Tempted by cycle touring for a while? You'll be ready to take the plunge on this wonderful two-wheeled adventure after reading the story of these two lovers of travel, food and cycling. Frédérique and Le Yin decided to explore Finland and share their highlights, top tips and advice here. Cycle touring — an experience not to be missed!
For the past few years, our summer holidays have meant cycling adventures on the road. After Denmark and northern Germany, this year we continued our cycle touring adventures in another Nordic country — Finland, more specifically the lake district and the archipelago! It was the perfect route to discover Finland's diverse landscapes, from forest to sea.
On every trip, we never had a set route before setting off — just vague ideas about regions to explore. That is the TRUE luxury of cycle touring: deciding your itinerary at the last moment, with the freedom to change plans off the back of a conversation with a local. There's something quite exhilarating and joyful about that. Of course we have the broad outlines of our journey, but we love leaving room for the unexpected. The kit for a cycling trip is probably the element that required the most forward planning and organisation.
The cycling adventure starts here!
The start of the trip focused on the lake district — the central part of Finland — with Jyväskylä as our base. We were quickly fully immersed in the Finnish taiga, yet with very pleasant cycle paths. At every stop, a dream setting of a lake and a jetty was never far away. Just the thing for a quick dip to cool down.
Then we loaded the bikes onto a train and headed for the west coast!
Through our conversations and drawn by the sea, we chose to cycle along the south-west coast, hugging the shoreline through the Archipelago all the way to the former capital, Turku. Yes — the Archipelago, a name with Greek echoes to our ears, which didn't fail to catch our attention.
We loved the alternation between our cycling sessions and our breaks on the ferries. These crossings from one island to another across stretches of sea were a real highlight. They were our moments to pause, catch our breath and rehydrate — but above all to admire the islands of the Archipelago from a different angle.
Finland, the perfect destination for cycle touring
Let's quickly reassure anyone hesitating to embark on a cycle touring adventure in Finland: go for it! There are no major difficulties. The country is flat with very little elevation gain, apart from a few "bumps" as one cyclist we met along the way put it. And as in other Nordic countries, almost everything is adapted for cyclists, with good stretches of dedicated cycle paths all over the place. Where there are no dedicated paths and you have to share the road with cars, drivers are so considerate it's actually a pleasure. They slow down enough, and will even let you crest a hill or cross a junction at your own pace. We alternated between decent-sized cycle paths, forest tracks and even sharing the road with cars — which were mostly absent anyway.
We particularly loved our long morning rides. Waking naturally at 6:30 am, it wasn't unusual to be on the road by 8 o'clock. Those moments were magical — almost hypnotic.
In those early hours, not a car in sight — the tarmac or gravel was all ours. The near-perfect road quality meant we could pay less attention to our riding, letting our minds wander. More often than not, we'd be lost in thought for long stretches. Better than therapy:-).
Then, around a bend in the road, we were brought back to reality in the most wonderful way. The cry of wild geese overhead would pull us out of our thoughts. Sometimes those famous V-formations migrating to distant lands would accompany us for a stretch of road before veering off in another direction. At other moments, our gaze was drawn to a roe deer or a doe galloping in the distance before disappearing into the surrounding undergrowth — no doubt taking us for some kind of predator...
Small pleasures of travelling as two (wheels)
Breathtaking scenery
The roads that plunged into forests of towering fir trees were a delight. They offered natural shelter from the cool breeze, with the added bonus of the beautiful scent of spruce and pine.
On other paths, bushes speckled with small red and black berries would force a short stop for a spot of foraging. In Finland, berries and soft fruits are everywhere. There's nothing quite like an impromptu little harvest during your rides. The raspberries and blueberries from our fleeting foraging sessions had a very special flavour — so good it will be hard to find anything to match them back home.
Where there's a lake, there's a jetty — especially in Finland. It became our travelling obsession. Stopping on a jetty for a meal, to catch our breath, take a photo or simply soak in the scenery. Any excuse was good enough to pull over at these wooden structures.
Accommodation as close to nature as possible
One of the best ways to experience Finland is probably the famous Laavu (similar to the shelters in Denmark) — open-sided shelters for picnicking and camping overnight, with a dedicated barbecue area (essential, naturally), some basic kit for spending the night and often an idyllic view. It's a wonderful way to get truly close to nature.
On the Archipelago in the south, however, there are very few Laavu available. So, as you may know, you can pitch your tent almost anywhere — or opt for campsites. We went for the second option and were in for some pleasant surprises.
The sauna — a whole way of life
Löyly spirit — a Finnish state of mind! Löyly is the name of the steam created when you pour water over the hot stones in a sauna.
You simply cannot visit Finland without discovering and trying the different types of sauna. We gave it a go and are now completely hooked. In Finland, the sauna is an institution — even a sacred space. There's a spiritual dimension attached to it: it's the first building a family constructs. People speak of the spirit of the sauna; you cannot behave indecently inside it, as bad behaviour was believed to anger the sauna spirits.
Smoke sauna, wood-burning stove sauna, electric sauna — we tried them all, or nearly. But the first kind remains the most enjoyable: between the smell of the wood and the waves of heat, there's simply no comparison. Of course, you need a lake within easy reach to make the most of it — going back and forth like a ritual, just as the Finns do.
Frédérique and Le Yin came back from their holiday with an incredible wealth of images in their minds! Read their full adventure of cycling in Finland on the Le Chameau Bleu blog!
