Everyman’s Right

Everyman’s Right is often more fairly called Freedom to Roam or Right to Roam, and is in reference to the public’s right to enjoy and access natural surroundings for recreation and exercise. This right exists in many different forms and in many countries, within Nordic countries the right exists in its most purest form.

Finland adopts the ‘Everyman’s right’ when it comes to the accessibility of natural areas such as national parks and nature reserves. Everyone has the unique opportunity to move freely and is granted safe access to the wild with very little restrictions.

Metsahällitus is a state owned enterprise that controls millions of hectares of state owned land and water where they maintain nature, huts and lean-tos, and hiking trails that are available free to all hikers.  Mushroom and berry picking is a pastime that stretches back many years in Finland and anyone is allowed to forage in the forests. Camping, hunting and fishing are allowed too but with some restrictions that have been put in place to ensure they are controlled.

Does your country adopt the ‘Everyman’s Right’? In your opinion, is the right good for the environment, wildlife and our natural surroundings?

Everyman's Right
Lapland in Summer

Feel free to use the tag The Academic Traveller if you are writing a post that discusses aspects of tourism and together we can build a topic that gets to the core issues of tourism and the environment.

Lapland in Black and White

Lapland to many people is a winter destination and during the summer it receives very little international visitors. In my opinion there are two reasons for this. Firstly, it is difficult to reach Lapland during this time of year as the regularity of international flights are far less, most domestic visitors will travel by car.

Lastly and maybe more importantly is people’s image of Lapland and the way in which it is marketed to an international audience. Lapland is often seen as a winter destination and many people are visiting during this time of year, particularly around Christmas. A majority of the services and facilities in the region are suited to this season.

But Lapland has a lot to offer throughout the summer, for example the beautiful and untouched nature that Finland has become famous for. What needs to change is the image that people have of this region and their motivations to visit, this can be done through marketing and showing how wondrous Lapland is during this time of the year.

Below are a few images in black and white from a summer in the Arctic Circle to show another side to Lapland that people may not be as familiar with.

What do you think? Is this your image of Finnish Lapland and life above the Arctic Circle?

Ylläs Fell

If you would like to see more reasons why you should visit Lapland during the summer you can see other photographs in my post Lapland in Colour.

This post is in reply to the theme Muse.

The Rocky Road

Today’s view.

Well worth the steep and rocky climb to look over Kesänkijärvi below and the Ylläs fell in the back ground, you can just make out the lines of the ski runs.

The Rocky RoadFor another view of the Ylläs fell in the summer take a look HERE.

Stamp Collecting

The Finnish postal service, Posti, is have a competition. They are asking people to submit Photographs with the chance of them being made into a stamp, the theme is Finnish barns. Below is a gallery of images that I feel suit that theme.

What do you think? Could you imagine any of these as a stamp?

If you are from Finland or have any photographs that suit this theme why don’t you enter. You can find the entrance page HERE.

For other great photographs from Lapland see my posts The Norwegian Landscape or Ripple in the Water.

By the River

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Seems hard to believe that these two photographs are actually taken at the same place but once you look closely you start to see a few similarities.

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See my post Levi Ski Resort for more summer and winter comparisons.