In Finland there is a thing called jokamiehenoikeus or every man’s right. This right gives everyone the freedom to be in the nature undisturbed, without the need to ask permission to anyone, except for people’s yards, plantations and fields. In the nature is possible to walk, hike, bike and even sleep and make temporary camps! It’s also possible to pick berries, wild herbs, mushrooms and branches already fallen from the trees. In lakes, rivers and seas, one can freely swim and rod fish in summer time, but also in winter, when everything is frozen, it’s possible to walk, ski, skate or ice fishing in waters.
Yes, what you see here is frozen sea.
Making open fire is not allowed. You can also make fire in marked fire places, in open ice or in case of emergency. However it is permitted in the regions of Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and North Karelia if there are no marked fire places around. Of course, all the fires should be looked after carefully and completely extinguished before leaving the place.
Hunting is not included in the every man’s right because for it you need a special permission achieved after attending a course and after passing a final test.
It is not allowed to disturb animals, throw trash in the nature, cut or damage trees.
Finns really benefit from this right they have because it is deeply rooted in their culture to be in nature, all year round. Even among youths it’s not out-of-date to go in nature and spend time there, on the contrary it is still viewed as a fun activity.
So, if you are planning to visit Finland, keep in mind that you have the right and freedom to go wherever you want in the nature, enjoying it to the full. When you will be there, where you see and hear nothing around you but nature, please, close you eyes, take a deep breath and relax 🙂
