Finland is an enormous land of lakes and forests； it’s the largest， totally unspoiled area in Europe. Around 65 percent of Finland is made up of forests. The genius of the Finns lies in their commitment and coexistence with nature. On the other hand， nature in Finland is such an overwhelming factor that it would be impossible not to adapt oneself to it.
With an area of 1，090 square kilometers， Lake Paijanne is Finland’s second biggest. Its waters are so clean that you can drink right from them. The lake is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers one of the most panoramic① views， thanks to the many small rises in the land， which allow you to admire the unspoiled and boundless countryside.
As you get closer to the Russian border， the forests of pines and birches get thicker and you come across frequent examples of Russian culture and art. These great areas of water are part of a single enormous lake system， which is called Saimaa， which measures 4，400 square kilometers.
The population of Finland amounts to fewer than five million inhabitants. The Finns， who make up the basic nucleus② of the population， came originally from the Urals and immigrated to the territory of present-day Finland in the early centuries of the Christian age. For almost a thousand years this people lived organized in tribes， which was family based.
Inside a rich 18th century middle-class house， which is situated on the banks of the Aurajoki River， a small Museum of Pharmacy has been set up which contains precious furnishings， containers and medical instruments of the period. This attention to things of the past and to tradition is even more admirable if you think that Finland， which entered late into European history， does not have the enormous number of monuments③ and works of art， which other countries can boast about.
In Savonlinna and in Carelia it is still possible to come across craftsmen who are working according to the old techniques， using instruments and tools that have been passed down from father to son. He creates very ornate handles for the famous Finnish knives by hand.
Glass， which is a typical Finnish product， seems to sum up the characteristics of the world from which it originates： purity， simplicity， and a sense of nature.
One of the Finnish objects that is most famous in the world is the Iittala Vase designed by Alvar Aalto and produced in this small town north of Hameenlinna.
In Jyvaskyla Alvar Aalto started his career as an architect with a building inspired by the Italian Renaissance. The minor architecture of the small Italian cities influenced his artistic vocation④. Later his encounter with functionalism would be the deciding factor. Finally， Aalto developed his own personal style， which is often described simply as “organic”.
Near Lieska， in Carelia， lives the sculptress Eva Ryynanen， an extraordinary artist who works with wood. Her house-workshop and the church， which was finished a few years ago， have become popular tourist attractions for people who venture into the forests. Her work is one of the superb⑤ examples of art that is inspired directly by nature. The forms of her sculptures are natural extensions of the trunks and the branches of the trees， and are harmoniously re-inserted in the natural framework of the forest.
The forests and waters inspire contemporary⑥ works of art； and the meditative⑦ soul of the Finns， who blend in with nature to the point of camouflage， is nourished by these fresh colors.
① panoramicadj. 全景的，活动画景的
② nucleusn. 核心，中心
③ monumentsadj. 历史遗迹，文化作品
④ vocationn. （对特定职业的）禀性，倾向，才能
⑤ superbadj. 极好的，一流的
⑥ contemporaryadj. 当代的，现代的
⑦ meditativeadj. 沉思的，冥想的
芬兰
芬兰是一个拥有巨大湖泊和森林资源的国家，也是欧洲最大的未遭破坏的陆地。其中65%的面积被森林覆盖。芬兰人的才智尽显于和大自然和谐的统一。而另一方面，芬兰的自然之力如此摄人心魄，以至于让人无法不融入其中。
有着1，090平方公里面积的派延内湖是芬兰第二大湖。湖水是如此之清澈，甚至可以直接饮用。该湖是芬兰最美丽的湖之一。正是由于陆地平缓的起伏，这片湖区呈现出令人憧憬的纯净无边的美景。
在与俄罗斯的交界处，松树林和白桦林越来越浓密，浓郁的俄罗斯风格的文化和艺术也随之而来。这一大片水域隶属于一个面积约4，400平方公里的巨大湖泊——塞马湖。
芬兰只有不到500万的居民。其中在基督教兴起时代从乌拉尔移民来的芬兰人在当今占了绝大多数。1，000年以来，这些人居住在以家族为基础的部落里。
位于奥拉约基河岸边的这个18世纪的中产阶级的房子里，保留着一个医药博物馆，收集了很多古老家具、容器和医疗器械。如果你认为芬兰在欧洲历史上只是个无足轻重的小角色，在艺术方面也没什么建树，不能像其它国家那样有那么多值得夸耀的文化和历史，那么芬兰人这种对传统和过去的关注则让我们的钦佩油然而生。
在萨沃林纳和卡列里拉，仍然可以找到沿用着父辈们的古老技术和传统工艺制作精美刀具的工匠。这种手工制作的装饰有华丽手柄的刀在芬兰非常出名。
玻璃器皿制作是芬兰的特色产业之一，玻璃似乎能够重现世界初始时的纯净、简单和自然。
而这中间又以艾尔瓦·艾尔托设计，在海门林纳以北的一个小镇上生产的伊塔拉玻璃器皿最负盛名。
在于韦斯屈莱，艾尔瓦·艾尔托在意大利文艺复兴文化的影响下，从一栋楼开始了他的建筑生涯。意大利小城的非主流建筑影响了他的艺术才能。随后，对功能主义的认识成为了决定因素。最后，艾尔托探索出了自己的艺术风格，被公认为“博采众长，融会贯通”。
在列克萨附近的卡列里拉，居住着雕刻家Eva Ryynanen，一位杰出的木雕艺术家。她几年前完成的家庭工作间和教堂吸引了大量的森林探险爱好者并已经成为旅游景点。她的艺术作品是从自然直接获得灵感的极好例子。她的雕刻作品的结构让你感到树枝树干的无限延伸，与森林的自然景观浑然融合在一起。
森林和湖水赋予现代艺术灵感，也赋予了将自己与自然融为一体的芬兰人深沉的性格。