Finland

Helsinki

Helsinki (Finnish) ( Helsingfors in Swedish) is Finland's capital and largest city. Established as a trading town by the Swedes in 1550, it wasn't until 1812 when the Russian Empire made it the capital city of the country. Today, this hustling and bustling city has more than 650,000 inhabitants, and it is the northernmost capital of an EU member state.

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland. Since a merger with the surrounding countryside, the municipality covers a huge area.

Turku

Turku (Swedish: Åbo ) is the oldest city and former capital of Finland. It was settled during the 13th century, making it one of the only few – and by far the largest – medieval cities in Finland. Turku is the cradle of Finnish culture, since over the years it has played an important role as the gateway to Finland for international influence. Nowadays Turku is a vivid city with clusters of maritime and medical business.

Tampere

Tampere (Swedish: Tammerfors ) is the third largest city in Finland with around 236,000 inhabitants, and around 376,000 in the metropolitan area (as of 2019; second largest). Being 170 km north of the Finnish coastal capital Helsinki, it is also the most populous inland town in the Nordic countries. The city lies on a narrow isthmus between Lake Näsijärvi, which reaches far to the north, and Lake Pyhäjärvi in the south. In addition, there are some 200 lakes and ponds in Tampere, and around 450 in the entire region. Despite being predominantly a former heavy industry centre, today Tampere is a major hub for information technology, research, education, culture, sports and business. In 2010, the City of Tampere came in first in an image survey comparing the largest cities in Finland. Leaving Helsinki behind, it was also found the most attractive city among Finns who plan on moving. In August 2021 the Tampere light rail system opened, the only one in Finland outside the capital area in the modern era.

Oulu

Oulu (Swedish: Uleåborg ) is the biggest city in Northern Finland, with a bit more than 200,000 inhabitants (counting by the administrative borders, the city itself has a little less). : P70 : P8

Porvoo

Porvoo (Swedish: Borgå ) is a scenic small town 50 kilometers east of Helsinki, Finland. One of the most popular day trips from Helsinki, its picturesque city center of wooden houses is a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site. : P70 : P8

Espoo

Espoo (Swedish: Esbo ) with a population of a quarter of a million is the second largest city in Finland. It's part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and the small city of Kauniainen (Swedish: Grankulla ) which is completely encircled by Espoo. : P70 : P8

Vantaa

Vantaa (Swedish: Vanda ) is in the Uusimaa region in southern Finland, right north of Helsinki. Part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, it is the fourth most populous city in Finland with about 238,000 inhabitants as of 2021. : P70 : P8

Lappeenranta

The City of Lappeenranta (population 70,000) is the economic and cultural centre of south-east Finland near the border of Russia and at the southern shore of the Saimaa, the largest lake (system) of Finland. Its culture and dialects are strongly part of eastern Finland, although Wikivoyage treats it as part of Southern Finland. Also known as Villmanstrand (its Swedish name and previous English name), Lappeenranta has a colourful, 360-year history influenced by its location in the border dividing western and eastern cultures.

Vaasa

Vaasa (Swedish: Vasa ) is the capital of the administrative region Ostrobothnia, Western Finland.

Kuopio

Kuopio is the largest city of North Savonia. Kuopio is surrounded by lakes from three sides, which supplies loads of beaches and the feeling of water being always close. Some of the wooden houses arranged as a grid have been preserved in the centre which makes it a nice place to visit. : P70 : P8