Tag: Finland

After returning from Saint Petersburg we spent three more nights in Helsinki, giving us two full days to see the city as well as a half day to relax at the campsite. Being a constant tourist can be exhausting, and you still have washing, housework and admin to catch up on, so down time is a must.

The Rastila Campground is located right next to a metro station, with trains every 10 minutes into the city. Helsinki’s public transport is excellent, and the trains and trams are modern and clean. Even better, you can take bikes on the train, which is what we did on our first full day in the city.

Biking around Helsinki is easy, like in most European cities there are designated bike paths, and drivers are considerate of cyclists.

From the Central Station we biked through Esplanade Park to Market Square by the waterfront. From spring to autumn Market Square hosts a popular market selling all sorts of Finnish crafts, art and food. The traditional Finnish fare looked too good to pass by so we ordered a plate of “three fish” and “three meats”. The meats were Moose sausage and Reindeer meatballs cooked two ways, and the fish, vendace (they look like small herrings), salmon, and siika (a freshwater white fish). Served with potatoes and vegetables it was a large lunch, but it was truly delicious and our plates were left bare.

The day was hot and sunny and the sightseeing boats taking tourists and locals from the docks at Market Square out to the many islands in Helsinki Harbour were full. As we ate lunch we watched the queues get longer and longer, and were starting to rethink our idea of visiting Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, one of the main attractions in Helsinki. However, it was the perfect day to experience it, and why risk the weather changing overnight? It pays to look around, we walked to the other end of the pier and found the commuter ferry to Suomenlinna. We didn’t have to wait in line, and for a very reasonable 5 Euro return we were shipped across.

Founded in 1748 on a cluster of islands off the coast of Helsinki, Suomenlinna is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserved as a unique example of the military architecture of its era. It is a popular destination for visitors, and on the day we were there flocks of people covered the island, exploring the fort, browsing the galleries of resident artisans, relaxing in cafes, picnicking on the grass, and enjoying the fleeting summer sun. We wandered from one end of the fortress to the other, taking in the history and stories of this significant landmark.

After a few hours on Suomenlinna we headed back to the mainland. On the way we met some Kiwis who were surprised when we told them they the first we’d met in 6 weeks – I think they thought we were living in a bubble, until we explained we’d come down from the top of Norway, where Kiwis are a rare find.

Helsinki from the ferry

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress

Vesikko Submarine built in the 1930’s

King’s Gate, Suomenlinna Fortress

Flag flying at Suomenlinna Fortress

Back in the city we continued our cycle tour. Along past the Uspenski Cathedral; the red Eastern Orthodox church hard to miss sitting high on a rock with large domes and gold crosses, then up through Senate Square; the oldest part of central Helsinki surrounded by the imposing white Helsinki Cathedral, Government Palace, and Sederholm House, the oldest building of central Helsinki dating from 1757, continuing along the harbour front, and back through the picturesque Kaisaniemi Park to Railway Square and the majestic Museum of Finnish and International Art, before heading back to camp.

Helsinki Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral

The next day it was raining so we left the bikes behind. Having seen a lot of the tourist sights the previous day we decided to wander the retail and restaurant precincts and enjoy the city. We were impressed. Helsinki is upmarket and urbane. It reminded us both of Melbourne, maybe it was the trams and the easy to navigate grid of streets, but much a cleaner and classier version.  We browsed through shops and galleries, stopped for coffee, and strolled the streets, admiring the outdoor art and architecture of this under-rated Scandinavian city.

The next day we said goodbye to Scandinavia and caught the ferry across to Tallinn, Estonia.

From Tromso we headed towards Finland. After two hours on the road, the landscape started to change and we left behind the snowy peaks for gently undulating land covered in arctic scrub. The narrow winding roads of Norway were replaced by flat straight roads through this seemingly endless barren landscape.

Northern Lapland is very remote. Reindeer wander across the road, unfazed by the infrequent traffic, and what is marked as a town on the map is simply a Sami hut selling smoked fish, and delicious smoked fish it is.

Louise out walking just across the Finnish border

A break in the sun near a Sami hut that sold the best smoked Salmon

I had avoided driving in Norway, the roads were harrowing and without experience driving a vehicle the size of ours, I wasn’t prepared to put us, or others on the road, at risk. But Finland is different. These roads were perfect for me to start driving the van and have my first experience driving on the right-hand side of the road. It took a while to get used the width, but very soon I was trundling along quite happily. I don’t think I’ll be giving up my role as navigator any time soon though, as Mr Love has a much better disposition than me for being behind the wheel of a vehicle this size, but it’s fun to have a go now and then.

A couple of hours into Finland we found a place to camp in Muonio at the Harriniva camping ground, quite a large tourist complex considering the remoteness of its location. It was a beautiful setting beside a wide swift river that separates Sweden from Finland. Right next door, attached to the complex, is an arctic sled dog centre, home to 400 huskies. The huskies are used for sledding safaris in winter, but they offer a tour of the kennels in summertime. It was very interesting to find out about breeding and training the huskies for sledding, and to meet some of these intelligent and athletic dogs. Getting to hug 8-week old chubby husky pups was a bonus.

After Muonio the arctic fell scenery slowly gave way to forests and lakes, and with every kilometre south the temperature rose, much to Mr Love’s approval.

Our next destination was the city of Rovaniemi, 6km south of the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is the home of Santa Claus, so a visit to the man himself at Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle was a must. Being summer the village didn’t look much like the winter wonderland you expect Santa to live in, however it was still fun to visit the official post office and send some postcards bearing Santa’s postmark. And of course, we couldn’t resist popping into Santa’s office for a photo with him.

Apart from Santa, Rovaniemi’s claim to fame is that it’s the largest city in Europe, by area. Most of the area is covered in forest but that doesn’t stop locals proudly promoting this unique fact. It’s a lovely city, clean and green, with wide cycle paths along the riverbank. The campsite was in a prime position beside the river, which would explain its popularity. The Finnish, much like Norwegians, love their camping.

We had been told by many people we’d met on our travels not to expect much of Finland, as it’s just lakes, trees, and more trees. In some respects, this is right, there are certainly lots of lakes and lots of trees. It might not have the dramatic beauty of Norway, but it is very pretty and lush, and not unlike New Zealand.

Still in Northern Finland we moved towards the coast to Oulu on the Gulf of Bothnia. We stayed at the popular Nallikari Beach, about 3kms from the city centre. The beach is very small by New Zealand standards, but that doesn’t stop droves of people visiting it. Oulu is at the mouth a river with multiple small islands. It is great for cycling with an extensive network of cycle paths through the woodlands, and across bridges from island to island, and through to the city centre itself. While we were there they were holding a street food festival in the square, with live music and plenty of colour and vibrancy. We were both impressed with Oulu, it seems to be a very liveable and modern city.

Roving onwards we moved inland again to the Finnish Lakeland, where lakes occupy 25 percent of the area. We stayed just outside the small town of Padasjoki on the shores of Lake Päijänne, enjoying the warmer weather with walks through this beautiful area, and my case going on my first run since Mandal in Norway.

After our stay in Padasjoki we decided to push on to Helsinki, as we had tickets booked on a three-night cruise to St Petersburg. We booked a campsite for week at Rastila Camping in Helsinki, giving us a safe and secure place to leave the van and with the intention of spending a couple of days exploring the city on our return from St Petersburg.

We’re off to St Petersburg this afternoon, so will have plenty to tell you in a few days’ time.