Most naturally beautiful part of Finland
 

Most naturally beautiful part of Finland

What is the most naturally beautiful part of Finland, (region?, county?, area?). I have 3 weeks to explore Southern, Eastern, and Western Finland (south of Oulu). Where do your recommend. My starting point is Helsinki, and my ending point is Turku (to catch a boat to Stockholm). This trip will take place in September, with IMPORTANT FOCUS on AUTUMN COLOURS.

I want to see the most colourful leaf changes in natural parts of Finland's forests, and I need to arrive at the peak of autumn colour season in Southern Finland. When would that be?

I've heard Koli National Park is the best?

Thanks

I don't know finland that well, but if you want to catch the autumnal colours, you need to stick to areas with dissiduous trees. I would imagine that the further north you go, the more pine you will find and so fewer autumn shades.
I would look online at the Finnish National Parks, and look what vegetation each seems to have, then look where they are.

Hello Saren,

IMHO Kuopio area especially Savonlinna is very nice.

Sami

As best I remember the deciduous trees (birches) extend north all the way to treeline, and they're spectacular during fall. Same in Norway. Best colors were late in the day, when the sun glides along just above the horizon. In the north, this was early to mid-September, so later in the south.

I was pretty jaded by the time I headed south through Finland after a couple of weeks riding in Norway, so I can't really suggest where the nice parts are. What I remember is a lot of flat, straight roads, a lot of lakes, a lot of gray skies and a lot of birch trees.

Hope that helps.

Mark

I spent a month last summer in and around Lahti, which is quite far south and thought the place was stunning (although the town itself is a little grey) but the lakes and forests were great. Then again every photo I've ever seen of Finland shows fantastic lakes and forests, so I get the feeling you'll strike lucky anywhere.

Oh and there were huge numbers of bikers down by the lakeside at the concert hall (Europe's largest wood framed building I believe). They'd park up have a drink one of the of bar-boats and then all ride off, and then the next lot would ride in, and repeat the process.

The norther you go, the better colours you see. That's because colours appear when frost bites the leaves and amount of sunlight decreases. In the north colours appear earlier and so do trees drop their leaves. If you see green forests, You have to ride up to north and if you see birches naked, you're too late...

I could imagine that lake area (including Koli n.p.) is the most exotic scenery in Southern Finland for foreigners. Archipelago of Turku is also worth visiting.