Finland contains 35 national parks from the Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to Lapland. Car hire at Helsinki Airport can make it easy to discover this huge area. It is also an urbanised region with a lot of cultural events and activities. Commercial ships between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region, including Helsinki, Turku, Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemunde, play a major role in the local tourism. Finland is known as the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, living in the northern Lapland region. Above the Arctic Circle, you can see polar light, a period when the sun doesn't rise for days or weeks, or even months.
Lapland, at the north of Finland, is so far north that the fantastic Aurora Borealis, atmospheric fluorescence, is seen regularly in winter. Outdoor activities are the traditional Nordic skiing, golf, fishing, hiking, lake cruises, yachting, kayaking among many others. Wildlife is abundant in Finland. Bird-watching is popular for those who love the flying fauna, however hunting is also popular. Elk, reindeer and hare are all common game in Finland. Olavinlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival.
