Finland - What NOT to Do in Finland
Heading to Helsinki, Turku, or just Suomi in general? Here are travel and tourist tips for getting the most out of your Finnish vacation. We give you the do's and especially the Don'ts of traveling in Finland. From cultural faux pas to food choices you should probably pass on and a bunch more fun travel and vacation tips for Finland.
Filmed in Turku, Finland
Copyright Mark Wolters 2020
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An addition to the loudness thing; don't play your media without headphones when you're in public transport. People might not say anything if you do but it's seen as irritating and rude.
Just as irritating and rude in the States, but most of the newer generations have been raised without manners and a sense of thoughtfulness.
Finnish people are very jugmental about that kinda staff, but still too kind to say anything about it. They are roasting u in their mind tho
Extremely irritating yeah
yeah...Finnish people wont say anything to you about it, but they for sure will side-eye you
bhahahah seriously? Finns do that! Just turn on their music loudly in shops and everywhere
Pronouncing sauna right isn't that important but it sounds better to Finns. Gifts when visiting are not expected but they are appreciated.
Pronouncing sauna incorrectly is not offensive to us or hurting anyones pride. We're not that stuck up.
A lot of people will correct you if you pronounce it wrong, but it's more like friendly ribbing than anything else. No one really cares how you pronounce it.
@@emponator It's funny though.
i would like but it's on 666
@@ZanzaPlayz It doesn't matter if you like it or not, someone will.
Ammonium Chloride: *Exists* Finnish people: "This is some serious gourmet shit"
Finally. Some food fucking food.
@@NicoKurse Definetly, 100%.
Y e s.
best comment
its delicious though..
We finns always love when foreigners take interest in our country and culture
I really do like watching videos about Finland by foreigners as a finn.
CORONA ENTERS THE CHAT
We love it especially when it's on the internet and we can say "Suomi mainittu, torilla nähdään"
@@tappavapahvi6184 mene sinä jonne helevettiin
No we don't like.
Here’s one: Don’t get on public transport until everyone has exited your doorway. It’s seen rude AF here to do that. We crowd that doorway, but we don’t go in. Don’t get out at the front entrance unless your invalid or elderly.
I used to live there for 3 months. The crowd at the doorway is extremely annoying because there is no place to get off from the bus! In Hungary everyone stands by the sides of the door.
Noémi Szabó that’s weird, it’s never been a problem for me, and I’ve lived here for 22 years. You should be able to get off without any actual problems (unless they’re drunks), but it’s just my experience.
Well added! Kiitos!
Come on, that's an international rule.
Same in estonia
"Don't break the law". Yes, good advice.
Only if you wanna be boring.
you can in here. you dont even have to sit in very long because you are foreigner.
@@ijustchangedmyname onneks täällä ulkolaiset voi, eivät edes joudu istumaan kovin kauaa, toisin kuin taas suomalaiset.
I absolutely see why that was mentioned. It's not that weird to like cross the street without waiting elswhere, but small things like that would be dangerous and rude here, especially outside Helsinki region. There's no "if it doesn't hurt nobody it's fine" policy here
We do by the law and the rules... As long as it's not about alcohol and drinking.
Here's one: i've seen so many tourists walk in the middle of the street, and take the whole street to themselves so just walk on the right side so we can go past. Thank You.
Walk the right side only except if you're turning left.
THAT is our untold pride! And a good reason not to travel out of Finland!
And just because you're asian doesn't make the walkways driveways.
SATE SATE SATE!
@@shortszoo What?
As a Finn I found these don'ts pretty accurate.
as a fellow finn, i find these don'ts pretty inaccurate. do what you want, just follow the law and public rules.
moppi6 tyhmä....
@@moi4820 olikos toi nyt sitte kivasti sanottu?
As a fellow Finn, I too find some of these don'ts inaccurate. Insulting the Finnish pride is laughable context, I don't give jacks shit about what people say about our culture nor the history, they are individuals and therefore have the same privilege as anyone else; to have an opinion. They have the right to say it and ain't nobodys job or right to get offended, it's a choice not a must. But such weaklings in mind should shut their mouth and move on over something that may not even consider about them as individuals. The other thing was the law, I sort of agree but I see tons of people still commonly breaking the most known don't-care-about-the-lights when it comes crossing over the street. It happens on daily basis but majority do still follow up to the rules and laws. Then there was this scandinavia thing, yes we are taught that we aren't part of it, but in UK it's the opposite, so it is understandable for people to assume it but I am not sure whether it's our job to correct them due to differing teaching. And the hockey ? Now this is the other part of Finnish pride, you can love the sport and the team, but my God if they play horrible in one year or a match, yes they SUCKED. There is no going around it, whether it's against Sweden or Norway, if they lose because they played horribly you need to bloody understand it and hope the next game goes better. I know the common phrase we have " As long as we beat the Swedes we're the winners " or something like that, yeah it's true and it feels kind of a victory over everything else but c'mon it's really not that big of a deal in hockey.
As a Finn as well I think the main reason to come to Finland as tourist is the fact that people are chill, down on earth and don't mind others business if not asked so being foreigner doing odd stuff will not be a problem at all. If you climb into a military base over the fence and get caught they will just say that due to the rules and whatever the area is only for army personnel so you cant be there and give a ride for you back to the gate of the base. Probably ask if you have already tried the sauna and salmiakki yet. Other than this there are EU countries with much nicer sceneries etc. if you are not interested of the bloody swamps full of mosquitoes.
Here's another: don't interrupt a finn when he's talking. Also if you're talking to a finn and he doesn't say anything while you're speaking don't assume he disagrees or is mad.
Thats funny, I moved here but I'm the one that gets interrupted quite often :D Besides, you should never interrupt others no matter where you are.
If you're talking to a finn and he doesn't say anything while you're speaking, stop talking so he can answer.
@@yassii7038 well yeah, but in certain cultures it's considered polite to let the other party know you're listening by constantly saying words like "yeah" "huh" "that's crazy" etc.
@@nikanor8152 Yeah true, my mom does that always while on the phone. But I guess personally I don't consider that interrupting (if its mostly just uhuh, mhm ect), more like “acknowledging what you are saying". But I can also understand if someone thinks thats annoying.
@@yassii7038 right, cuz that's kinda what I meant. Usually finns, myself included, think it's a bit rude
The "Do not compare Finland to Sweden" is very good. You'll definitely piss off a Finn if you do that. Being polite and not too rowdy while travelling via public transport is also very important. Another unspoken rule is that while travelling on a bus or a tram you shouldn't sit next to someone if there are other seats available. Breach someone's (very valued) personal space only if you absolutely must, lol. Plus, never cut in line, no one will say anything, but dear lord, will we be furious and offended.
Someone once cut me, I just pushed his stuff back and put my own in front like nothing happened.
I'm sorry but it's simple math, 11 is greater than 3. I am of course talking about Hockey gold medals.
@@DaDunge Congratulations, I am now positively seething with rage. You have bested me.
I don't feel so finn anymore after reading this, none of them applies to me.
You totally can compare if you say Finland's great and Sweden sucks
Also: Don't feed the seagulls.
Or pigeons in cities
As a Florida native, I complete agree.
mfs start eating eachother
Laksatiiviä ja leipää niille lokeille rannoilla 😎, paskaa jokaisen niskaan
And adore the seals! Saimaa variant of seal is one of our native animals, harming one will get you in serious trouble. 🤔😇
I don't think bringing a gift whenever you're visiting someone is common in Finland, but it's a nice gesture like anywhere in the world. *BUT* I think giving a pack of coffee as a gift is quite a finnish thing
Coffee is good if you know what type of coffee they like.
@@nikolas8428 Can't go wrong with filter Juhla Mokka. If they like something more special themselves, they will serve the Juhla Mokka for guests. 😁 However I think most people are fine with Juhla Mokka and it doesn't harm to sometimes use pack of something else what you aren't used to. It's still coffee so finns love it anyway. 😁
@@65EKS65 Toi juhlamokka on totta. Mutta välillä kuulee ku jotku ei tykkää ollenkaan jostain muusta.
paketti presidenttiä
U should give "koskenkorva".
Finnish people just radiate honesty. Only the Japanese give me the same vibe. And then there is Kimmi Raikenen: "Please leave me alone, I know what I am doing."
You can drop 'the please' from that sentence :)
Just to be that guy Kimi Räikkönen*
abu dhabis grand prix
Kimi Räikkönen.
"Kimmi" he said
Definitely do not stare at people, eye contact with strangers here feels like staring into the Sun (saying this as a Finn). Also, don’t talk to strangers randomly because we think you are either crazy or drunk (or a foreigner haha). Don’t listen to music in public without headphones.
That talking thing is so sad but true. First I am like oh how nice it is that some random human speaks to me in Finland that’s so rare but then I realise that I can’t get rid of him/her. So yes you are either little crazy or extremely drunk
Daniel Schadewitz noin nuorilta puhelimet pois
@@danielschadewitz3695 noh noh daniel
normally when random people speak to me is some foreigner who don't know how to reach their destination. And I do have seen a lot of kids using their BIG JBL speaker listen to music when they outside which reminds me they are really new generation LOL
I'd say if you are a foreigner you can absolutely talk to people randomly, like ask where to go or to help other ways. What's awkward is when you start having small talk with unknown people. But in my experience where going to the right direction and learning to communicate casually too. For the most part this would be one of those things we like to tell ourselves and think it has something to do with being a Finn. But to be honest it's not a helpful belief
In addition: don't expect to visit Helsinki and Lapland in one day. This is a thing that I heard upsets some tourists, but it's a very long way from Helsinki up to the North. Also no reindeer in Helsinki, unless it's an event where they bring out some Lapponian things. The reindeer skins at the tourist shops in Helsinki are literally just for the tourists. Also when visiting the Oodi library in Helsinki, please respect the privacy of the locals. Don't stop and stare inside the rooms, even though they have glass walls. The curtains don't cover everything, and while we don't mind a short glance when you're walking past, staring is rude. Other than that we are very proud of the famous library, and it's kind of cool to know so many tourists want to see it. Just be respectful, because it's an everyday place for us locals.;)
Hellsinki should be removed from the finnish map and donate it for North Koreans. It is the only country in the world, who deserves Hellsinki.
McQueenRLZ it’s Helsinki
McQueenRLZ i don’t get that? Lol are u making fun of helsinki or whats up
@@milooksala4544 He's making fun of the name. Dissing Helsinki is pretty common.
@@milooksala4544 HELLsinki
One more thing to mention! Don't piss off (vittuile) at Finns when you're lining to get your makkaraperunat from the grill.
In the wrong crowd, that's a surefire way to make acquaintance with a "keklu" or "mora" if you will...
You might get hit with "snägäriheijari"
Nyrkki naamaan
Most important rule
Bringing a gift when you visit someones house is a nice gesture anywhere in the world, It's not like it's a cultural thing here. I don't think it's even that common, to be honest.
True
Yup true
It is common to bring bakery or coffee package, when adult. As youngsters nah.
@@mikkolappalainen_ Define "adult"..? Finnish 18 year old boys with their brand new drivers license and rusty old BMW surely doesn't meet standards of being an adult by any means. 🤣🤣🤣 But yeah I agree with you that the bakery + coffee pack or even one or the other is quite common thing to bring. Not maybe if you visit your friend but for example if you visit your friends parents. e.g. me and my friend often go to my parents place to do something with our cars coz they have small garage, so he often brings baked goods to eat when we take a coffee break.
At least in Estonia, it used to be a nice gesture to bring something to the kids when visiting a family with young kids and you're a stranger/foreigner/1st time visitor. I might image sth similiar might be also in Finland. Nowadays I don't know really.
Other one: don’t compare finnish cities negatively to each other. If e.g you’re in tampere, don’t say that helsinki was more interesting or friendly place. Its kind of a clash of cultures, same way as sweden and finland.
No mut eihä siinä mitää sotaa oo, kaikkiha sen tietää että lappi on paras ja kehäkolmone pitäs polttaa
@@shortszoo sano toi stadilaiselle
@@thehatedones5153 Onko siel vielä muka suomeaki ymmärtäviä ihmisiä?
k k no vaik somaliaks
Voivittu, tampereessä pojat ei osaa tehä kunno subi leipää, äijät pistää 2 gramma lihaa
You know when the footage is old when there's no Kuoppatori in Turku.
Kuoppatori kauppatorin alla.
Heh heh
@@superananas What?
superananas mitö vittuu selität
@@jemlap Not sure if sarcastic, but I'm gonna explain anyways. Main market squire in Turku is now a fucking hole. They dug up the old bricks and are trying to build parking building under it. The ground is not solid so all the surrounding buildings are starting to lean towards the damn hole and no one wanted it.
I feel like only Americans wear shoes in there house. Where I live in Canada I would be offended if you wore shoes inside, you would track snow and mud and not to mention how dirty that. We also round up our cents we don’t have pennies either
Apparently they do that in Belgium as well. Had a belgian gf and went to her folks' place, took off my shoes, and they hated me for the rest of that gig going "does he think he owns the house taking his shoes off like that?" weird, really didn't expect the belgians to be like that
germany, austria, france, belgium, switzerland, italy, czech republic,...just off the top of my head, people who wear shoes indoors.
lauri finlandia definitely not in Czech, Austria and Germany.
@@joshualieberman1059 lived in all three of those countries for years, currently live in vienna, austria. yes, they do.
lauri finlandia that's very strange because I have a different experience, but my experience was regular apartments only where I followed what my host done. It was not like a mass dinner in a separate house where you supposed to like all have a dinner in one room. I mean regular guest visit/apartments is like I described. Special/mass events/house - it could be weird to expect 10-20 guests to take off their shoes to dine like in a single ground floor room. The same goes for Russia.
Finland has the friendliest drunks in the world.
I second this
When I was there in 1989 that was an issue when we arrived at the train station. It was a first impression so we were uncertain how friendly they would be.
You apparently have never been to the Republic of Ireland ^_^
medowucha looking for this comment😀
They do indeed!
Littering is also a big no-no here. It is especially bad when you discard your trash into nature. When planning a hike to the woods prepare to carry all of your trash back if there are no bins there.
it's sad how many people still do litter
ABSOLUTELY
Minä olen hollantilainen. Minä rakastan Tyrkisk Peber!
Hyvä
Oikein! :)
@@ahtogusuk nyt vittuilit väärälle jonnelle
@@ahtogusuk huutistelen kanavalles :DDDD
@@ahtogusuk ei jumalauta nyt se ruski helvettiin täältä :D
North-West of Finland is actually in the Scandinavian peninsula, but the general rule is just to call Finland a Nordic country.
It's not just the geological thing, the finnish language and culture differs from the scandinavia language and culture, so calling Finland scandic feels redundant
@@VonArmagedda What would be the significant cultural differences? Aside from the love of sauna.
@@herrakaarmeBiggest difference is probably the language.
@@luukkii Sure, language affects culture, but that wasn't really the answer I was looking for. In @UClBmPCmeDvFfyqZzCukJRMQ's original post those two things were also separated from each other, as you can see.
With Finland included the term would be Finnoscandinavia :)
I remember a time when coincidentally all the bands I was getting into where from Finland. My cellphone was Finnish too. AND I was watching The Dudesons on MTV
They have great metal bands.
About 20 years ago or so right?
@@ProfessorWolters now their metal bands are great. Nightwish is hot.
Professor Wolters If it was Dudesons on MTV it has been like 10 years ago.
Best Finnish rock n roll bands ever: Melrose and Hurriganes.
My tip as a Finn: Respect traffic rules, don't cross the read at randoms places and always wait for the green lights unless there isn't much traffic ;)
Don’t forget: Traffic lights are just a way for your government to steal your time :o
I must admit, I have developed quite a taste for salmiakki and terva candies. Super Salmiakki and Terva Leijona are strange but addicting.
Respect! 😎
Terva in any form is absolutely gorgeous. So soothing.
Try mämmi with cream ad sugar
@@edtheangler4930 hopefully soon i will get to try it in its home country along with sauna and sahti!
Beaver Creek Woodcraft varokki ettei se vitun mielipide muutu tai vien saunan taakse
It's cool to see someone showing Turku for once since most videos made about Finland are usually filmed in Helsinki
Åbo is cool
Turku perkele
Wonderful place indeed! Lots of love from ur little brothers in Estonia :)
@@rastas_4221 Ik that feel somewhat, last year we got drinking with some 40yo finnish dudes on camping site here, we talked estonian, they finnish but idk if it was the vodka or mby just out dialect and accent but could have decent convo haha
@@mixermaster10 Let's be honest half of the words are almost the same. I know "Kurat" means "More vodka", and you know "Perkele" means "More vodka".
@@taistelusammakko5088 Etkö sä poika osaa käyttää googlea? Kurat on Viron vastine perkeleelle.
"Estonia? You again?! Don't even think that we will accept you as a nordic country"
pena vitun idiootti :D
Was in Helsinki for work years ago. The people were so accommodating to us it was like we weren’t in a foreign country.
One good thing about learning Finnish, is that there are no silent letters. Also my advice when it comes to salmiakki, buy old cars (vanhat autot) and make sure its the bigger one that only has one car in it (not the box one)
There are actually a bunch of silent letters in Finnish but I guess there are less than in other languages.
@@mobiusygosh1tp0sts37 I might be stupid but can you give me an example?
@@mobiusygosh1tp0sts37 If there is silent letters in finland, they are so silent you cant even see them...
We have invisible letters here hahah. For example äng-äänne (no idea the english translation for that) in a word kenkä ( a shoe): even though it's written kenkä, the real pronunciation of it is closer to kengkä :)
@@jyrki2275 kzhead.info/sun/h7OuYbhvnYx9gZ8/bejne.html
"Yes is kylä" the difference between one and two L in word . . . kylä is small town and kyllä is yes. To say Kyllä more properly there is stop between L letters "kyl - lä" hold the L bit longer and so on . . . you can look up how they sound as text wont do it justice :D
"kylä is a small town I assume that you mean a village
@@SilverGamingFI yes
We dare to be loud only when no one else can hear it 😂🇫🇮
Ei vittu 😂 niii totta asuin vähä aikaa kerrostalos nii vittu et pelotti aina ku teki yhe kovan äänen. Et nykkö se naapuri sit tulee lol 🇫🇮
Or when we get wasted.
hahahahah
...and then there is this one night that you can without knowing it, figure out that Finland has won the Ice Hockey world championship! 😂 ...just by looking out the window!
Eikö maailmanennätys kovimmasta äänestä ollu suomalaisen?
My mother was a Finnish-American and I grew up in a very quiet reserved household. She would say that the Finnish language is "easy." I guess it was for her because she grew up speaking it. Good point on the "SOW-na"
It is sauna and not sawna after all.
yeah... its not so easy :) but fun to speak
@F.B.I Why speaking Finnish if you are not C.I.A.?
Its easy as heck
@@mibehu Se on Suposta.
i like how "big beer" was in the list of what you suggest ppl to learn to say in finnish :DD
iso kalja
iso kalja
Iso karhu, kiitos. Remember to say "thank you" when ordering your drinks, it's a nice gesture.
Don't eat Kärpässieni. Just a +1 tip.
Eat silokki instead
@@baka-oni8358 both edible,diff high
Yes 🙌 SÄ ET HALUU KUOLLA
Tuo muistoja lapsuudesta🤣
ah yes the *fly mushroom*
We don't care if you make a little noise and we certainly don't mind whether you say "sauna" correctly or not. Welcome.
Yeah, cultural differences... we Finns get it even from tourists and most of the time, it's fine.
Noise is annoying but finnish kids and teens are just as loud.
Don't take some of these too seriously. You can be loud outdoors, I don't think the majority of people mind too much. They might raise an eyebrow, but they won't be insulted. The issue is for example being on public transport like a bus or the train and speaking very loudly into your phone that's on speaker mode. Nobody is going to be insulted by you saying "sauna" wrong. Just enjoy it. Finnish people start learning English during 1st grade. Most people can understand somewhat to quite well, but many are self-conscious about their bad pronounciation. For the tipping, you can tip and the staff won't get upset at you like some other countries. Finland can be beautiful during the summer. As long as it doesn't rain too much. I hope if you come you can enjoy your visit to a country that isn't totally consumerized in terms of tourism.
Nykyään englannin opiskelu alotetaan 1 luokalla...
@@ogsonni mun 87 näkyy
@@td6460 jaaaa...
Everyone will mind if you play music etc in public
@@td6460 Kyllä se ihan 3lk alkaa ehkä 4
One more thing. Don't go there without understanding the daylight hours. I had a layover one December and it really threw me for a loop when it was still dark out at 9am.
also rember that in middle of summer, the sun almost never sets, so having sunlight at 24.00 do occure also.
Abhishek Rao go back to your own country
@@Winnahman OK, you going to help me with the costs?
@@Winnahman one bad apple here, glad we're not all like this
Generally keeping in mind that the seasons can be truly different from each other would be helpful. Then again there are years when christmas and juhannus (midsummer) are the same exact wheather with different lighting. You can't really expect meters of snow in the winter especially in the south every year. Look into the seasons and follow the weather predictions when you are about to arrive
I absolutely agree with the loudness, in my experience american tourists are always the so loud. They are hard to miss because of that
Well you don't notice the ones that you DO miss
Yeah Americans are so loud
Salty licorice is the only licorice worth eating. 😛
Yeesssss
I mean, I love the normal lakritsa, too.
salmiakki on pekeleen hyvää
Respects dude
Pretty impressive video. 😊 As a Finn I can agree with pretty much all of this. I would like to add, about wearing bathing suits or swimming trunks in saunas, it’s also a hygiene point. As the sauna is hot, liquids evaporate, and especially in pools if you’ve just been swimming in chlorinated water and hop in the sauna with your swimming costume still on, you’re going to be breathing in what you just swam in. That’s, for me, is the main reason I’d not be ok with someone wearing swimming trunks (etc.) in a public sauna (even if they’re clean, the other people around you have no way of knowing that, so the concern remains). I’m super happy you like it in Finland! Hope you continue to enjoy your travels in the future no matter where you go! 😊
That thing about the chlorine evaporating in the sauna used to be true back in the 70's. Nowadays public pools have better cleaning and filtration systems so they use a lot less chlorine in the water. It is however true that taking your swimming trunks into the sauna will make bacteria in the fabric multiply faster. The biggest reason for being nude in the sauna is out of respect for the other people that are also nude and as a way of honoring the sauna culture. Also, wearing a swimming suit to the sauna feels icky.
@@emmamemma4162 Though swimming halls do explain that as hygiene why all must go to sauna without swimming suit.
@@Aurinkohelmi Yes, you do see that claim sometimes.
@@emmamemma4162 that's not true at all. Swimming halls have hygiene rules, but in mixed gender public saunas pretty much all women wear swimsuits. And if a foreigner wears a swimsuit or a towel in any situation, no one gives a crap. Generally Finns don't really care to impose their rules on foreign visitors, if they don't affect them in any way. Meaningless honor rules are not a thing in Finland.
@@elinakeranen4499 I'm not that familiar with mixed gender public saunas, I don't think they're very common in Finland? I'd say wearing a towel is accepted almost everywhere, but wearing a swimsuit in some places could even result in being told off by one of the "regulars".
"they wait for the lights to turn green" paitti jos o stadilainen
In Helsinki we have these main autobahns: 10 seconds to cross or wait 1,5 minutes.
Here in Finland we have this "Joko askel pitenee, tai elämä lyhenee"
@@SuperPepsi96 correct!
@@tylsimys67 i will say that few ''goverment lottery tickets'' will change that habit quickly. tuli pari vuotta koettua muutamaan otteeseen, eka parilla varoituksella. ja sen jälkeen parin kympin pikavoitto valtiolle.
In Helsinki we don't wait for the lights to turn green if you're a pedestrian, but it's your own responsibility to watch out for the cars.
BIGGEST DON'T: When you are waiting in a bus stop, never make eye contact
@@tuurepelkonen1066 Yeah, and you also shouldn't use "How are you" as a greeting. Finns take it as a serious question and they don't answer "Great, how about you", they start talking about their broken car, dead grandmother etc.
How offensive is it? Is it the same as using urinal next to someone instead of spacing out?
@@ungovernableevilmonger4660 I mean that isnt that offensive, but staring someone in the bus stop is that you don't know anything about finnish culture
it's so weird seeing a travel guide filmed at my hometown where I could pinpoint the locations on a map exactly.
Indeed it is
perseenreikä
@@Bear00410 ööh?
Finland is a place for introverts and ppl who love peace and quiet if u love noise go to Vegas😂
This is not true though... anytime I need something done that involves other people I have so much trouble. Just because I don't know when to speak some service people don't take me seriously and all of them have great social skills. I always feel like they're in a class of their own and I'm very far behind. Speaking as an introverted Finn.
Sounds like paradise!
It's crazy how accurate these travel guides are
Mr Wolter, one of the things i like about you the most, is your confidence and your charisma
Thanks for the content Wolter - love that you’re able to deliver all these donts with a smile!!! 😂😂😂 my girlfriend and I just started our Channel and you remind us to try and keep it lighthearted!
There is so much negativity out there so we always stay positive. Good luck with the channel. I will take a look if you like
We couldn’t agree more with you Wolter! And thanks for the well wishes my friend, that means a lot 😊 we’d love you to take a look of course and all feedback very welcome ! Thanks again Wolter 🙏🏼
You ok Patrick? FINLAND!
What did you say perkele??
I'm a Finn so I guess I qualify as somewhat of an expert on this issue, so: We don't get offended if a foreigner pronounces "sauna" incorrectly using English or their native language. It's a word that is easy to understand no matter how you pronounce it. So one's biggest "problem" after pronouncing it in their own way is, that we Finns do like to educate people on how it's supposed to be pronounced. So either way, you are gonna end up having a discussion about how to pronounce the word, because, if you pronounce it correctly the first time people will be so surprised that they're 100% sure gonna ask you how you know the correct pronunciation. And if you don't nail it the first time, every Finn is happy to correct you (but not forcing) and telling you some of their craziest sauna stories. So either way, you are gonna make us happy, because if you pronounce "sauna" the correct way, we know you have taken some of your time and learned how we prefer it to be pronounced, and that shows some respect. But if you don't nail it, you're gonna have a 100% honest interaction with a local due to them getting to educate someone about the history of sauna culture, and trust me, we really like that :) Also, the prices here are actually really high, but as Wolter mentioned; don't get too scared when you look at the prices in Helsinki and other bigger cities. Those don't apply to other parts of Finland. If you come here and wanna stay on a reasonable budget and enjoy nature, I recommend renting a campervan (about 300-800€/week) and driving through our beautiful country, sleeping in camper areas and asking fellow campervanners tips for locations :)
Luckily this wasn't a long video, so it was easy to Finnish.
Nice one
Haha great
Badum-tss!!🤣
Underrated comment
Great upload! Thank you for showing my home country in positive light in your traveling series! Quite accurate list of don´ts too. One thing I would like to mention though, some Finns are rather stickt of their personal space and don´t like to be touched without a permission first, this may be a bit odd for a foreigner. Heartily recommending visiting sauna while in Finland, among other things. An enjoyable video, keep up the good work man!
Loved Finland in 1989. The vehicle decal of SF I know stands for Suomi Finland, the country name in both Finnish and Swedish. Our next tour stop after this was 24 days in the Soviet Union and the Leningrad tour guide joked that SF stood for Soviet Finland.
SF is FIN these days, they changed it around the 90's I think. Maybe because there was no more Soviet Union ;)
@@wtfronsson I'm really surprised they changed it to something based in Swedish versus say SUO. I guess they felt FIN would be better understood in more EU countries?
@@timmmahhhh I don't think it's based on swedish, it's FIN the same way as Russia's is RUS. More international.
Thanks for this 👌🏻 It cheered me up ☺️ Finland truly is a great country to visit and live ☺️
Finland would be a neat country to visit. When I was in high school, I was friends with an exchange student from Finland. He was from Savukoski. He did have family here in the US as his grandmother lived in Arizona.
Enjoyed watching the video. It's somehow heartwarming to hear an honest outside in view on how things work out here. One of my colleagues visited Finland a while ago and asked me a pretty strange question :"What are the bad or dangerous areas you should'nt go in Helsinki". I couldn't think of one. The good thing is really you can pretty much wonder around anywhere and you can feel safe. Anyway. Thanks for the good video. Enjoyed it.
I can't wait to visit Finland in a couple of months with hubby and my sister - thanks for the very informative videos on the dos and dont's. 😊😊😊
Thanks for the tip, I'm pretty quiet so it helps to know the locals won't mind me asking if I need assistance.
i totally agree about these as a Finn.!! it's quite expensive here, but if you're staying just a while you should be fine. i would also add, don't be afraid to talk to people.! :) even though Finns are not very outgoing, usually everyone is very kind and helpful, and also very happy to talk to someone who came as a tourist :) also, nature is sooo beautiful even though cities are not that interesting😂🙈 so just go to the forest or an island and enjoy the nature :)
Signs in Swedish is a thing only in western and southern parts of Finland
Love Finland! We are visiting friends in June...It is beautiful and the people are so polite and a lot of fun!! Be polite too!!
Pidä hauskaa / have fun
Instant like dropped just from the "don't be loud"
ainakin täällä meillä päin teinit on äänekkäitä ja varsinkin bussissa ne pitää kunnon melua. paska puhetta toi hiljaisuuus.
Thank you so much for sharing! My great grandpas parents were from Finland and I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m starting to educate myself now so I’ll be ready to go in the next few years ☺️
Also, as a finnish person I do think these tips really are accurate. Thanks Wolters world!
We visited Helsinki last May and I miss it like crazy. It was fun and it is so beautiful! I can’t wait to go back and explore more!
You shoud go to tampere and try mustaamakkaraa
As a Finn there is few points what I want to comment: 1. We are not antisocial and quiet people. If we do not have small talk culture or hug unknowns it doesn't mean that we are quiet. 2. You don't have to buy these small gifts allways when you visiting someones home. 3. Actually salmiakki is not a liqourice. It is made by salty acid and ammonia. It's a different thing than liqourice.
Salmiakkimakeisissa on yleensä myös lakritsaa. Salmiakki on ammoniumsuola jota lisätään lakritsaan, siksi sitä kutsutaan maailmalla nimellä ”salty liquorice”.
Me todellakin ollaan antisosiaalisia ja hiljaisia mitä hittoo jäbä selittää 😂
Absolutely incredible video! Great stuff here. Hoping to visit this summer and if I go I will certainly apply these principles! Thank you for sharing this with us!!! All the best from the west coast of Florida USA!!!
Suomi rakastaa Wolterseja! Great seeing you enjoying your time in Finland and letting the world know about our country. I especially love hearing about your exchange experience here, as I did the opposite goimg from Tampere to Illinois!
I am from finnish and this guy is talking true! Good content keep it up!!
If you're in major cities. Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku. Most pepole can speak english well.
ei edes noissa.
Ei ole merkktystä sillä oletko cuck cityssä vai Rovaniemellä...
toi antaa sellasen kuvan et suomes ei puhuta/ymmärretä englantia kuin noissa yllämainituissa kaupungeissa ku se on kaikkialla.
It's good that we have google translate these days :P, I'm going next year to Suomi (in september, Oulu and some places around) im learning the Suomi language atm!
Visited Finland twice thanks to your videos. Turku was the one place I did not get to visit yet. I can't wait to go back! Maybe to live there.
Definitely a great video! Those don'ts were so accurate!!
You can't beat the sauna life. I love that wood smell.
Finland is on my list!
Recently stumbled upon your videos and I’m addicted also your children are so well behaved and adorable
Great video man. Usually these types of videos are no go as a finn, but kudos for your Finland knowledge. + Nice reportering 👍🏻
Geographically speaking there are only two Scandinavian countries; Norway and Sweden - as they are located on the Scandinavian peninsula and the other Nordic countries are not. However, this peninsula is part of Fennoscandia which includes Norway, Sweden, Finland and a part of Russia. But few people in the Nordics use this expression. To make things even more complicated, even a lot of people who speak English fluently in the Nordic countries don't use or even know the English expression "the Nordics", but they'll understand what you mean by "the Nordic countries". Furthermore, a lot of us Scandinavians include Finland when speaking of Scandinavia. Perhaps this is more common in Sweden, where I'm from, than in other Nordic countries. If so, it could have to do with the fact that Finland was part of Sweden for a long time and lots of people in Finland speak Swedish (especially along the coast).
lol sounds like the situation here in North America (same complication, though I guess the opposite in a way since they're trying to be excluded rather than included over there) where Latin Americans insist that it's offensive to call US citizens "Americans" because Mexicans and Central Americans should be called "Americans" too. Of course the difference in that case is that schools in Latin American countries teach that North and South America are really one continent called "America," whereas schools in the United States teach that North and South America are two continents, and it's fine to call people from the USA "Americans" since one's continental origin can be expressed with the terms "North American" and "South American." tl;dr Don't use the terms "America" and "American" for the USA and US citizens, respectively, when speaking with a Latin American. Especially those who don't speak English as a first language, since they don't really have a way to understand how strange it sounds in English to call us "Usonians," "Usanians," or "Unitedstatesians." p.s. If any Latin Americans are reading this, just to explain the way English demonyms work, our country would have to be called Usonia or Usania for Usonian/Usanian to sound correct in English, and in order for the word "Unitedstatesian" to sound correct to an English-speaker, the country would have to be called Unitedstatesia (sort of like Russians are from Russia, not just Russ).
@F.B.I Yeah, sometimes I get carried away and sometimes I get really careful about people not misunderstanding me.
I speak Finnish as my first language like all of my family, but I come from the coast so I speak Swedish fairly well and I understand Norwegian quite easily too. Maybe that’s why I’ve always considered myself as someone who could claim to be Scandinavian as I se the term more linked to culture than geography. I think the way people view their shared history and the shared language between Finland and Sweden affects whether they consider Finns as Scandinavians. Like it was said in this video, there may be some Finns who still hold a grudge towards Sweden (although the grudge towards Russia is much stronger) and there are quite a few Finns, especially in rural Finland, who are strongly opposed towards the compulsory Swedish that is taught at schools. These Finns might not claim themselves as Scandinavians quite as readily as I might.
Finns consider themselves as a part of Pohjoismaat (North countries) so Nordic means basically the same thing and will do just fine. Finland is even politically the same union.
@@Sarana. I think that swedish should not be mandatory to learn in Finland. Yet it should be an option from early on. I do not mind if someone calls me scandinavian.
You make Finns sound a lot more uptight than we actually are :D No one gives you a bad eye for not knowing how sauna is pronounced in Finnish. Making noise is situational. Go to an amusement park and it gets loud. Likewise the Swedish thing may have been more prevalent 10-20 years ago, but these days I’d say many Finns appreciate our lovely neighbor and openly acknowledge where they are “better”.
You've got a very heartwarming way to explain, so nice to listen to you 💛
Great review, i can respect how Thoroughly you have studied Finnish norms and culture! Great video!
This is useful, as I’m actually going to Finland on Friday :) (to visit a friend), will be in Helsinki
Visit Korso or Kontula! They are beatyfull part of Vantaa-Helsinki... If you come to Korso visit restaurant called Mikkis it's great!
@@ogsonni Ei vittu äijä
@@ogsonni kontula ei jumalauta
@@ogsonni korso aint that bad but the other one is just..... full of shit
Don't be surprised if Finns invade your Finland related videos comment section. We'll go apeshit when someone talks publicly about Finland.
It's lovely that you had a good gap year and are able to keep coming back to see friends you have here. In Finland we are reserved, but when someone is a friend we consider hän a friend for life. It's also nice that you can introduce your family to Finland, too.
Wolters, as the saying goes, "beauty's in the eye of the beholder" only those who have a true passion for and appreciate the beauty of nature, will give Finland a thumb up.
Fantastic video, always love to see my country in media with a good light! But some things to note here, I'd say that being loud isn't that bad, but you will attract some weird gazes and also we are aware that we are not part of Scandinavia, we don't like to be reminded of that as well. As for sauna it doesn't really matter, me and mates usually go in naked and with swim-shorts if it's for both male and female sauna, don't stress it if you feel uncomfortable being all naked and don't want to sweat on your towel, just go with the swim-shorts or w/e. You might get some old geezer saying something like 'You know you come naked in here" but you can just ignore that, he is just trying to help you out. Walking across a street with a red light isn't a death sentence, some ppl might get upset and the police with show you to go back if they catch you. I do it often when there's no cars coming whatsoever from both sides of the road Otherwise this video is on point ! Love from Finland and please, visit us! Especially duirng the summer season, there's plenty of festivals to see!
3:35 This is the best advise!!
Finland, the country where l grew up, is truly a wonderful country! l urge all people to go out and explore it!
Great video. I am finnish and can say that your tips were really good.
Most Finns grow up eating salmiak. And when you grow up thinking that salmiak is really considered edible and a normal type of candy you will also know that it's actually not salty. The wonderful taste is a blend of liquorice and ammonium chloride and you should be able to tell the difference between the taste of salt (sodium chloride) and ammonium chloride. Now I'm afraid that I will open a small bag of salmiak that is on my kitchen counter. If I start, I can't finish until it's all gone. And then there's mämmi (Finnish malt pudding) which looks like something that a cow might have dropped on a field but tastes much better. (Not that I have ever tasted cow droppings :-) ) Extremely good especially with cream and sugar.
Oh lord, I'm from Sweden, but my girlfriend is between us (Åland) and she wants me to try Mämmi. I tell her that I try it when she tries surströmming and we instantly start a mini fight about who will hate which dish most. 😂 Finland is amazing tho, even tho it should be considered eastern Sweden. We also call Norway western Sweden. 😉😉
If you have ever tasted the Belgian Chimay beer then you will have some expectation of the taste of mämmi (or memma in Swedish). It doesn't taste the same but there's something mämmi-like in Chimay.
@@jmtikka Thats the malt in both of them
Being a very quiet person myself, I think I would love your country. :D Also I really like the Finnish language, it might be difficult, but at the very least it's one of those languages you can read (almost) exactly as they are written. :)
Sadly, the register of language used in written text tends to be a lot more formal than anything anyone ever speaks, except in old movies. So instead of saying "Minä tulen", we'd say "Mä tuun" (or if you're in Carelia, "Mie tuun") - instead of "hän", "se" and so on. I have a British friend who has been studying Finnish and he almost gets angry when people say Finnish is written the same way it's spoken because the style difference makes the actually written and spoken languages so different.
Just married on April 9th on my millionth trip🤣. I swear all the seasons happened in 20mins and it still feels like winter to this Texan. Plenty of shops were open but not for sitting and eating due to corona. Love This place!!
I would have never known to pronounce sauna and also seeing the signs change would be very confusing! Thanks for this! So fun learning about other places
Turku is an absolutely beautiful city.
If you have any kind of experience in the military, you'll have something to talk about with most Finnish men. Almost all of us went through 6-12 months of training for the defense force. It's like a basic training thing, a military school for teens. Many have fond memories from that time. The women will think that's the most boring subject though.
I’ve been to Finland a fair few times and I plan on studying there. I usually stay in Matinkylä which is a great place. Everyone you say is pretty accurate. Made my chuckle
And we love icecream. We enjoy it even wintertime! 🍦
It looks like a beautiful place. ❤
It is 🇫🇮 I create videos of Finnish nature.
It is
Well yea... it is pretty beautiful...
Rules-based and quiet? I would love it there. I'll have to schedule a visit.
Same. I heard they also love their dogs, which would make it heaven for me.
@@kristine6324 actually, the only time you should talk to a stranger in here is when you ask if you could pet a dog. That's not offencive, but if you try to small talk it isn't comfy anymore.
Its always good to give tips, if you get good service. Its much appreciated.
This video made me to start wanting to visit Finland again!