In neighboring countries, there was no quarantine: the Lithuanian family advised what to see and how to save

However, the destination of travelers does not escape: the first day of the holiday (June 15) coincided with the day from which citizens of the Baltic States were allowed to enter Finland not only for work or other purposes important commercials. And where do you travel the most if you want to see as much nature as possible and meet as few people as possible? It is clear that to the north, where the end point (assuming we had planned the car trip for only a week) – the polar circle and Santa’s house in Rovaniemi.

Like every year, this year it was important for our family, now a four-year-old traveler, to have a clear goal: last year it was a turtle sanctuary in Corsica, last year it was a monkey in Gibraltar.

After all it turned out that after all Santa Claus, which means Christmas goat in Finnish, was still on vacation, so we couldn’t go to his own native house, just for the sake, because we saved tens of euros for the opportunity to take a photo of an actor dressed with a beard.

In neighboring countries, there was no quarantine

We started the trip on the weekend, we stayed in Riga on Saturday and in Tallinn on Sunday. We would have traveled by ferry to Helsinki the same day, but without Monday no one would have let us in there. Tip: if you take the ferry from the east to Finland, it is very convenient to stay in the Rotermanni neighborhood of Tallinn, near the port, and you can leave your car in the nearby parking lot for only four euros a day. The park will also come in handy if you decide to move across the bay without a car.

The capitals of neighboring countries were surprised by the fact that, although we still had to wear masks (at that time it was only true in shops), neither in Riga nor in Tallinn people were seen wearing masks neither outside nor inside. In Finland, although cafes and restaurants were closed during the quarantine, the wearing of masks was not even mandatory. I am not a specialist, but it is obvious that not only in Latvia and Estonia, but also in Finland, the order during the quarantine was incomparably more liberal than at home.

The ferry was not overcrowded and a ticket for a car and three passengers for a 2.5 hour trip was only 65 euros. As for relocating to a strait of almost 90 kilometers, it is really inexpensive. Only after leaving the port of Tallinn does it become important on the deck, inside the seven-story ferry you can sit at any other table, although not all of them are in order, but fortunately, there are not many passengers. However, on this trip, the ferry was a weak link in terms of larger gatherings of people. Fortunately, there were many floors on board, with no passengers, so there was no special stress due to too close contacts. And on the other hand, one of the least populated countries in Europe.

When we arrive in Finland (we drive a car with Polish numbers, and the citizens of this country were not welcome a month ago), when we got off the ferry, we were stopped by a border officer, convinced that we are from Lithuania, he wishes us well. For the sake of interest, I must note that I wrote a request to the Finnish border service before the trip or there will be no problems with the place of registration of the car; only in the middle of next week, mid-trip, did I get a reply that foreigners are not welcome here. And how can you not laugh that Finns are only fast in car racing?

Prices in Finland were gratifying and sad

We start the journey from the eastern part of the country, Karelia: here is the most lake region of Finland, which is called Järvi-Suomi or the Lake District. Because we arrived in Finland only before noon due to circumstances beyond our control, we had no big plans on the first day: stopping in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Poorvo near Helsinki and driving on the roads. by the lake to spend the night in Saavolina.

Olavinlinna, the world’s northernmost stone castle, stands on the site of our first accommodation. It only reopened to visitors in June, but the traditional summer music festival won’t take place this year. But even without a castle, the city is really nice as a base for trips through the countless lakes of eastern Finland. Even more so because the price of an apartment is nice for one night: only 60 euros.

And if you’re already in Saavolina, be sure to stop by the Kalastajan Koju Inn on the waterfront, where the main dish is fresh celery caught and fried in the lake. The dish is not fancy, but the fries are very tasty. Prices – from 10 to 17 euros, depending on the garnish you choose, beer – from 5 to 8 euros.

When it comes to catering, it’s no secret that Finland is an expensive country. So for lunch we would often order fish made with salmon to eat hearty and relatively inexpensive. It is produced differently in different regions of the country, sometimes reminiscent of both dairy soup and vegetable soup with large pieces of salmon, and it is perfect as a first and second course (especially in summer when you don’t want to eat much) . The price of the soup is 7 to 12 euros, and for the second course you should be ready to serve about two times.

Eastern Finland is a land of lakes

Driving along the edge of the Finnish lakes it seems that a boat rather than a car would be more suitable here; it is said that there are almost 200,000 people in the country. lakes, most of which are concentrated in the region. Hills, forests and lakes – if not rocks and lots of islands (with red holiday houses) the picture would resemble the Aukštaitija National Park, only much larger. Nothing strange, both in Finland and in our country, the terrain was scratched by the ice age that had receded only 10,000 years ago, leaving behind scattered watery depressions.

And between them are thousands of fun and joyful paths and trails that wind through clear but shallow waters (the average depth of Finnish lakes is only 7 meters, which is why there are so many islands). Some of the main roads are covered by ferries; they run frequently and for free. And there are still a lot of unpaved roads here, it’s no wonder the Finns are famous for their rally champions. But gravel roads don’t mean our usual “grille” – dusty and promising for car suspension.

Not only that, the gravel roads here are as smooth as asphalt, but they are dust-free too. Where is the secret? And they are irrigated with salt water every day when it is not raining (and it was especially dry and hot during the trip), so not only is the road free of dust, but the salt strengthens the upper layer of gravel , so it drives on a hard surface. Of course, not like in Namibia, where the roads are built with a mixture of salt and sand, but the measure is really effective.

But if you fancy flying on fun roads, don’t forget the speedometers: in the Lake District they are delivered at almost every intersection and the local police also measure the speed of moving cars. But actually I only saw the first police car at the end of the trip in Turku and Helsinki. More so as the Via Karelia moved north into Lapland, cars became less frequent and speed cameras disappeared. But other road users appeared.

Lapland is a herd of reindeer

They are herds of reindeer that graze in the wild, and more and more warning signs appear as they approach Lapland. So you need to be vigilant: if roads are often blocked by deep snow in winter, flocks of mosquitoes from forests to roads in summer, there are fewer of these sucking creatures and animals use them in spaces where there is at least some wind.

Local drivers are aware of this feature, so you can’t really take your eyes off the road; he does not know when a few or a dozen deer will stand silently in the middle of the road or cross it. When they see them, drivers warn each other with lights, just like Eastern European drivers, only flashing lights about other “hazards.”

And it’s not scary to drive even in the last hours, it’s just not dark here in the summer. Both at midnight and after it lights up like a cloudy day, so driving would not be a nuisance even at night. When you stop to rest, you can read a book silently all night; If it weren’t for the thick curtains, which are especially hung on the windows, it would be hard for you to force him to sleep.

Wheel Road and Winter War Museum

The Koli National Park in Karelia begins with the highest mountains in Finland, outside of Lapland. In the park itself there are many hiking trails, in winter, ski slopes, and right next to the visitor center you can climb the cliffs of the highest mountain Ukko-Koli, which offer a great panorama of the lake region of Karelia.

One of the stages of the journey is the Winter War, called the Wheel Road, where the Finns fought against Soviet aggression in 1939-1940. Although the Finns had to defend themselves several times from the occupying forces, smart strategy and favorable winter conditions (the lakes were not frozen yet, so the heavy machinery of the enemy did not pass through them, and then the cold effectively stopped the aggressor).

Eventually, the Russian desire to quickly cut Finland in half and encircle the defenders of the Karelian Strait ended in the complete destruction of the invading division. Driving along the battle road to the combat museum a few kilometers away includes a special mood, as there was deliberate resistance to much larger enemy forces.

After historical battles: luck for fairy-tale characters. As I mentioned, during our trip, Santa Claus or a goat was still on vacation due to quarantine so we toured the Christmas town founded in 1950 in honor of the first lady of the USA Eleonora Ruzvelt and we met another night In the polar daylight, it would seem that if you don’t give up 24 hours.

Here’s our northernmost travel point and the polar circle, which the nearly 30-degree heat relies on, so it’s time to head back home. Because just one week of time and long distances in Finland are two incompatible things. But if you just have more time, drive even further north to Lapland, where even more spectacular nature breathes your breath.

An ideal country to travel by camper

From Rovaniemi, we return to the central part of Finland; We do our best to avoid the monotonous two-lane main road with quite heavy traffic. It is true that time is running out and after crossing the island of Manumansalo on Lake Oulujärvi with its beautiful sandy beaches (this and other places have been recommended to me by colleagues from Finland, for which I am very grateful), we embarked on the E75 highway that connects the capital Helsinki with the northern city of Oulu.

And, I must point out, the road is pleasantly surprising, although the main road, the traffic moves relatively fast and at a constant speed (heavy transport, 90 km / h, light, at the speed of 100 km / h allowed here). There is a big difference with our two-lane country roads, where some drive at 70 km / h and others at 120 km / h.

When you return, you will be pleasantly surprised by Juveskiulė, a green city full of young people, with the longest and most fun entertainment in the city center at the marina. Before Helsinki, we headed to the former capital of Finland, Turku; In Finland, as in Scandinavia, Saint John’s Day is celebrated on the Friday before the shortest night, so the fun here was at its peak. We stayed in a hotel-ship next to the Maritime Museum, another unexpected and fun kind of trip for the little traveler.

And before boarding the boat, we tour the islands of the Turku archipelago, and here the ferries are free, so you can spend more than a day in the cozy villages of the islands, where you can have fun. And that we have already talked about entertainment, Finland is the ideal country if you like or want to try camping – the roads are not great challenges, there are many campsites for stops, so the travel route can only be limited with the imagination.

When you arrive in Helsinki in the morning, it looks much more modern than Turku, but nothing more: it’s time to go home with the almost empty ferry again and for only 63 euros for three people with a car.

Would I go to Finland again? There is definitely something to see on the course, but the distances are great, and if you drive in a straight line it will be boring. Eastern Finland, Karelia, fascinates with its hundreds of thousands of lakes; if you like entertainment by the water, you will definitely enjoy it here. Even more so when you will find peace guaranteed, unlike on the shores of our lakes. And if you like to drive like me, the winding roads between the lakes will also make a great impression on you.

As I mentioned, it is worth going to Lapland and going all the way north, which is where true Nordic exoticism begins. Well, or overlook the rocky coasts of southern and western Finland. And for us, it was another fun adventure that happened unexpectedly even during the epidemic and lasted only a week.