Rosie Buddell

Rosie Buddell

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Finding Happiness in Finland

Finland has always intrigued me as a country. The perceptions we have of Finland are that it’s a cold place where the sun barely rises before setting in winter, and yet Fins are the happiest nation in the world. Being a Brit that lives for the days in which the sun is shining and there’s an opportunity to sit in a beer garden or a park, I wanted to understand why. So this May, I set out for the Land of a Thousand Lakes to do exactly that.

Landing in Helsinki in late afternoon, I boarded a train to Lappeenranta, a city on the shores of Finland’s largest lake, Lake Saimaa, from the airport’s underground train station. After a very comfortable two and a half hour train journey, I arrived in Lappeenranta and couldn’t resist the opportunity to explore the city on foot, while the sun was still warm and high in the sky. I ate dinner on a repurposed fishing boat,  paired with a delicious non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Despite it being a warm Friday evening, there was a serenity to Lapeenranta that I, as a solo female traveller, felt comfortable walking around alone.
Al fresco dining at Prinsessa Armaada in Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta Harbour

The following day, after devouring Karelian pies at the hotel, I met up with some fellow travellers and we hit the road for a stay in Punkaharju. After an invigorating e-bike ride through the forest we dabbled in some forest-bathing, which might be my new favourite activity. Laying in a hammock tied between two trees, listening to birdsong, the wind rustling leaves, and the gentle lapping of the lake at the shoreline for half an hour is the epitome of relaxation. 

That evening we visited Savonlinna for a dinner cruise around Olavinlinna Castle. Famous for its opera festival every July, Olavinlinna Castle looks like it’s straight out of a Disney cartoon. We spent the cruise enjoying fresh seasonal produce and searching for the elusive Saimaa Ringed Seal.

Olavinlinna Castle
Dinner cruise in Savonlinna
The next day, after a sunrise sauna, and a quick dip in the lake followed by breakfast, we set off for Puumala. Here, we enjoyed another lake cruise, this time on an all-electric boat, skippered by Arto, an enigmatic and knowledgeable guide. He told us of the plight of the endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal, and we were lucky enough to see three of them in our hour-long cruise. On the way back to Puumala, Arto paired the onboard speakers to his phone and we danced and sang to the classic Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä, the Finnish 2023 Eurovision entry.  We then made our way to the Elsenranta villas at the Sahanlahti Resort for an overnight stay, where there’s an on-site pub, pizza restaurant, multiple villas, and an upscale restaurant where we dine on muikuu, a local delicacy. My villa had a private sauna, and access to the lake, and I couldn’t resist a little midnight swim with an ice-cold non-alcoholic beer, watching the sun kiss the horizon.
Serenity on Lake Saimaa
Arto, our Saimaa Ringed Seal Cruise director
After spending a little over a week sampling some of Finland’s bounty, I understand why Fins are the happiest nation in the world. They may receive little by way of daylight in winter, but spring and summer more than make up for it with warm and bright days, where the sun rarely sets before 10pm, green spaces wherever you look, and of course the restorative benefits of sauna culture.

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