"For me, Ruska is the most incredible and meaningful season in Finland," Petri Kokkonen tells us. He should know. After all, nature is the home of the "Wilderness Guide" from Inari in Finnish Lapland. Now one could well think that the local is not completely objective when he raves about "his" Finland. But in fact, even visitors can't help but be enchanted. But what is Ruska?

© VisitFinland/Mikko Huotari

Forests in flames

Ruska is the Finnish version of the "Golden Autumn" or the "Indian Summer". It starts at the beginning of September and lasts until the end of October. The majestic trees of the Nordic nature paradise then glow in the most magnificent shades of yellow, red and orange, starting in the north of the country.

© VisitFinland/Ants Vahter

From here, the spectacle migrates south within a few weeks. Just as the New England states provide special online maps for leaf peepers, there is also a Ruska map. On it, you can follow live where the fall foliage is currently celebrating its peak.

© Emilia Hoisko

Petri Kokkonen recommends, "Visit as many different regions of our country as possible to get the most out of the changing seasons." A side tip: In Lapland, Ruska coincides with the start of the Northern Lights season. Visitors can then experience two amazing natural phenomena at once.

The best tips for Ruska in Finland

Forest mushroom event near Helsinki

Autumn time is ruska time, northern lights time and also mushroom time! To give visitors a very special experience, Finnish supermodel Saimi Hoyer and writer Jarkko Korhonen have teamed up. They will go mushroom picking together with guests of the Hotel St. George near Helsinki on the weekend of September 23 and 24. Information and registration options are available on the hotel's website.

Pumpkin weeks in Salo

From October 7 to 22, the largest berry in the world - the pumpkin - takes center stage on the southwest coast. In keeping with the ruska atmosphere, the cafes and restaurants of the Salo region will be serving delicious pumpkin dishes. A special experience is also a trip to the Pumpkin Park in Rannikko Garden. Here you walk between thousands of pumpkin lanterns.

© VisitFinland

World famous and unmatched

The northern lights are in a league of their own. They dance like fairies in the cold night sky. They lend the landscape a mystical aura. But what if you combine northern lights watching with ice bathing? That is when the "Autumn Aurora Floating" trend emerges. Admittedly, though, the whole thing is a much warmer and drier affair than the cool name suggests. Participants are given a full-body suit. This keeps them dry and prevents them from sinking. The hotspot for ice floating is Rovaniemi.

Yoga by the lake

Autumn colors all around, the tree as a model for the yoga position, and the gentle lapping of Lake Saimaa in your ear: during island yoga, an imposing rock serves as a yoga deck. And afterwards also as a place for the reward picnic after "happy baby", "downward dog" and Co. If you want even more Ruska Yoga, you can also move the exercises to the SUP or into the air (Aerial Yoga) with Saimaa Yoga.