Land of the Midnight Sun 芬兰 —— 圣诞老人的家乡

One of the lands of the midnight sun, Finland has much more to offer than the cold nights, saunas, and skiing it is often associated with. Visitors are enchanted by charming villages alongside sophisticated cities and the largest unspoiled wilderness in Europe.

Finland is one of the most progressive countries in the world. For example, traffic fines are linked to gross income; an Internet millionaire recently paid US$70,000 for a speeding ticket. A reputation for efficiency and organization has also made Finland host to many international meetings.

This modern country maintains its traditions and hearty spirit, celebrating many festivals. Its most popular Midsummer's Day finds many Finns lighting bonfires and drinking enthusiastically at their country homes. Finland is also home to the world's longest-running rock festival, Ruisrock. The best-known event is the Savolinna Opera Festival, while the strangest is probably the annual wife-carrying championship, where the winner is awarded his wife's weight in beer.

Helsinki, Europe's northernmost capital, boasts over 30 art galleries and museums. Although it is a cultural and economic center, it brings to mind small town charm with its many cafe and lack of tall buildings. While the city's public transportation system is renowned, Helsinki's extensive bicycle trails make riding around the city and its seaside parks a breeze.

After seeing the Market Square and great architecture, including the Church in the Rock, which was cut from solid stone, tourists may want to check out Helsinki's bohemian art scene. Highbrow and popular culture meet at the Tennispalatsi with its museums and movie theaters. Lovers of modern art will also enjoy taking in the Lasapalatsi "Glass Palace" media center.

A sight not to be missed is nearby Suomenlinna Island, where you can wander amid the ruins of an old sea fortress and visit several museums. And only a few hours outside of Helsinki is Finland's most notable historic building, Turku Castle, which was founded in 1280.

While Finland is best enjoyed during the warmer months of May to September, its most famous resident is busiest in December. A little known fact is that Santa Claus does not live at the North Pole, but in the Lapland region of Finland. There, Santa receives about 600,000 letters a year written by children from over 150 countries.

Besides dropping in on Santa, visitors to Lapland can enjoy trekking and skiing in Lemmenjoki Park with its dreamlike arctic landscape, dense forests, and free wilderness huts that dot the area. Tourists may also stay in glass igloos, from which they can see the midnight sun and the northern lights, and ride in dogsleds and reindeer sleighs.

Lapland is home to the Samis, a native people who were gradually driven northward by development in Scandinavia. Their traditional livelihood revolves around reindeer, which number about 200,000 in Finland. Finally, don't tell Rudolph, but a great reindeer stew can be had in Lapland as well.

芬兰，一个在午夜可以见到太阳的国家，除了常被人们想到的寒夜、桑拿浴与滑雪，还有更多风格独特的面貌。优雅城市周边的迷人村庄和欧洲占地最广、未遭人工破坏的荒野，往往令游客们陶醉不已。

芬兰是全球最发达的国家之一。举个例子，其交通罚款的金额视个人总收入而定。最近一名网络巨子就因超速驾驶支付了7万美元的罚单。芬兰也因其高效率和很强的组织力的美誉而主办了许多国际会议。

这个现代化的国家仍保留其传统和蓬勃的朝气，并为许多节日举办庆祝活动。在芬兰最受欢迎的"施洗约翰节"这天，可以看见许多芬兰人在他们自己的乡间农舍，点燃篝火，痛快畅饮一番。芬兰也是世界上历史最悠久的摇滚音乐节"路易斯摇滚"的主办地。节庆中最富盛名的，首推"沙弗力拿歌剧节"；而最匪夷所思的，则是一年一度的扛老婆大赛，大赛冠军可赢得和老婆重量相当的啤酒。

赫尔辛基，欧洲最北的首都，有30多座美术馆及博物馆。虽然它是芬兰的文化及经济中心，但因其为数众多的咖啡馆，和罕见的高楼大厦，而让人感受到小镇般的迷人风情。尽管这里的公共运输远近驰名，遍布赫尔辛基的自行车道，使在城市和海滨公园骑车驰骋，成为一件轻松惬意的事。

参观过市场广场和用坚石砌成的"岩石教堂"等雄伟建筑，游客们可能也想一探赫尔辛基自由奔放的艺术景观。高雅与通俗文化交汇在坦尼斯宫的博物馆与电影院。现代艺术的爱好者也会乐于一游拉撒宫里"玻璃宫"的媒体中心。

另一个不容错过的景点是邻近的"苏欧门里那岛"，在那儿你可以徘徊流连于海洋要塞的古老遗迹和参观多座博物馆。建于1280年的"土尔库堡"，离赫尔辛基仅数小时之遥，是芬兰最著名的史迹建筑。

虽然芬兰在暖和的5月至9月间气候最为宜人，一位最负盛名的芬兰居民则是在12月最忙碌。一个罕为人知的事实是圣诞老人并非住在北极，而是住在芬兰的拉普兰一带。在那里，圣诞老人每年会收到来自世界150多个国家孩子的约60万封信。

除了顺道拜访圣诞老人，前往拉普兰的游客也可以在"拉门乔基公园"享受徒步旅行与滑雪之乐，并欣赏它如梦似幻的北极圈风光、蓊郁的森林和这片辽阔荒原上星罗棋布的小屋。游客们也可以呆在玻璃冰屋内观赏午夜的太阳和北极极光，或是乘坐狗或驯鹿拉的雪橇畅游一番。

拉普兰是撒密斯人的故乡，这些土著居民由于斯堪的纳维亚半岛的开发而被迫逐渐向北迁徙。他们传统的生计是靠芬兰国内的大约20万只驯鹿。最后，别告诉鲁道夫，在拉普兰还可以尝到棒极了的炖驯鹿大餐呢。