FORGET LAPLAND! Why EVERYONE Should Visit FINLAND’S LAKE DISTRICT 🇫🇮 (Punkaharju)

[@druidofthefang]

It is very unusual for a visitor to go to these "normal" places in Finland. It has been fun to watch so far.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Glad you're enjoying the trip, I can't help but to be amazed by how few people there are about. I like finding these less touristy places away from the crowds, they're always fun to explore. Thanks for watching.

[@Qwarzz]

I'd say Finland is a great place for people who love spending time in the nature. I wouldn't know what to show traditional tourists but could show plenty of beautiful hiking trails for camping. Some of my favorites for longer hikes in eastern Finland are Koli (which Matt visited as well), Kolovesi north of Savonlinna and Patvinsuo (just east of Koli).

[@BeginningsAndPaths]

Beautiful area with gorgeous scenery! I'm always amazed by the combination of forest and water. Thanks for sharing 🙏😊 ~Philip

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Me too! Such a mysterious sight when you look into so many trees and so much water. Love it!

[@turpasauna]

Absolutely. The nature is most gorgeous, people friendly and the pace of life slower.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Yes indeed, sometimes it's nice to slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery.

[@KarpoKekkonen]

Great to see some familiar sights.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Cool, I take it you're from these parts?

[@robertwilkinson8421]

I'm really enjoying following your Travels through Finland. Thanks for sharing.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks so much for tuning in, I'm really pleased you're enjoying my travels. I'm having a blast in Finland & can't wait to share the rest of the trip.

[@artsi897]

Great video.👍🇫🇮👍

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. 👍

[@oh2mp]

Nice video again! It was a pity that Kerimäki church was closed. Did you know that there are 27 places that have been defined as national landscapes of Finland? Punkaharju is unsurprisingly one of them, but you have already seen several others too. You may remember that before changing to Euro in 2002 Finland had markka as its currency. On the backside of 500 FIM banknote of the last series used there was a drawing of Punkaharju.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you! I knew that Punkaharju is a national landscape but didn't realise there are 27 of them, I will have to see how many I made it to by the end of the trip. Interesting that is was on the 500 bank note, totally understandable as it's a glorious place. I just can't believe that there's not more people there enjoying the scenery.

[@magister2123]

My childhood scenery. Thx! 😊

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Glad I could bring back a few good memories for you - I very much enjoyed my day! Wonderful place!

[@petrihakkinen2336]

Those larches are planted for ship masts. Those are very durable trees in that purpose

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

That makes sense, I was wondering earlier how they know it's the tallest tree in Finland without measuring all of them. 🤓

[@petrihakkinen2336]

@@MattWhitingsEurope here is allways going forest invention. Whole land is randomly put in test areas and those been measured. And lot of forest workers who report big trees.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I see. Thanks for the info!

[@itsgoodiewoodie]

You are doing amazing work. I love these scenes.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you, makes my day to hear comments like that. Glad you're enjoying my journey! 😄

[@Juhito]

Please drink tap-water! Perfectly safe and save money 🙂

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you, in hindsight I should have filled up my water bottles from the tap. Definitely a money saver.

[@tosijjaan]

Better tasting than store water

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

And definitely cheaper!

[@tormendor8585]

@@tosijjaan True, bottled water tastes so bad.

[@Qwarzz]

Definitely! The water in cities will have bit of a chlorine smell but in smaller villages you can get really fresh water from the tap. I lived in eastern Savonlinna and the tap water there came straight from a spring.

[@Hongaars1969]

Hello Matt. How are you? I arrived back in Dubrovnik on Wednesday (from Pretoria where I’d been the previous 11 weeks). Here at club Med, the temperatures have been soaring. On Friday we already had the first major power outage. Today, a scrub fire up the hill behind Dubrovnik. The point of the above ramble is that visiting places like Finland are more and more appealing. (In fact in yesterday’s Times travel section there were 25 cool climate summer holiday recommendations and one of them was the lake region in Finland…I’m sure The Times’ writer borrowed from your uploads). The lighting and the long shadows in your videos augment the scenery. Glad you were able to recover from the knock on your head and continue to enjoy your journey. Until next week Zoltán

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you Zoltán, I've heard about the extreme heat and power outages on the news - must be crazy at the moment out there. Hope you've got the air conditioning cranked up. Yes it does sound like the travel correspondent for the Times has been watching - I can only hope haha. Thanks for the comment, glad you;'re continuing to enjoy the videos.

[@0mgz0mg]

Oh man. The tallest tree sure would be a long moment of admirarion for me.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I do wonder how they know that for sure. I mean there must be millions of trees in Finland and many of them in the middle of nowhere, they can't measure them all!

[@TommiSRP]

Glad youu made it to the Harjutie! It is magnificent!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Great day, I really enjoyed the experience! I just can't believe how quiet it was.

[@ItsGunkku]

i love ur videos

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks so much, really appreciate you saying! Hope all is well in Joensuu!

[@katalaurikainen8941]

Thank you for stepping out of the beaten path. Great video of Finland.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching 😃

[@Peder7berg]

I will be going there in just a couple of weeks! Thanks for the tips! :)

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for watching.

[@jugcage7634]

Thanks, these are always an interesting watch.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Glad you like them! Really enjoying my trip to Finland and am still amazed by how quiet the lake district is.

[@Justusosaa]

Hi Matt. I am glad that you presented world’s biggest wooden church. Forgetting Lapland and its free roaming reindeer is impossible. White nights is such an experience, which stay in mind the resto of life! Lapland is something special in Finland. The real Lapland starts from the Arctic Circle to the North. The area is wide and it hides many awesome surprises. Your idea to forget Lapland is mission impossible now and later. Happy travel. Matti

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

That church was humongous, it made me feel so small standing next to it. Fair point about Lapland, I think I always associate it with Father Christmas and sledging through the snow - sounds like there's a lot more to Lapland than that. Perhaps I should consider it for another road trip sometime, anywhere in particular you would recommend - maybe some interesting places off the beaten track?

[@i7Qp4rQ]

The thing about Lapland is also that it has the only "mountains" of Finland. Tunturi/ tundra up to 550m ish vertical relief. Compared to max 250m of south, that have forests on their tops. They are not much compared to anywhere else around the world, but they hold unique spot for us. They aren't jagged like mountains usually are, but gentle and with spacious views, often some 200kms in a direction. Yeah I'm from Lapland, but I think s-finland has its own fine things as well.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@@i7Qp4rQ Thanks for the info, what's the weather like up there in Lapland during the summer? Do you have snow on those mountains and hills during July/August? It does sound like a cool area and worthy of a road trip some day.

[@Justusosaa]

@@i7Qp4rQ Thx. Koli is my favorite in the south.

[@i7Qp4rQ]

@MattWhitingsEurope Lapland is the largest area in Finland, so it depends quite a bit. Kilpisjärvi region is special bco. it is the highest village, nearly half km from sea level. Also we have a saying: "years aren't brothers", one year its cold, the next rains, then is windy, then it's lots of mosquitoes, and then finally it's a sunny one, 2018 was very warm. 2020 march was one of the snowiest. Snows usually melt everywhere, but there are spots were they stay sometimes over the summer, specially at the highest region near Halti 1324m (1365). Southernmost spots of summersnows may be around east Lapland's polarcircle on highest tunturis. Sometimes it even snows a bit during summer months. For a tourist from abroad it probably is other things they may enjoy here more, like the midnightsun or reindeers. Personally I like hiking in national parks or other untouched forests, usually they are around those tunturis /tundra.

[@TommiSRP]

Oooh, I hope you made it to Joensuu, enjoyed some good food, visited the Bunker Museum and enjoyed the lake Pyhäselkä!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I'm sad to say that I didn't. I had planned to and researched some of the places you mentioned but unfortunately I ran short of time and something had to give. I was disappointed not to be able to squeeze it in - maybe next time?!

[@TommiSRP]

@@MattWhitingsEurope Hopefully next time! Beautiful summer city! Did you make it to Koli to see "The National View"?

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I will leave it a surprise but make sure you tune in next week 😉

[@butterflies655]

Visit Pulkkilanharju. It is as nice. Some ppl think it is the most beautiful scenery in Finland.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for mentioning Pulkkilanharju, a few others have said the same thing - I Googled it and looks wonderful. Definitely interested in visiting it at some point, some many incredible driving routes in Finnish Lakeland.

[@MfliInfomainpage]

Agree as a native finn. The lake district as well as the archipelago are imo among the most beautiful places to visit.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks, glad you think so. I came to realise that everyone has heard of Helsinki and Lapland but hardly anyone I spoke to (outside of Finland) had head of Finnish Lakeland. Such an amazing place!

[@Omili]

Spend my youth in Kerimäki driving on moped thru Punkaharju every summer and dipped in the lake while waiting my Honda Monkey 95 cool down after whole day of driving. I cannot imagine better place for a simple moped trip around the lakes. Savonlinna also is sight to see during summer.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Sounds like a great trip! I love the idea of jumping in the lake, I kinda wish I'd tried it on this trip. I was surprised when driving Route 62 to feel how mild the water is, not as cold as I thought it was going to be. Refreshing for sure!

[@Omili]

@@MattWhitingsEurope And clean enough to drink from as well. We lived near Punkaharju also and our water came from the lake. There was just simple filter for small objects that came with the water.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@@Omili Brilliant that Finland keeps these lakes clean and doesn't fill them with sewage etc.

[@td6460]

Good year for you to pick touring Finland, we haven't had a summer like this in ages.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

There's some crazy weather across Europe at the moment! Thanks for watching 😀

[@patrickuotinen]

A tip when in Finland: Many of the churches don't keep their main door open daily, but it is reserved for special occasions. Usually entry is from a side door. So if you see that the main door is closed, don't leave before trying the side doors.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks, that’s a great tip. I’ll definitely try that next time! The secret is safe with me! 😀

[@WITYTRAVELS]

Glad you didn't let a little bloody head ruin your trip. Fanta is the most important supply for the road trip! That is an impressive tree!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I think it was all the sugar in the Fanta that kept me going on this trip! The show must go on!!

[@GugureSux]

Lovely, gorgeous footage! Little protip: Finnish language is pronounced very similar to Latin. All letters are always pronounced exactly the same way, each letter is pronounced out loud instead of blurred into one quick sound, and especially consonants are sharp and tactile, best shown with the strong rrrolling R's. The letter "U" is spelled similar to the short wovel sound in the word "put", or the two Os in the word "food". The Finnish "a" is similar to that in the word "car", and the "i" is pretty much the English "ee" sound.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for the info! Very helpful to know. Pronouncing place names can be quite the challenge when travelling - sometimes not even the locals can agree! 😂

[@TommiSRP]

About the food prices in Finland: - There are 3 main chains of grocery stores in Finland: S-Ryhmä, Kesko and LIDL - S-Ryhmä has the following stores: S-Market, Sale, Prisma - Depending on location these have different prices, Prisma being the cheapest and largest - Kesko usually has the following stores: K-Market, K-Supermarket and K-Citymarket - Again, depending on location these have different prices - LIDL is a germany owned company - They sell off-brand copies of products S-Ryhmä and Kesko stores hold - Generally the cheapest with lower quality Kesko stores are regarded as the most expensive ones, S-Ryhmä pretty much has the best value for money and LIDL is for those who want the cheapest stuff!

[@td6460]

Lidl is not lower quality... the other stores are notoriously overpriced and are known for price fixing, especially before Lidl.

[@TommiSRP]

@@td6460 I personally disagree. The offbrand copies are worse in taste and nutritional values. Some things like vegetables are worth buying from LIDL though! 😊😊

[@td6460]

@@TommiSRP That's called your own subjective opinion. Lidl products are not of lower quality. They win or rank highly in various tests all the time.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for the information. Very interesting! The shopping did cost a bit more than I thought so was surprised.

[@XIKaMuIX]

Not sure if its for you but you could attend "lavatanssit" in some location. If you know any dances it could be fun for you

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Sound like it would be a really authentic experience. I'd certainly like to see it!

[@LinneaElise365]

We will be there soon! ❤

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I’m very jealous! Have a fantastic time!! 👍

[@stasacab]

I have to agree on that. I have lived and traveled in the lake district for what, like 25 years or something and there is still lot to see and explore. I think it is one of the best places in Finland. OK, my tips for Finland, besides the lake district: Ahvenanmaa/Åland archipelago, coastal cities Hanko and Kaskinen, Hailuoto, some parts of Lapland, old mills of which Fiskars and Billnäs are the most famous.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for those suggestions, have just Goggled them and made a note of a few - they look like great spots to stop by. Sounds like you're a real fan of the lakes, I bet over 25 years you've seem plenty of incredible places. The size of the region amazes me, it feels like it's never ending at times!

[@jakesinnott4332]

@MattWhitingsEurope I loved watching this video, as it brought back great memories of driving the length of Scandinavia in the summer of 2023. Finland is right up there as one of the most naturally picturesque and scenic countries of the world. I wouid recommend driving up the easy of Finland from Jyvaskyla to Kuopio. That's a stunning drive too. I would also thoroughly recommend the forest road north of Kuopio to Kemijarvi. Fantastic scenery and with almost no other cars for several miles at a time. 🙂

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks very much, really appreciate you watching! Glad it could bring back some good memories for you! Thanks as well for those suggestions, they look like really fantastic places too! I’ll definitely make a note of them for considering on fitter trips. It’s definitely an area I want to return to someday - incredible place 😀

[@SRMal8723]

Not sure if you did already, but visiting koli is an absolute treat

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Indeed I did and very glad I got to visit Koli National Park - a true hidden gem in Finland’s east. If you’re interested you can see the video here ➡️ I Fell in Love with FINLAND | KOLI NATIONAL PARK 🇫🇮 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqS2eGOkns6Jbdk

[@mariamm9460]

Punkaharju i haven't been yet, but been dreaming to visit there, Savonlinna been as my uncle was living there ..thanks Matt for the great video❤😊

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

My pleasure 😊 It's a terrific area and I would definitely recommend it! Thanks for watching.

[@mariamm9460]

@@MattWhitingsEurope you are the most Welcome Matt😊I would love to visit and enjoy all the places which you showing on videos, so amazing as you are too 😊🇫🇮❤sorry to ask but are you from Scotland, I was visiting Scotland 2022.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

No not from Scotland, I'm an English lad! Where did you go in Scotland, I've been a few times and love the place.

[@mariamm9460]

@@MattWhitingsEurope hi Matt, I visited Edinburgh 2022. Have some Scottish friends online, and went there for music concert , stayed 3days ..Have lovely memories from there , I was thinking you from Scotland coz you looking like Scottish on my eyes ..🥰😊

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

That's funny because most people on these videos have asked if I'm Finnish. 😂 Edinburgh is a great city, spent an afternoon there last year when I drove up for a Springsteen concert.

[@Juissimies84]

Another entertaining video. Thank you for this. May i say one CON in my books? Mostly during scenery shots where music plays the music is quite loud compared to rest of video. This is only small improvement (imo). Other than that content is top notch! narrative is very interesting, calm and clear. Very pleasent experience overall. Now i´m of to sauna😌.

[@XGD5layer]

On my device the music is equally loud to when he's just speaking

[@Juissimies84]

@@XGD5layer Rewatched the intro and still keeping my statement. Could be my 10"/500W subwoofer and 7.1 setup that likes to go nuts. It´s still not a dealbreaker what comes to Matt´s videos. Don´t get me wrong :).

[@toinenosoite3173]

@@Juissimies84 You are right in keeping to your first opinion, as there is a clear difference in the music volume between speaking and other parts. Not that I think it is too loud in the non-speaking parts, but it is imo getting someshat close.

[@Juissimies84]

@@toinenosoite3173 Fair enought 👍

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you for the constructive feedback, it's always good to hear how people think I could improve the videos. I do actually make a slight adjustment on the music tracks I use, lowering the decibel level a couple of notches. Maybe I will try another notch of two. Can I ask how you are watching? TV. computer, phone? Thanks again and I'm pleased to hear you're enjoying the content.

[@SepyLi]

Nice to see a tourist outside of Helsinki, heh. The West coast also has some nice smaller places, like the old town of Rauma, which is a Unesco site.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you, a few people have said the same. I'd heard that most tourists either visit Helsinki or Lapland so I thought I would try something different - got to say I was really impressed! Thanks for the suggestion, I've actually heard of that before so will definitely consider it if I'm over on the west coast!

[@wantsomerye5537]

Two and a quarter-hour drive north.. Koli National Park?

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Great guess but nope 😐

[@Randomizer939]

Yay, my sister got married in the smaller section of the largest 😂 (1:56 on the right in the woods)

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

That's cool. You would need to know a lot of people to fill the main church! Congrats to your sister.

[@talvetar3385]

Definitely, visit Savonlinna and Punkaharju. Can be reached easily by train. Go To Forest museum Lusto and artistichouse Aseman taidelaituri. And eat local high quality food, fish and bison Burger.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Except for the first day I don't think I actually stopped in any restaurants for dinner or lunch, mainly due to time but also some of the places were so quiet nothing was open! I was pretty much always arriving late so likely missing the opening times. What's a bison burger like, don't think I've ever tried one of those?

[@talvetar3385]

@@MattWhitingsEurope buffalos. 😁Organic ones on this area.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@talvetar3385 🙃

[@leooneill1693]

Great video, where is the wooden fire tower you climbed? Many thanks

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

If you mean the one in the intro you can see more here ➡️ I Fell in Love with FINLAND | KOLI NATIONAL PARK 🇫🇮 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqS2eGOkns6Jbdk

[@leooneill1693]

Thanks Matt, I recently moved to Finland from Canada, and my wife and I are very happy with our move. There is so much to see.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@@leooneill1693 that’s great to hear, sounds like you’re enjoying the area! Koli is incredible if you get the chance to visit and that watchtower is not too far away! I definitely recommend. 👍

[@katiesaunders7297]

Nice video. I will be visiting the Lapeenranta region soon. Just one question- did you take any preventative measures against ticks? I have heard that TBE can be a problem around Finnish Lakeland- especially if hiking in forested areas and there is no cure for the disease? Thanks,

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Hi Katie, apologies for the slow reply. To be honest I hadn’t heard of TBE until you mentioned it. I did take mosquito spray with me (DEET) but didn’t use any as I didn’t really see or feel any mosquitos. I travelled in August/September so not sure if it had anything to do with that. There a good resource here -> bnvaccines.com/en-FI/disease-area/tbe-risk-areas-finland - sort I couldn’t be anymore helpful, I hope you have a great trip! 😀

[@maritaulmanen8793]

❤❤❤ kiitos

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for watching! 😀

[@HeikkiRistaniemi]

😊

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

😃

[@Pyhantaakka]

The disappointment when you find that hot rods are not actually hot. 🤭

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

It shouldn't be allowed! 😂

[@nuruddin8014]

I am watching video in Bangladesh

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Greetings to you in Bangladesh!

[@talvetar3385]

You can reach Lusto by train. So these places are not In the Forest.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

The Forest Museum is not in a forest?

[@talvetar3385]

@@MattWhitingsEurope I mean it is not In the Forest. It is one minute from railwaystation. You drive but most of the travellers use public transport.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@@talvetar3385 Yeah I see. Very convenient, I didn’t realise there was a train station so close.

[@talvetar3385]

Pun - ka - harrr- yu.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you, that's very useful. Will reference that in the future if I talk about the place!

[@nigelwatson2750]

You need to buy some protein

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Are you selling protein by any chance?

[@nigelwatson2750]

@@MattWhitingsEurope No, but all you got was processed carbs

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Fair point but I was aiming at bits that would keep for a while without refrigeration.

[@nigelwatson2750]

@@MattWhitingsEurope No problem, Matt. And thanks for doing your videos on Finland. Most Brits know nothing about this amazing country apart from dial a cliche lies pushed by the BBC and the rest of the MSM. Your supermarket shop will have surprised many Brits because they have been taught to believe that Finland is super expensive, when it is not. Do you have a Finnish wife? Do you live in Finland?

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks Nigel, no I don't have any relations in Finland I was just visiting as a tourist. Exploring a part of Europe I didn't previously know much about. Thanks for watching, I hope you're enjoying the trip!

[@neilritson7445]

If 'everyone should visit' then it'll get a bit overcrowded ha ha. Or your site will encourage overtourism. Had you no thoughts on that?

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I was speaking figuratively not literally. I don't think my channel is big enough to affect tourism in any meaningful way! I'm touched that you do. I suspect the official tourism campaigns will have more of an impact than I will, however let's face it, you could increase tourism by a factor of 10 and probably wouldn't notice that much of a difference. I guess they're my thoughts on that!

[@TheRus13]

The main thing is to learn to pronounce Finnish names :)

[@itseperkele181]

Nah, the main thing is to enjoy nature.

[@cinnamontea326]

Rally Finnish has it charms

[@Luontohaahuilija]

The nature is NUMBER 1 ❤ And a great roadtrip, thank you for that! 🙏 Pronanciation is really a secondary thing when enjoying Finland's nature and peaceful athmosphere❤❤❤

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I do try but when you visit so many different places it can be hard. Sometimes there's different information online and there doesn't appear to be any agreement towards a particular pronunciation.

[@noneofyourbusiness4830]

At least reading Finnish is straightforward, one letter, one sound. Not like English or French.

[@TheRus13]

Первый ! :)

[@Juissimies84]

...to fall in ukraine? haha

[@td6460]

@@Juissimies84 Voitko kehari jättää tommoset botti-tason kommentit semmosiin videoihin, mihin ne kuuluu?

[@Juissimies84]

@@td6460 Tuolla tavalla pyydettäessä, en.

[@rihc3584]

Please do not came to Finland. We want to live in peace here. No tourist here!

[@saaraa7876]

Boo hoo. Almost no one comes here anyways we’re not Italy or Spain. Welcome tourists!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Don't worry, I can keep a secret. It's the people I tell that can't.

[@ristovirtanen6396]

About the names of places and Finnish language in general you should know some basics. The stress is always on the first syllable and the letters are pronounced the same independent of surrounding letters. Every letter is pronounced, no silent letters. If you know Italian or German it helps. Another simple rule: one letter short, two letters long sound. Some details: u like in blue, I like in hit, e like in bed, o like in not, a like in car, y like in new or German ü, ä like in bad, ö like in girl, j like in yes, h like in hat.👌 harju = ridge

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

That's really helpful, thanks for the information and examples. Very useful. 😄