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Finland Bucket List: 35 Authentic Ideas by a Local

I’m a list person. An excel person. A roadmap person.

And within the last few years, I have also become a ‘Say a goal out loud, work hard and watch it happen’ person.

When I was 15, I made a dream board.

I cut out magazine pictures and texts which resonated with me. I glued my perfect world on a cardboard. Then life happened. I enjoyed my adulthood; studied, dated, traveled, worked and moved ten times in the next 15 years.

Two years ago, I found the dream board in a storage box. That moment was magical.

I was looking at my white wooden house, my Arabia ‘Paratiisi’ tableware, my book piles, my recent Japan trip and my other half (The pic of Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, I’m not joking!). Pretty much all the things on the board had come true. It’s a bit scary even.

With that offbeat introduction, I’d like to tell you my suggestions about what to experience in Finland. What I would like to show you here. Here is the Finland Bucket List to enjoy Finland like a local.

I hope some of the items resonate with you. I hope dreams bloom into plans.

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The Finland Bucket List 

1. Try to catch a snowflake with your tongue.

2. Ride the tram in Helsinki.

3. Go to an ice-hockey match.

4. Drink a palmful of natural spring water in the forest.

5. Eat warm Karelian pies with egg-butter.

6. Grill a sausage on a campfire.

Finland bucket list campfire - Her Finland - blog
Finland bucket list archipelago - Her Finland-blog

7. Walk on the smooth rocks of the archipelago.

8. Drink coffee in an Arabia cup.

9. Drive a car and pass a walking reindeer.

10. Eat Fazer Blue chocolate.

11. Make a snow angel.

12. Spend lazy days at the cabin.

13. See the sunrise of the white night in the summer.

Finland bucket list Finnish summer sunrise - Her Finland - blog

14. Row a boat.

15. Surround yourself with Marimekko.

16. Eat salmon soup.

17. Pick berries.

18. Admire wooden architecture.

19. Go ice-swimming.

Finland bucket list ice swimming - Her Finland-blog

20. Kill a mosquito (or a couple).

21. Spot a Moomin.

22. Hunt Auroras.

23. Play mölkky, a Finnish throwing game with wooden pins.

24. Walk on a frozen lake.

25. Visit a site by Alvar Aalto.

Finland bucket list Saynatsalo Town Hall - Her Finland - blog

26. Find a swamp and listen to the silence.

27. Eat sautéed reindeer.

sauteed reindeer - a delicious Finnish dish

28. Play a round of Finnish lotto.

29. Recycle a bottle in the bottle deposit machine.

30. Smell the sun-kissed scent of a summery pine forest.

31. Dip your toes in a lake.

Finnish sauna types
Finnish blueberry pie and easy recipe for it! By Her Finland blog

32. Eat blueberry pie.

33. Conquer a fell.

34. Try Finnish beer.

35. Sing karaoke with Finns.

That’s my list. That’s my Finland. If you want to add a daily dose of Finland to your life, let’s be friends on Instagram!

Do you already have a Finland Bucket list and what’s on it? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for more information about Finland? Check out some of my other posts:

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About Varpu
I’m the founder of Her Finland. I love cultural tidbits, aha moments, Finnish folklore, and cinnamon buns. My newest interest is learning bird songs. Read more about me..

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Henry Elomaa

Sunday 28th of April 2019

I've always wanted to find any cousins I might have, they would be on my mothers side, Aini Niemi from Kouvala,and yes visit Finland some day

Varpu Pöyry

Monday 29th of April 2019

Hei Henry, thank you for commenting! I hope you are able to find your cousins and visit Finland!

Iva

Sunday 28th of April 2019

Sauna! Blueberries! And above all... Cinnamon buns, they taste heavenly!

Varpu Pöyry

Sunday 28th of April 2019

Thank you, Iva! <3 <3

Rich Mattson

Monday 9th of July 2018

Here's one for you: try sampling all 91 varieties of salmiakki at the Helsinki Salmiakkikioski to see which one you like best (if at all!). https://finland.fi/life-society/specialising-in-fierce-finnish-liquorice/

Several Finnish cousins introduced me to their favorite kinds and now I order about once a year to keep supplied, until I can get back to Suomi and stock up again in person.

Varpu Pöyry

Tuesday 10th of July 2018

Hi Rich! Salmiakki is delicious; I agree! To my understanding, the Salmiakkikioski is unfortunately closed. Let's do this: I'll count how many flavors I can find in a large hypermarket and return to these comments to tell you! Maybe that's almost as many as in Salmiakkikioski.

Mehdi Javan

Monday 9th of July 2018

Hi Varpu,

Nice list. I showed it to my colleagues and they mentioned a missing item; Kalsarikännit :)

Varpu Pöyry

Monday 9th of July 2018

:D Fantastic! A true add from us Finns, heheh!

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