Finland For All – Everyman’s Right to Roam in Nature

Finnish culture is rooted in a close relationship with nature. With the rules of Everyman’s Right to Roam, the outdoors of Finland belongs to all.

It wasn’t until I adventured through Finland’s southwestern landscape that I truly understood what Everyman’s Right meant and the sense of wellbeing that defines the national ethos.

The core of Finnish culture is a close relationship with nature, and the right-to-roam philosophy is deeply entrenched here. 

It comes as no surprise that the country’s national parks, islands, lakes and open spaces are preserved – they are considered an important part of the natural heritage and the most treasured attraction for locals and international visitors alike. Importantly, Finns know all too well the health benefits of being within such vast, open spaces. As a result, the Everyman’s Right law was introduced to make these spaces freely accessible to all. 

The outdoors of Finland belongs to all.

Right to Roam in Finland: What Nature is Freely Accessible?

Everyone can roam free in the rather large garden of Finland. Rules permitting, every single person is free to visit every open space, and by that I mean:

• 188,000 lakes
• 35 national parks
• 2,212 hectares of restored forest
• 7,000km of marked trails
• 3,000 picnic sites
• 2,380 ancient heritage sites
• 312 protected buildings and thousands of islands

That’s even before you’ve thought about swimming, kayaking and boating in the lakes, seas and beaches.

Welcome to outdoors Finland. I learnt all about this at the Finnish Natural Centre Heltia, which sits on the edge of Nuuksio National Park, on a trip in association with Visit Finland.

This ecological centre, which opened in 2013, not only educates and promotes nature conservation; it’s also a hub where people can plan everything from small walks to grand treks with outdoor experts.

They even have map services, because everyone loves maps (and in the more remote parts of Finland, you really need them).

Experiencing Everyman’s Right in Finland

Southern Finland Nature Focus

According to the National Heritage Services (NHS), more than half of the turnover of Finland’s tourism comes from the Helsinki area, and more than half of Finland’s foreign visitors come here for nature. Closer to home, it has been said that urban residents are increasingly unfamiliar with nature, especially in Helsinki (the lures of city living). Therefore, encouragement of the great outdoors is heavily promoted in this region, with more than half of the NHS workers situated in Southern Finland.

It really is a big deal down there.

Silence.

Serenity.

Spaciousness.

READ MORE: Where to Go in the Southwestern Finland Archipelago

Visit Nuuksio National Park

About 30 minutes from the centre of Helsinki lies the incredible forested, lake-filled paradise of Nuuksio National Park. Now I’m one of those people who, after seeing the Himalayas, can’t help but see a lot of natural space as inferior, but Finland pretty much surprises you – especially with space like this so close to the chic capital city.

After a brief trek along the forest’s marked paths, we came to the lake; some swam in its waters, others relaxed and reflected. We then cooked sausages and giggled around the campfire before trekking out of the park via a different route.

Studies show that time spent surrounded by flora and fauna, and in the fresh air, increases happiness, encourages being active, and reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones.

It certainly was a happy afternoon for me. Wouldn’t you feel like that surrounded by all this?

Everyman’s Right – The Outdoors Revolution

It’s incredible how much freedom you have to roam within Finland’s natural landscapes, with so many measures put in place to encourage you to get out there and enjoy.

• You are allowed to walk, ski, boat and cycle anywhere outside of private yards and fields
• You can spend 1-2 days in a tent or on a boat at any spot throughout the country, except on privately owned land
• You may swim and wash on the shores of the sea, the lakes and the rivers
• Everybody is allowed to pick forest berries and mushrooms, and angling and ice fishing are allowed at lakes without a permit
• You can light a fire at any of the designated campfire sites. Firewood is freely supplied by the government, which I thought was a great touch

These are all permissible, provided you do not venture on private land or disturb private property; disturb wild animals and plants; make too much noise; use liquid waste or put rubbish in the natural waters or on land; damage trees, plants and rare species.

Hunting and fishing are restricted activities that require an official permit, though the National Heritage Services is making permit issuance more readily available.

READ MORE: Biking in Helsinki – Finding the Nature of Finland’s Capital