Beyond Helsinki, Finland has many natural and cultural attractions worthy of attention including vast forests, Arctic landscape, Sami culture and seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here are five highlights.

Source: 5 Places To Visit In Finland Besides Helsinki

Finland is a stable, safe and socially progressive country with a respected judicial system, a sound banking system and ethical companies. Finland’s 5.5 million people enjoy a standard of lifestyle that is the envy of many who live in a land of wild natural landscapes and cities with cutting-edge design. It’s the land of winter magic and northern lights but visiting Finland’s national parks in the warmer months offers excellent hiking, kayaking and wildlife spotting. Yes, you can see bears from overnight huts in the forest. Whether you’re keen on nature or attracted to the city’s buzz, this Scandinavian country  there is a treasure trove of historical and natural landmarks in Finland to discover.

Source: 21 Famous Finland Landmarks

Finland – Old Rauma

The City of Rauma has refused to allow a plaque commemorating members of the White Guard in Finland’s 1918 Civil War to be installed in the wall of the local landmark old town hall. The position of city officials is that a new White Guard memorial would serve to maintain ideological divisions.

Even 100 years after the conflict, the White Guard is a contentious issue, which can still divide the people along political lines.

Formed out of paramilitary groups establisheded for protection and to preserve order in the wake of the Russian Revolution, the White Guard was a volunteer militia with local chapters.

Under the provisions of the 1947 post-WWII Treaty of Paris, Finland disbanded all organizations considered fascist by the Soviet Union. The White Guard fell under this ban and was disbanded.

With the 100th anniversary of the war this year, the City of Rauma received a request from a local White Guards heritage association to be permitted to install a plaque in the wall of the Rauma Old Town Hall, which is a landmark building located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: Finnish city rejects display of Civil War plaque commemorating White Guard

Finland – Old Rauma

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 all sums up coastal Finland in a nutshell.

The laid-back islander lifestyle and a strong maritime culture are key characteristics of this fascinating area. Finland’s capital, Helsinki, has also held onto its maritime charm. Beaches, handicraft markets, small town events, cafes and village shops – Finnish coastal towns are especially alive in the summer months.

Finland holds seven Unesco World Heritage sites of which three can be experienced in the coastal area.

Where To Go

ÅLAND ISLANDS

Åland is an autonomous and monolingual Swedish region of Finland and consists of more than 6 500 islands. The capital, Mariehamn, a cute village-like town with a strong maritime and shipping heritage, is the only city in the unspoiled, ruggedly beautiful archipelago.

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Finland – Old Rauma

As Rauma reaches its 575th year, residents of this surprisingly cosmopolitan city will celebrate its the beauty of its Unesco-listed old town, and its history as an important medieval port.

The city of a smidgen under 40,000 people on Finland’s west coast, clustered around an immaculate Unesco-garlanded wooden old town, celebrates its 575th anniversary this week. Depending on how you classify these things, that makes Rauma either the country’s third, fourth or fifth oldest chartered town. Anyway, it’s old … with enough of a concentration of culture to make Unesco look twice: the bronze age cairns at nearby Sammallahdenmäki also made it on to the World Heritage list.

Finland’s gateway

“It means a lot,” says 33-year-old freelance writer and travel blogger Saana Jaakkola, who has lived here for 12 years. “People here are very proud of their roots.”

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