if they’re four or almost 40. Father and son get creative together and explore Finland’s vibrant children’s culture scene.

Life & society Language

What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language

For polyglot Irina Pravet, learning a language isn’t just about grammar. She sees knowing Finnish as a way to belong – and that’s something you don’t find in textbooks.

Life & society Education

Libraries the Finnish way: welcoming, wild and wonderful

From reading dogs to 3D printers, Finnish libraries are reinventing what it means to be the home of learning and information. Here are some activities you can do in many Finnish libraries.

Life & society Sauna

Why are saunas so dear to people in Finland?

Almost every building in Finland has a sauna. Two sauna enthusiasts tell what makes their favourite sauna so special.

Life & society Architecture

Heads up for Helsinki’s urban overstory: Lions and gargoyles and bears, oh my!

If you elevate your gaze, Helsinki’s architecture contains surprising details. Mythical creatures, solemn figures and watchful animals perch high above street level.

Arts & culture Design

How Finnish glass design enchanted the world and keeps evolving

From kitchen cabinets to museum displays, Finnish glass design turns everyday objects into timeless art. Our reporter visits Finland’s last remaining glassworks and explores how a small country became a powerhouse of modern glass design.