Recipe for a successful summer holiday trip – summer bucket list

1. Visit the market square or market hall

The atmosphere in the market square or market hall will put you in the right mood. You can enjoy a market square coffee, stroll around, explore and buy strawberries, peas or presents. There are lively market places, for example, in Helsinki, Turku, Savonlinna, Kuopio and Mikkeli. Have a chat and a coffee with a local. Locals can tell you what you should experience in the destination.

2. Tips from locals

If you have received a good and feasible tip from a local, go with it! Do not google everything in advance – you should spare some time also for aimless strolling. For example in Turku, you can wander about the River Aura riverbank and visit the restaurant, river boat or cafe recommended by the local. Locals know the secret gems of the city that would otherwise remain hidden for the visitor.

3. Climb high

Hike to the highest spot of your summer destination – enjoy the view and grasp the entire destination at one glance. For example, the Haukkavuori Lookout Tower in Kotka city centre offers magnificent views of the city centre and the Gulf of Finland.

4. Summer tips for children – find a beach

There are plenty of beaches and water areas in Finland. A local beach provides summer joy for the entire family – you can easily spend the whole day on the beach or just take a quick and refreshing swim. The one-kilometre long Nallikari beach in the City of Oulu, Opens in a new tab is an example of the best beach life and it also functions as the summery living room for the locals. Remember to eat ice-cream; have you already tasted the new summer flavours?

5. Taste the traditional local delicacies

Be a bold tourist and taste the local delicacies: black sausage in Tampere, Lörtsy pastry in the Savonlinna Market Square and Kalakukko fish pie in Kuopio. The market square or market hall is usually the best place to find these local specialties.

6. Experience culture

The local open-air theatre or regional museum – threat or possibility? We recommend the latter, in other words, open-mindedly familiarising yourself with some form of the local culture. You get a magnificent experience and can strike off the “summery culture experience” from your bucket list. You should experience, for example, the Parikkala Sculpture Park, Opens in a new tab where you can enjoy the co-existence of Finnish nature and 560 concrete sculptures.

7. Present to bring back

And finally, do not forget the most important thing: to buy presents to bring back. Although you can cherish your holiday memories through photos, it’s also nice to bring back something concrete from your holiday. Our simple recommendation is local bread. Products from the local bakery are delicious and practical presents to bring back home, as they are something that cannot be found from your home town. For example, Pekka Heikkinen’s bakery in Kajaani is a classic where the great local bakers have shown their skills since 1913.