Finland's Taiga Forest Map and Travel Information
See Bears, Wolverines and More in Finland's Taiga Forest
Taiga Forest is a belt of Coniferous forest that rings the norther hemisphere. It is the world's largest terrestrial biome.
In Finland, Taiga forest occurs at around 62°N latitude in central Finland, the area south of the title on the map. In Finland, the Taiga forest is home to endangered species like the brown bear and the wolverine, as well as wild forest reindeer and moose which you can see and photograph. There are many tour operators who offer tours of the Taiga.
The combination of wildlife watching and other outdoor activities as well as insight into the heritage and traditions of the region plus a world-class chamber music festival won the Taiga Forest of Finland the title of Finland's Emerging Tourist Destination of Excellence 2008.
How to get to Finland's Taiga Forest
Kajaani and Oulu have train stations. The trip from Helsinki to Kajaani will take at least 5 and a half hours in summer.
Airline transportation is a common way to get around Finland. A flight from Helsinki to Kajaani takes about an hour. Other towns with airports can be seen from the map.
Finnair and Finncomm Airlines fly between Kajaani and Helsinki-Vantaa.
In summer you can easily drive between Helsinki and the Taiga Forest. Driving times should be comparable to train times or a little faster if you can resist getting out an gawking at the scenery.
What's to See in the Taiga Forest
There is, of course, tremendous scenery composed of hills, virgin forest, numerous lakes and rivers. For a taste of what you might see on a day's hiking in Oulanka National Park, a world heritage site near between the town of Kuusamo and the Russian border, see the pictures in the Wild Wonders of Europe Blog.
In April, the Brown Bears awake from hibernation and start wandering the wild countryside. There are many tour operators offering bear watching and photography tours. See the Wild Taiga list.
When you get tired of the wildlife, you can always plan a trip during the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival
Taiga Forest Travel Planning
If this kind of vacation appeals to you, there are brochures you can download for detailed information:
Wild Taiga - a map of the parks and attractions (PDF)
Discover Kainuu Guide - The people, history, traditions, and activities of the area.
Before you go, you might need...
Scandinavian Rail Pass (Scanrail) (Buy Direct or Get Information)
Information and map of Helsinki Airport.
Information on where to stay and other travel essentials: Wild Taiga
Naturegate has opened a site to help you identify the species of flaura and fauna you might find in Finland
More information about Scandinavia:
