Urho Kekkonen National Park, also known simply as UKK, was founded in 1983 and covers an area of 2,550 square kilometers. It is Finland's second largest national park so there is plenty to see and…
Trekking at Urho Kekkonen National Park, part 1
Category: Tips
Nature encounters at Bergvik nature trail in Salo
Bergvik manor and its nature trail in Kruusila village in Salo municipality in Finland has been on my list of interesting nature destinations for a long time. Finally I had a chance to visit it…
Food from the nature – luscious lingonberries
Lingonberries are red and juicy berries that are slightly acidic. Picking season for lingonberries is from September to October, so now is the perfect time to go find them. On average year about 250 million…
Out in the Nature Quiz – Can you match the autumn leaves to the trees?
Autumn leaves are falling down. What a month ago was beautiful fall foliage is now turning to bare trees as deciduous trees are shaking off their leaves and getting ready for winter. Walking on a…
Deer keds that annoy the crap out of you in the autumn
Deer keds (Lipoptena cervi) are usually found on deer, elk and moose, but occasionally bite humans and domestic mammals. They are those annoying little insects that fly directly on to you in autumn forest, crawl…
Astonishing Äkässaivo on Saivonkierros nature trail in Muonio
Äkässaivo lake and impressive seida rock Seitapahta in Muonio can be visited by 3 kilometers long circle trail called Saivonkierros. Beautiful barbeque hut provides a nice resting spot near Äkässaivo in case you want to…
Foraging for the most common mushrooms in Finland
The most common mushrooms in Finland to harvest include chanterelles and boletes. We Finns are crazy about mushrooms, and we even pick many poisonous mushrooms. Consuming poisonous mushrooms is safe only if you know your…
Hörtsänä Arboretum’s story deserves to be told
The Hörtsänä Arboretum in Orivesi municipality in Pirkanmaa region is a private nature reserve that was established as arboretum in 1909 but later on forgotten for decades. It is a charming garden forest that once…
Taivaskero trail in Pallas
Taivaskero trail as well as many other nature trails have been unusually popular in the summer of 2020 because of the corona situation. This was obvious in July on the parking lot of the Pallastunturi…
Sukulanrakka devil’s churns in Rovaniemi
Sukulanrakka devil's churns are located just 25 kilometers south of Rovaniemi in Rautiosaari village. Rovaniemi is most known for Santa Claus, Artic Circle, and Northern Lights, but hardly anyone knows about this stunning nature sight…