Southern Finland People & Culture

Liquor and Cigarettes, along with countless other things, are Tax free in neighboring Tallinn, Estonia. This leads people from Helsinki to make day trips here to stock up 'supplies'. The ferry ride is a comfortable 2 1/2 hours between Helsinki and Tallinn, and it gets you those cool stamps in your passport. How many of you're friends can say, "Oh, and this is the stamp from when we went to Estonia". So if your in either Tallinn or Helsinki, there absolutely NO excuse to not visit the other.

An easy hour away from Helsinki, Porvoo makes an interesting and relaxing day-trip ... walk along the coast, see the sights, and then don't miss a coffee or beer on the charming cafe built on the deck of a boat ... around the end of the road by the coast ...they have a good choice of coffees, teas, and beers ... locals come here to relax and chat ... and it is great to sit on the deck and people-watch...

Beautiful and peaceful beach for active people and also for the family with the children. Yliskylä, Helsinki.. Here is one photo from there.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11693558

The church on the hill is lovely I think it is the oldest church in Finland and a lot of celebrities get married there. There isn't much to Porvoo but there are two good pubs at either side of the square 'The Street Bar' my favourate and 'Glory Days' a kind of American themed bar/dinner. Apparently a walk along the river is a must in summer but i don't know i went in December. A must see thing is early on a saturday and sunday morning walk around the square you will see people still in there work suits from friday sleeping in doorways standing up, they have a very strange drink til you can drink no more culture and there are some funny sights the next morning even at minus 16!!

Big band - weeks, good music and lot of people have fun. Imatran valtionhotelli is best place ever, beautiful and old. Imatran koski is also pretty. Einolan talli is good stable.

If you're on the area, visit Nurmijarvi. A pretty famous finnish author Aleksis Kivi lived here and you can see the house he used to live in (I'm not sure if you can go in, though). In the summer there's a fest here called Kivijuhlat. If
you want to learn about finnish customs and culture, that's the place to go. You can even see the Prime Minister of Finland there, who is from Nurmijarvi!
Also if you want to visit Helsinki but think the hotels are too expensive, you can probably find a cheaper one here even with a short notice. Nurmijarvi is about 50km southwest from Helsinki, which is about an hour of driving. Easiest way to come here is to take a bus from Helsinki.

Hämeenlinna is a traditional and vibrant educational and cultural town. Over 350 years old city is full of historical sights and surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.
The city's landmark is its medieval red brick Häme castle. Häme castle is the must. You get a taste of the Finnish history there and also a good view over the Vanajavesi lake.

If you wish to while away the time on the water, you can rent a canoe or take a Finnish Silverline cruise. The boat trips can take you all the way to Tampere.

Hotel/Spa Rantasipi Aulanko is a great place to sleep and have fun.

Aulanko Park is worth seeing, you can walk, ride a bike or golf there. Aulanko Tower is the main attraction in the forestal park and you will have the amazing views over the lake and forest from there.

The church on the hill is lovely I think it is the oldest church in Finland and a lot of celebrities get married there. There isn't much to Porvoo but there are two good pubs at either side of the square 'The Street Bar' my favourate and 'Glory Days' a kind of American themed bar/dinner. Apparently a walk along the river is a must in summer but i don't know i went in December. A must see thing is early on a saturday and sunday morning walk around the square you will see people still in there work suits from friday sleeping in doorways standing up, they have a very strange drink til you can drink no more culture and there are some funny sights the next morning even at minus 16!!

The WeeGee House

At the WeeGee House you will find EMMA Espoo Museum of Contemporary Art , four other museums, a modern art gallery, a media-art centre,a museum shop and a cafe-restaurant.

The WeeGee House is located at the Tapiola. The address is Ahertajantie 5, the City of Espoo.

Opening hours
Tuesday and Friday-Sunday 11 am - 6 pm
Wednesday and Thursday 11 am - 8 pm
Mondays closed

Free admission for visitors under 18 years
Adults: whole building (= 5 museums)10 euros
Ticket for three days 15 euros
Ticket for one year 40 euros

Further information tel. +358-9-81631818


Admission

The most well known attraction in Imatra are the Imatrankoski rapids. The rapids are near the center of the town and it's a good place to have a little walk. In the late summer, when the sun goes down earlier in the evening, there is a light and music show at the rapids every night. It's quite a beautiful sight :). Imatra is a peacefull small town and there's also a lot of wilderness to see. You can also rent a cabin for example from here . The easiest way to get to Imatra and generally travel around in Finland is train .

Big band - weeks, good music and lot of people have fun. Imatran valtionhotelli is best place ever, beautiful and old. Imatran koski is also pretty. Einolan talli is good stable.

Jarvenpaa is "widely" known as the city of Sibelius and a few other artists who have been important in the history of Finland. It is a good city to visit if you want to experience some peaceful life in Finland at day time. There are various possibilities for sports as well. Recently renovated swimming hall and various running tracks (which serve as skiing tracks at winter) are also available.

At night time at weekends things become quite oposite. There are many bars in Jarvenpaa. The best one for young visitors is probably Yano whereas more mature visitors might want to visit McArthurs or Korona.

Teenagers of Jarvenpaa like to hang around at the "Rantapuisto" (literaly Beachpark) which is quite near to the central. Avoiding the area at weekends is advised.

A bike is the best way to get a round in Helsinki. There are a lot of paths and roads for bikers, and you get away from the rush hour! espesially nice is the areas by the sea and in the central park.

Hämeenlinna is a traditional and vibrant educational and cultural town. Over 350 years old city is full of historical sights and surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.
The city's landmark is its medieval red brick Häme castle. Häme castle is the must. You get a taste of the Finnish history there and also a good view over the Vanajavesi lake.

If you wish to while away the time on the water, you can rent a canoe or take a Finnish Silverline cruise. The boat trips can take you all the way to Tampere.

Hotel/Spa Rantasipi Aulanko is a great place to sleep and have fun.

Aulanko Park is worth seeing, you can walk, ride a bike or golf there. Aulanko Tower is the main attraction in the forestal park and you will have the amazing views over the lake and forest from there.

Repovesi National Park is a popular hiking destination. There are 40 km of trails of various difficulty. Many of the trails are quite demanding, because of changes in altitude. http://www.luontoon.fi/page.asp?Section=5267

Evo is one of the largest continuous forested areas in the southern Finland. Inside the 47 sq.km. large Hiking Area, you can walk on marked trails and stay overnight in lean-to shelters and designated camping sites.
http://www.luontoon.fi/page.asp?Section=5510

You have to visit Suomenlinna!!

Liquor and Cigarettes, along with countless other things, are Tax free in neighboring Tallinn, Estonia. This leads people from Helsinki to make day trips here to stock up 'supplies'. The ferry ride is a comfortable 2 1/2 hours between Helsinki and Tallinn, and it gets you those cool stamps in your passport. How many of you're friends can say, "Oh, and this is the stamp from when we went to Estonia". So if your in either Tallinn or Helsinki, there absolutely NO excuse to not visit the other.

Gather mushrooms while you are stickwalking in the hilly forrests around town. Once the snow has arrived, go to the pubs with some locals and discover Finnish madness at night

Ladies! When on the streets at night, please be with a group. There are no real dangers, but lots of drunken men, so keep a watchful eye out for them!

If you're looking for a decent and not-too-expensive hostel, I can recommend the Stadium Hostel, which is located in the Olympic Stadium (across the road where the Opera House is located). It's not too expensive, the rooms are nice and clean and security is good.