Fairytale Finland - GoWithKids.com

Visiting Finland is like stepping into an air-conditioned room on a hot day. It’s forests, lakes and rivers present incomparable surroundings in which to relax and enjoy the fresh air. The magnificent archipelago landscapes provide the backdrop in a country that abounds with places to visit that have been specially planned for families with children. Here the children can let their imaginations run wild, play in a fairytale world and experience various adventures, families will never be short of things to do in the amusement and theme parks, swimming pools, zoos and science and culture centres. The following are just a few examples of areas in Finland where both children and their parents can have a great time!

Helsinki is Finland’s capital city and offers numerous opportunities for families to enjoy themselves. The best attractions for kids include Linnanmaki Amusement Park and the connecting new Sealife Centre, Helsinki Zoo, and the Fortress of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site were the kids can explore the exciting fortifications and visit the Doll and Toy Museum. Close to Helsinki in Heureka is the Finnish Science Centre, and Espoo, were kids will relish a visit to Serena Water Adventure Park with its indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, wave pool and waterfalls. The nearby hotel Serena Korpilampi is an ideal place to stay and they have all-inclusive packages for families that include free tickets to the water park.

North of Helsinki is the beautiful Lahti Region that offers an array of wondrous things to do for all the family. In the lakeside city of Lahti the kids will particularly enjoy visiting the many family attractions, especially on the City Train Puksu which travels through the streets taking you from one attraction to the other. For a great adventure take the chair lift to the base of the great ski jump and then the lift to the observation terrace at the top of the jump. Lookout for the open-air swimming pool at the base of the jumps. Also, for something more sedate, visit the Fishing Centre at Vonkale Lake. All the gear is provided and they even smoke the fish you catch on the site, an excellent lunch!! The Alex Park Hotel is ideally located in downtown Lahti and has excellent family facilities.

The Tampere Region also offers a wide range of interests for all the family. Tampere, the largest inland city in Scandinavia, is one of Finland’s most popular tourist destinations. Situated on an isthmus between two lakes, there’s plenty here for families to see and do. Especially recommended is the unique Sarkanniemi Adventure Park which consists of seven different areas where both children and parents can have lots of fun at the Dolphinarium, Aquarium, Planetarium and Finland’s tallest Observation Tower. Other places to visit include the Moominvalley Museum, Vapriikki Museum Centre and the Tallipiha Stable Yards with its many interesting workshops, of which watching Dammenberg chocolate being prepared is a particular favourite! If you want to stay in a traditional log cabin there’s an ideal lakeside property in nearby Lempaala. It has its own sauna and water-frontage with fishing, sailing, water skiing and jet-ski all available by arrangement with the owners who live onsite. Everything is provided and the owners will be there to make sure you have everything you need. (See contacts for details)

Naantali on the west coast of Finland is the home of the famous Moominworld, a happy theme park for whole family. A narrow bridge leads to the charming Kailo Island where Moominworld has been built, discreetly and with respect for the natural environment. Visiting Moominworld is like stepping into a fairytale and no matter how much you dislike children's theme parks, you will probably change you mind when you visit this magical land of make-believe. Nearby is Turku, the old capital of Finland. Children will especially enjoy visiting Turku Castle where they will be taken on the ‘Little Knight’s Tour’ which takes them into the world of secrets in a medieval castle. The tour culminates with an unforgettable ceremony in which each child is dubbed with the title of ‘Little Knight of Turku Castle’. Next to the castle is the Forum Marinum Maritime Centre where there’s a display of boats, scale models of ships and exhibitions.

Located between Turku and Helsinki is the Airisto holiday village, a quiet coastal resort with beaches, playgrounds and other facilities for children. The Airisto Strand Hotel is located close to the beach and is an ideal place to stay for families. They have minigolf, tennis, badminton and boats to hire.

Finland is one of most family-friendly locations to visit. Both Finnair and the Finnish Tourist Board make every effort to make sure that both you and the children enjoy your stay. English is widely spoken and most tourist information and many brochures are also available in English. The archives section of this website will give you information about Christmas in Finland and the useful contacts will give you all the information you require to arrange a visit to this beautiful country.