Finland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

After exploring historical Suomenlinna, continue on to Old Rauma, the largest wooden town in the Nordics. Rauma is easily reachable by bus from Helsinki. Timetables can be found on Matkahuolto's website at matkahuolto.fi.

The Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site is actually shared by two countries, Finland and Sweden. This is the best place in the world to experience and understand land uplift following the last Ice Age. To get there, travel from Rauma to the city of Vaasa. The fastest option is by car. Car rental companies, like Europcar, operate throughout the Rauma area.

Continue the journey by train from Vaasa to Petäjävesi. Timetables are available at VR's website vr.fi. In Petäjävesi, visit Petäjävesi Old Church, which exemplifies the North European log construction technique of the 18th century and invites visitors to experience Finnish rural life, then and now.

The Struve Geodetic Arc in Jyväskylä is just a short train or bus ride away from Petäjävesi. This gigantic measuring tape was used to determine the shape and size of the Earth back in the 19th century. One of Finland’s best-known points is Oravivuori in Jyväskylä.

The next UNESCO destination is the Verla groundwood and board mill, located in the old mill village of Verla in the Kouvola region, where you’ll experience everyday work and life during the 20th-century manufacturing era. You can take a train from Jyväskylä to Kouvola, then drive 30 minutes from Kouvola to Verla. In the summertime, there is also a bus from Kouvola to Verla.

After visiting Verla, return to Helsinki via Kouvola. The easiest – and most scenic – way is by train. The two-hour ride features gorgeous views of Southern Finland’s fields, forests, and wooden houses.