Can You Pick Wild Berries in Finland?

Paul explains why berry picking in Finland is surprisingly simple — and how to find bilberries in the forest.

One of the nice things about Finnish forests is that berry picking is very simple.

If you are out in the forest with me and see bilberries, my answer is:

Of course you can pick them.

In Finland, Everyman's Rights — or jokaisenoikeudet in Finnish — allow everyone, including visitors, to pick wild berries in many natural areas. You don't need to own the land or ask the landowner for permission.

There are still rules about where you can go, and you should always respect people's privacy and avoid gardens and the immediate surroundings of homes and cottages.

In practice, I use a very simple rule.

Think about how close you would want complete strangers coming to your own home.

Then add another 50 metres.

Now you're thinking like a Finn.

Which berries should you look for first?

For a first berry-picking trip in Lapland, I would go looking for bilberries.

Partly because they are healthy.

Mostly because I think they are the best.

Bilberries are sometimes called European blueberries, but they are not quite the same as the blueberries you might buy in a supermarket. They grow wild, low to the ground, and the inside is dark purple — which you will notice quite quickly when you start eating them.

And I usually do.

How do you find bilberries in Lapland?

As a local, I already know plenty of good berry places.

But you don't always need a secret spot.

Even in an unfamiliar forest, you can usually find bilberries if you learn to recognise the right ground.

The first thing I look for is the shrubs.

Bilberries grow on small shrubs close to the ground. I prefer places that are a little more moist than dry. Good-looking ground often has thick, soft carpets of bilberry shrubs that almost look swollen with moisture.

That usually gets my attention.

In northern Finland, though, bilberries can grow surprisingly well in drier places too, so there isn't one perfect type of forest.

If you remember just one thing, remember this:

Look for the shrubs.

Once you learn to recognise them, finding the berries becomes much easier.

And after a while, the forest starts looking different. Instead of just seeing trees and plants, you start noticing the places where berries are likely to be hiding.

What do you actually need for berry picking?

Not much.

For a short trip, sometimes a kuksa, a coffee mug or even a disposable cup is enough.

I rarely collect huge amounts myself. Usually I take enough home for the next couple of days, so I don't need a large bucket.

Most of the berries don't even make it home.

I eat plenty while picking.

Clothing doesn't need to be complicated either. Depending on the weather, a T-shirt and a light tracksuit jacket can take you surprisingly far. If it's colder or windy, add a windproof jacket.

The forest doesn't require much equipment.

The more important thing: know where you are

For someone who isn't used to Finnish forests, I would worry less about berry-picking equipment and more about knowing where you are.

Stop every now and then and look around.

Remember a few landmarks.

And if you're unfamiliar with the area, don't wander much farther from the road, trail or car than you're comfortable with.

Picking berries itself is difficult to get badly wrong.

Walking much deeper into an unfamiliar forest than you intended is a much easier mistake to make.

So keep your first trip simple.

A small cup, suitable clothes and some idea of where you are.

That's already enough for a very good afternoon in the forest.

And if you find a good patch of bilberries, don't be surprised if you return with fewer berries than expected.

I normally eat enough in the forest to come home with a full stomach and a face that has turned slightly purple.

Paul Born and raised in Lapland · Local Guide, Your Lapland

‍