Welcome to our Finland documentary!
Finland is one of the most fascinating countries in Northern Europe. Located between Sweden, Norway, and Russia, this country of 5.5 million people has some of the most unusual and interesting traditions in the world.
In this documentary, we explore Finland’s unique sauna culture with over 2 million saunas across the country. We visit the reindeer of Lapland, discover the massive underground shelter system built to protect the entire population, and experience the official Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.
You’ll learn about Finland’s strange culinary traditions like cheese coffee, see how people cycle to work in -20°C weather, and understand what it’s like to live in a place where the sun never sets in summer and never rises in winter.
We also examine Finnish people’s unique characteristics, their honest and distant nature, and explore the country’s incredible social equality system where bosses and workers earn similar salaries. Finland’s education system, social benefits, and the unusual rules that govern daily life are all covered in this documentary.
This is a deep dive into a country that many call “another planet” – where nature belongs to everyone, lying is almost unknown, and life moves to a completely different rhythm.
Join us on this journey through Finland!
I know you love Northern Europe. I know. Glaciers, lakes, mysterious forests. But we’re going to a country that’s not just a cold geography. It’s literally another planet. Imagine a country where people drink 7 to 8 cups of coffee a day, let their babies sleep outside inus30°, and most importantly, they don’t know how to lie. I’m not exaggerating. I swear you’ll see everything soon. If you’re ready, we’re diving into Finland’s secrets. This northernmost country in Europe is located on the east side of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Sweden is to the west, Norway to the north, Russia to the east. To the south lie the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. It has an area of 338,000 km, but a population of only 5.5 million. Its capital, Helsinki, is in the south on the coast of the Gulf. Finland lived under the rule of others for centuries. First the Swedes, then the Russians for 700 years. On December 6th, 1917, it declared independence from Russia. It became a parliamentary republic. They were somewhat excluded by other Scandinavian countries because their origins are based in Asia, not Europe. This long history of occupation planted a deep fear in them. That’s why they’re prepared. That’s why they’re cautious. 70% of the country is covered with forests. There are 188,000 islands, 80,000 lakes, endless nature. And all of this belongs to the people. Anyone can go swimming in any lake, camp in any forest. The state trusts the people and the people trust the state. Finland’s foundation is based on this trust. And this trust is embedded in every aspect of the culture. Let me give you a shocking statistic. Finland has more saunas than cars. Over 2 million. Here, sauna isn’t just a bathing place. It’s a complete life philosophy. Every home definitely has a sauna. If not, there’s definitely one in the building’s common area. It’s a centuries old tradition. They enter completely naked without any embarrassment. Women with women, men with men, but it can be mixed too. Don’t be surprised. The most interesting part, even important business meetings happen in saunas. Politicians, CEOs, everyone meets here. Because in the sauna, everyone is equal. No one can deceive anyone. You’re sweating. You’re naked. No masks. This is Finland’s most genuine side. And this authenticity isn’t just among people. They have the same intimacy with nature, too. Finland’s biggest stars, reindeer. These animals are so natural here that they can appear while you’re walking on the street. In the north, in the Lapland region, there are about 200,000 reindeer. And they’re not afraid of people at all. You can feed them with your hands. Fins go on sleigh tours with reindeer. They wander for hours in snowy forests. These animals are also an important part of the economy. Reindeer meat, leather, antlers, everything is utilized. But what everyone knows, of course, is the reindeer that pulls Santa’s sleigh. That story comes from here. There’s really a Santa Claus village in Lapland. And when you go there, you can meet these magnificent animals. You get excited like children, believe me. But this fairy tale life isn’t just above ground. It continues underground, too. Finland’s darkest secret is hidden underground. This country has been crushed between Sweden and Russia for centuries. They lived with constant fear of invasion, and they literally prepared for a doomsday scenario. In the capital, Helsinki alone, there are underground shelters that can hide 1 million people. 200 kilometers of underground tunnels. These aren’t just empty concrete walls. Inside them are Olympic swimming pools, hockey fields, power plants, food storage, even saunas. Everything is thought through. Nationwide, shelters where 4 and 1/2 million people, almost the entire population, can live for a long time, are ready for use at any moment. Finland is peaceful but prepared. I hope they never have to use them. But unlike underground, there’s a complete fairy tale land above ground. We all wondered as children, didn’t we? Where does Santa Claus live? The answer, in Roven, Finland. There’s a village built right on the Arctic Circle, and Christmas atmosphere is lived here every day of the year. You can take photos with Santa Claus, write letters, even chat with him. The village has Santa’s office, elves workshops, gift shops, and most importantly, Santa Claus post office. More than 500,000 letters come here every year from all over the world. Fins take this tradition very seriously because for them, fairy tales aren’t just fairy tales. They’re a real way of life. And in this way of life, there are some very interesting flavors, too. Finland’s strangest drink, cheese coffee. Yes, you heard right. This drink called cafeost is especially popular in the Lapland region. They cut cheese called lipoto. We can call it bread cheese into cubes and put it at the bottom of the cup. Then they pour hot coffee over it. The cheese starts to melt, mixing with the coffee. The taste, at first it seems very strange, but then you get used to it. a salty sweet combination. They prefer it especially on cold winter days. It both gives energy and is filling. After drinking the coffee, you eat the melted cheese at the bottom with a spoon. I’d say try it. And in this cold weather, not only hot drinks, but also movement is very important. -20° snow is falling, roads are icy, and people ride bikes to work. Can you believe it? For fins, this is very normal. Bikes have special winter tires. Chains are attached to the wheels. They don’t slip. They wear special clothes, thermal wear, thick gloves, snow masks, and they pedal. Why? Because they love being one with nature. Rather than being in a closed car, they prefer to feel the cold air on their faces. Also, environmental awareness is very high. You see bicycle traffic in Helsinki streets in winter. We Turks are surprised, but for them it’s daily life. This is resilience. And there’s one more thing that tests this resilience. The sun. In summer months, especially June, July, the sun never sets. You go outside at 3:00 a.m., it’s bright. You look at midnight, still bright. Your sense of time completely disappears. People sit in parks at 2:00 a.m. having picnics, children playing. Your sleep pattern gets disrupted because your body gets confused about when to sleep. Fins love this period. They spend time outside. Festivals are organized. Music concerts happen. But there’s also the opposite. In winter months, the sun never rises like a nightmare. Darkness for months. This also greatly affects people’s psychology. Depression rates increase, suicide cases rise. This is the price of living on the Arctic Circle. But Finns got used to this, too. And maybe these hardships brought them closer together because these people are really different. If we had to summarize Finnish people in one sentence, naive but distant, honest, but cold. It’s very difficult to establish relationships. Chatting with people they don’t know is like torture for them. If someone sits next to you on the bus, they get uncomfortable. At metro stops, people stand at least 1 meter apart from each other. Have you seen the videos? Personal space is very important. But their best side is this. They don’t know what lying is. They trust the other person unconditionally. They believe everything you say. But if your lie is revealed, they’ll never deal with you again. Once trust is broken, it’s over. Before leaving home, they look through the peepphole to check if their neighbors are passing by so they don’t have to greet them. Isn’t that strange? But when it comes to their naivity, they have childlike innocence. They’re incredibly sensitive to nature and animals. And this sensitivity has some interesting rules, too. So, Finland is such a country. Cold but warm, distant but naive. Strange but fascinating. Maybe it would be hard for us to live there. We’d miss the sun, want to socialize, but to visit magnificent. Northern lights, reindeer, endless forests, thousands of lakes, and a people who know nothing but honesty. I hope you enjoyed this video. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and share your thoughts about Finland in the comments.