Finland Insider Guide -- Highlights -- Tips and Mini Travel guide to Finland

How to use the Finland insider guide Tips and Mini guide to Finland?

Here it Goes...    

Highlights: The most important to see in Finland... Places, Experiences, Cities, Food to try.

A Finland insider guide introduction to: the size of Finland and largest attractions in Finland - A brief perspective on the size of the 5 largest attractions in Finland.

Mid- summer and Makkara

A cottage by the lake with a real Finnish Sauna

Suomenlinna and the Sea

Santa, of course ...lives in Lapland, Rovaniemi

Churches to see --Tempellinaukko and Tuomiokirkko

Rauma --A wooden village

Naantali and Moominworld

Silverline Cruises --from Tampere to Hämenlinna and back

The different locks --and the large Imatra dam.

The Finnish Archipelago --if time allows.

Food --What people eat & What you may want to try!

Fishing in Finland --An addictive sport. Many begin fishing on their first visit to Finland.

(As far as size, so let's think size here :-) To first gain a perspective on the size of the attractions in Finland. - Finland is almost as big as Germany, and virtually matches the area of the state of Arizona.

Starting with the finland insider guide largest attractions, here are the top 5.

1. Finnish Lapland - which is the same size as the state of Virginia. Has skiing peaks at 1000 meters above sea level. And covers an area of 112,343 square kilometers or 43376 square miles.(Roughly) This area covers approximately one third of the northern most part of Finland.

For nature lovers who like a large park, the Lemmenjoki national park is by area the largest national park in Finland. 2,850 square kilometers or 1100 square miles. Give yourself days to go hiking or trekking at this park.

On a smaller scale, an indoor attraction in Rovaniemi, Lapland, receives the most local and international attention is the Santa Clause Village. This is where you can visit Santa.

 
2. Suomenlinna - 171 acres, or the equivalent of 154 American football fields in size, is a series of island fortresses. It takes 15 minutes on a ferry boat to get to this attraction starting from the open market square in Helsinki.

Take a whole day to walk around the islands, visit museums, enjoy the sights of the bastion walls, take a picnic, or go swimming.

3. Largest tourist attraction structure of interest in Finland. -The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art is a large inside art attraction downtown Helsinki.

Kiasma has 12,000 square meters total and the walkable gallery area covers 9,100 square meters(over 100,000 square feet) of exhibition space which is the equivalent of 2 American football fields.

This attraction take on average 1 to 6 hours to see depending on artists and art on display.

Near to the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art is...

4. ...the National Museum of Finland: Learn about the history of Finnish life from past to present. Mannerheimintie 34, Helsinki and has 5/7 euro entry fee.

This attraction has four floors and covers 3,200 square meters or 34500 square feet. This size is the equivalent of being in a air-craft hangar, or large American farm. So you get in plenty of walking. ;-)

If you like horticulture and love your garden...

5. ...the largest attractions in Finland for the outdoor gardening and landscape individual/enthusiast. (Free entrance except in August)

This is a permanent exhibition where 100 plus companies display products and Finnish expertise services to the public. See real examples of landscape design and construction methods in Finland. This area is around the equivalent size of 4 American football fields.

Finland insider guide information about the exhibits. See...

...stone products. How walls are made either out of concrete blocks, or natural stone materials.

....measurement and construction tools and methods.

...outdoor furniture including bridges, gazebos and garden benches.

...what to do about soils and waste.

...products for sale: Trees, bushes of sorts, flower bulbs,seedlings for your lawn, and more.

Opening hours: Daily between 7 am and 9 pm, Address: Pehtorinkuja 3, 02940 Espoo.

It is August in Finland, days begin to grow shorter. Wait one more month, however, and days begin to really feel shorter.
 
Anyone who has ever lived in Finland longer than a year knows that when the weather warms up and the days are longer, the sun appears to be more visible. People in Finland love the spring and summertime. Who would not, after lack of daylight from the end of September till February.
 
How do a few less hours of light affect people? Poorer people suffering from lack of light for 6 months tend to revert to activities which deviate from the norm. That is, they engage in spring fever type activities...

...in March when the days become longer with light noticeably increasing.

During Finnish Spring fever some revert to floating down the river(in Finnish) in a thermal wet suit at the Kuokkalankoski rapids in Lempäälä.

Or western style horseback riding, at the Hovi Riding Ranch in Vesilahti. You can get riding lessons and take a short horseback riding tour in the countryside.

The Finland insider guide - Fun, crazy, cool and extreme activities and attractions in Finland. 

Wife- carrying -Read a bit about the history, or see the Wife- Carrying official World Championships web site in Sonkajärvi, Finland.

If you think that Wife- Carrying is a bit crazy, try suopallo, or Swamp Soccer. Go to the swamp and play soccer between two goals. See how far you can sink into the swamp without going under. Yep, this is a Finn original. Warning! Always go into the swamp alone with another person!



Mid- Summer  ...celebration with huge, blazing bonfires and festivities.      

Red hot, high- popping fires appear everywhere on the Finnish landscape... in cities, countrysides, suburbias,  near lakeside cottages, all the way from Helsinki to Lapland. Why? Everyone celebrates the arrival of great light in the middle of summer.

The mid- summer daylight duration can be as long as 24 hours. Yep, the sun doesn't set, but simply hangs around the horizon. This phenomena is most obvious in Lapland. The night looks like dusk, then the sun comes up again. Dusk hangs around for a looong time, so it seems as though night never came.

Do ya like to do the Tango?  Try the Tango festival in Seinäjoki, with dancing in the streets and where the 'Queen and King of Tango' get selected.

Makkara is food resembling a hot-dog. The skin of a Makkara is a bit tough. But not all Makkara skins are the same. They are available with a thinner or thicker skin. If roasted correctly, the skin loses its toughness and becomes crispy. Voila, the Makkara is palatable.


Finland insider guide Tip  When celebrating at a mid-summer festival, ask a friend to roast a Makkara for you so that the skin is not too chewy. It does depend on your own preference, some like it cold,and others scorched black. 

...with a real Finnish Sauna.

The word summer house Mökki is a word which generates pictures of refreshment, rejuvenation, recovery, nature, holiday time, vacation, rest and relaxation.

Once you have experienced staying in a cottage at a Finnish lake, you  understand why most Finns look forward to their  holiday vacation. Finns know how to take it easy... reeaaal easy. For Finns, regular trips to the summer cottage with a real Finnish sauna is a 'must' There is no equal to experience this combination.

The famous Finnish getaway from life's stresses are found at the lakeside cottage or summer cottage. Summer, sun, sauna and a lake play an extremely important role in describing the surroundings of the Finnish summer cottage.

Fresh air, surrounded by the sounds of nature...the whispers of a subtle breeze ... not too hot or cold. The water temperature of the lake may by a bit chilly, makes it perfect for...lighting up the sauna...then...into the lake...back into the sauna. Do that a few times and ahhhh! ... the feeling of well-being guaranteed to follow.

More about lakeside cottages at the Finland insider guide.

And more relaxing activities...hike in the lush fir forests, chop wood or  row a boat and explore. Fish and grill out or sleep under the stars on a cool summer night.

Sit out on the porch of the cottage and drink some beer with your friends.

When you are out at a summer cottage, ask some of the locals who know the area and whose expertise can make the experience enjoyable so that after a few days you feel fresh again, renewed with a load of stress lifted from your body.

When you are out at a summer cottage and follow these routines. And probably it is best to hang out with some locals. Since they will know how to make the experience enjoyable so that after a few days you feel fresh again, recovered and a load of stress lifted from your body.

Most folks in Finland have access to a summer cottage. Needing to rend a summer cottage, why not try Finnish lakeside cabins for cottage rental.


Finnish Sauna Accessories: If you are looking for how genuine Finnish sauna accessories are made, there is a short tour to a hand-craft center in Vesilahti.

Finnish Sauna Decorating from Finland.
Finnish sauna accessories include a towel for sitting. This hand- woven towel is called lautalinnat. For scrubbing your body you use washing/scrubbing mittens, pesukintaat, and wash cloths, pesulaput.

See how these are made at the Hand-craft center in Vesilahti. Vesilahden Käsityökeskus where all theses sauna accessories are skillfully crafted by locals. Please contact me, for a tour.

Need a romantic picnic place spot where the water seems alive everywhere you look. If you are planning to stay in Helsinki for longer than a day, visiting the Suomenlinna fortress attraction is a must.
 
Located only 15 minutes by ferry from the market square at the Helsinki South Harbor, this island sea fortress dates back to 1748. See how to get to the Suomenlinna fortress.

You could easily spend a full day at the islands. Take a picnic lunch along, as the locals do. There are 7 museums, an old submarine, art-exhibits, a glass and ceramic studio, brewery, restaurants and cafes. You can even go swimming out to the sea fortress's islands.

What is not so obvious is...Suomenlinna is like a miniature version of the sea-island formation scene that you can enjoy out at the Finnish Archipego...small rocky island, blue water, sea gulls and swells.



Attractions at Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna Museum: This is a building that is connected to the information center. Here you can see the history of the fortress on display. Watch the multimedia movie "The Sveaborg Experience." This will give you an idea what Sveaborg is all about. Open daily from 10am - 6pm off-season  Tue. - Sun 11am -4pm Adult tickets: 5€

War Museum: Has various types of weapons and war equipment. Open daily from 10am -6pm. Closed between September to mid- May. Adult entry ticket costs 3.50€

The Submarine Vesikko: German built Finnish war submarine used between 1939-1945. This is mothballed at the fortress. You can freely walk around the outside of the sub. Be aware that if you wish to go in, it may be pricey. Open daily from 10am -6pm, closed between September and mid- May. The tickets for adults are 3.50€.


Finland insider guide - Suomenlinna's official site

...he lives in Lapland, Rovaniemi 

...the dream of every child, and probably many adults... to see Santa!

Please remember that Santa has two addresses: One is at Santa Park, the other is at the Santa Clause Village located at the crossing of the E75 and the Arctic circle.  Here you will find, information, restaurants, souvenirs and reindeer parafanalia,  You can even send a Santa's greeting card anywhere in the world from Santa Village with a special 'Santa stamp'.

Be aware that...there are set times to see Santa.

The Santa Clause Village looks like: The setting is in Rovaniemi which is in Finnish Lapland where the evergreen spruce tree limbs slope downward because of the weight of snow on top.

The landscape is somewhat idylic and fairy-tale like. If  you  have seen 'A Christmas Story' or any movie picturing where Santa lives, you will immediately know that this is Santa's village. This just looks like it.

The village has two large huts with roofs that slope gradually, then the roofs continue sloping into a steep point connected at the top.

Happy snowmen stand to greet you near the huts. The larger hut has a series of adjoining buildings on either side so that you can be protected from the cold  while browsing to see what is in there.


The village is well- lit, and blends in magically with the Lapp forest background. Here is the village

The Santa Clause Village also offers a great selection of maps and books.

Rovaniemi Tourist travel Information: Rovakatu 21 Phone: 016 346 270

See Pictures of Lapland: Attractions, Hotels, Information and more.

Or at the Arctic Circle information desk: 016 356 2096

Temppeliaukio and Tuomiokirkko...
...and there are many many more.                                              

Töölö is an area in Helsinki, a quite large one at that... an interesting place for food lovers, on your way to the Temppeliaukio church- the glass roofed church. Be sure to stop by Töölöntori where you will find the smallest open food market in Helsinki. Here you can buy fresh vegetables and flowers for any special event.

The Temppeliaukio Lutheran Church – Lutherinkatu 3, Helsinki is for lovers of architecture and mechanical design. It is simply a cool church with outside light radiating  inside the  the church building.

Who would have dreamed this...a church dug-out of a huge body of rock! Only in Finland! This rockin' church was made by dynamiting a deep and wide  area large enough to build apartment buildings. Instead they built a church of which the interior was excavated and built into the rock.

Offering outstanding acoustics, the church frequently holds concerts. The acoustic quality is ensured by the rough, rocky surfaces from which the walls are made.

Finland insider guide recommended route along the coast of Western Finland If you are staying in Finland for at least three or more weeks, you may be interested in touring the western coast of Finland. Starting a trip by car from:

Turku-->Uusikaupunki-->Rauma-->Pori-->Vaasa-->Oulu, then all the way up to Tornio.

Rauma is located along the western coast of Finland, 50 kilometers from Pori on the coastline.

Traditional Finnish crafts to see and old-time artisans you can meet.

Old Rauma in Finland pop. 800 has the largest centralized wooden town in the Nordic countries. Some 600 wooden buildings can still be seen at the town's center.

Besides the old buildings you can see traditional lace-making,meet a shoemaker or goldsmith in person. This is found around the center of town or the market square.

Want to see a layout of Old Rauma. This is handy pdf file showing you the buildings that you may want to visit.

Take a tour of Old Rauma to see what it is like.

Rauma is an authentic World Heritage town. UNESCO World Heritage inscribes... "Old Rauma is an outstanding example of living and well preserved historical Nordic wooden town."

About 15 kilometers to the north west of Turku is a small sea-side city called Naantali. You can plan to visit Naantali on your way up north, if that is your destination. The old Town-By-the-Sea has got rows of old wooden houses worth a walk-through-the-center-of-Naantali tour.

The streets are of cobblestone leading to narrow roads. The wooden houses remain inhabited.

The Naantali area is well know for the local Naantali Kylpylä or Naantali Spa. Matkailijantie 2, Phone 024 4550 www.naantalispa.fi  €€€

There is a 2 hour tour boat cruise available with the SS Ukkopekka. This is a fully operational steam boat offering boat tours from Turku to Naantali and back. It also makes trips out to the island of the Finnish Archipelago.

For children who love Toive Jansson's Moominworld you can visit  a small remote island where you see the characters from the books. Little My, Moomi Papa etc. There is a theater, rides, activities like hand-crafts for the little ones and naturally a shop for English Moomin books too!

Make sure you go from June to mid- August each day between 10 am to 6 pm. www.muumimaailma.fi

Tampere to Hämenlinna and back

Very fond memories of Finland are made when you choose to go on a sea cruise/route. There are plenty of small ships/ferries to take.

One  popular cruise leaves from the Tampere Laukontori, starts off in the morning, goes by Visavuori and Viidennumero and later in the day you arrive in Hämeenlinna. Those not wanting to overnight can take a bus back to Tampere.

Then, there is the Poets Road, Runoilijan tie, This route travels along a very popular area in Finland ,the settings of many famous Finnish poet's writing. 

This cruise starts at the northern port of Tampere Mustalahti near, Särkäniemi, goes through Ruovesi over toward Virrat. Stops in a very scenic place in Virrat. It departs in the afternoon and arrives in the evening.

A Finnish lock is an attraction, especially since many of these are small and narrow. When you go into one, you suddenly experience how you are elevated,then lowered as you approach different levels of water. ..what fun!

Lempäälä has a lock, and so does Valkeakoski. If you are interested in taking a boat tour/cruise through locks in Finland, please refer to the above Silverline boat cruise from Tampere to Hämeenlinna and back.

If you are want to see more flowing water, visit Finland's largest power-plant in in Imatra, a town 45 kilometers from Lappeenranta. Take a look at the dam's powerfully surging water with an 18 meter drop. You can get a preview of what it is like here.

You can enjoy the opening of the dam's gates from June 16 - August 15 at 7 pm. It takes about half and hour to see this. This is one of the oldest attractions in Finland.

Nearby there is a nature park with a marked path that Czar Nikolaus the 1st  founded in 1842. Overnight at the Scandic Hotel Valtionhotelli, styled in art nouveau. Torkkelinkatu 2, 05 625 2000 €€€. See a tripadvisor review of hotel hotel Valtionhotelli.

http://kanava.etela-karjala.fi/Default.asp?NakymaID=152

I was residing in Estonia, when first introduced to Finland . A Finnish girl I met in Estonia said: The most wonderful experience is getting on a bicycle and driving around the scenic Archipelago Islands near Turku.
Now that sounds like fun. Well, let's get going then. Here are some archipelago routes to use. 

The Archipelago Sea or Saaristomeri has thousands of islands, within small distances of each other. The Finnish Archipelago is literally the largest archipelago in the world. By ferry: Take a ferry from Turku to Sweden via the Åland islands route and you will see them yourself.

There are larger island which are populated and business runs there as usual. These islands are connected by bridges or ferries.

The Åhland has over 6500 islands, partly wooded cliffs, loaded full of islandettes out in a vast seascape between Finland and Sweden.

There are over 26,000 Swedish speaking inhabitants on the larger islands. But hey, this place still belongs to Finland. The capital is  Mariehamn with around 10,800 inhabitants.

What people eat & What you may want to try!  What the Finland insider guide recommends.

Fresh is key!...when you have been invited by a friend to wine and dine; When at the friends summer cottage, you may want to try some new potatoes. -Potatoes taste a bit sweet and buttery. Try fresh cut salad and savory reindeer meat sauce to top the potatoes.

Common foods in the Finnish home are: Potatoes, carrots, red beats served with fish or another type of meat. Here are some sample pictures of fish, and typical Finnish foods you may encounter in Finland.

In the fall you can enjoy freshly picked mushrooms....just pick and eat,...well almost...there are some toxic ones out there, so be sure to go with a local expert in mushroom- picking.

Bread: A plethora of breads are available in both ryes, white breads, and mixed grains. A small country store may carry 20 varieties of breads.

Dairy Products: We occasionally buy milk from the nearest dairy farmer. May be worth a try. Buying from the local grocery store: Usually the highest percentage fat is in the red- labeled milk carton. Blue is 1% fat and light blue is skim milk.

There are enough yogurt products on the shelf to keep you trying what tingles your palate for years. Cheeses are in abundance. If ever on your way north stop by this Finnish cheese attraction to visit a small Finnish cheese factory and shop for Finnish design name brands.

Meats: Mashed potatoes and meatballs are popular  Finnish foods served at schools and  institutions. The meatballs may not include a meat sauce, as do those in America.

Fast Food Hamburgers come in the standard, bunned form, or even healthier...try the Rye burger...My favorite!

Fish: Salmon is common. More precisely...locals buy Finnish salmon, the Norwegian version is also available.

...which brings us to...a very fun sport to try out when you are in Finland.

For the advanced and beginner fisherman.

Throw your hooked worm through a hole in the ice, and out pops a perch. Yep, done that.

Get a fishing pole and hook up a worm! Fish like this until you drop, since using a pole and hook is free of charge in Finland. In other words, no licenses needed.

When you begin using a casting pole with a spinner bait, or net, then you will need a license to fish. Also fly- fishing of any sort on rapids require one.

If you are between 18 - 65 years old, and wanting to fish with anything else then a pole and worm, you need to buy a fishing management fee for 5 euros/week or 15 euros/year.  You will also need a fishing license from the region your are fishing in, either 8 euros/week or 27 euros/year.

Here is a more detailed description about getting Fishing licenses in Finland.

Then you can catch...yum yum fishies...like...

...Pike 3 - 15 kilos. Pike can be as long as a grown man's arm. And sea pike is scrumptious served salted and fried up. Done that in Turku.

...Zander 2 -10 kilos. Size -about half an arms length, and more. Mild-flavored, tastes yummy grilled with some lemon.

...Perch 1 kilo. They fight like bass, but are worth the battle for taste. They come as small as your fist.

...brown trout. Up to 10 kilos.

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