Other sights in Finland
-
A
Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna
There are different types of saunas, but the smoke sauna is the original and, some say, the best. This, the largest in the world (although few other countries have made an attempt on the record), is a memorable and sociable experience that draws both locals and visitors.
The lakeside Jätkänkämppä sauna is at a former loggers' camp near the Rauhalahti Tourist Centre. The 60-person, mixed sauna (record capacity is 103 people) is heated a full 24 hours in advance with a big wood fire, hence the name 'smoke sauna'. Guests are given towels to wear but bring a swimsuit for a dip in the lake. The technique is to sweat it out for a while, cool off in the lake, then repeat the pro…
reviewed
-
Mekaanisen Musiikin Museo
Mekaanisen Musiikin Museo is Varkaus’ stand-out attraction. ‘You must understand’, says the personable owner, ‘it’s not a normal museum; more a madhouse’. A truly astonishing collection of musical instruments ranging from a ghostly keyboard-tinkling Steinway piano to a robotic violinist to a full-scale orchestra emanating from a large cabinet. This is just the beginning; political cabaret in several languages and an overwhelming sense of good humour and imagination make it a cross between a Victorian theatre and Wonka’s chocolate factory. Having a coffee outside under the steely gaze of sizeable macaws seems like a return to normality. The museum is signposted 1km west of…
reviewed
-
Säynätsalo Town Hall
The large Säynätsalo Town Hall is on an island 10km southeast of Jyväskylä. It’s one of Aalto’s most famous works, the architect having won an international competition in 1949 to design it. The sturdy tower, brick steps and dim light of this ‘fortress of democracy’ recall a castle, but the grassy patio reflects a relationship with nature that is present in much of Aalto’s work. Two rooms (r €45) are available here; they are furnished with Aalto chairs and stools and named after the man and his second wife, who often slept here while supervising construction. They are singles (although extra beds can be put in), share a bathroom, and have simple kitchen faci…
reviewed
-
B
Uspenski Cathedral
The eye-catching red-brick Uspenski Cathedral is equally imposing on nearby Katajanokka Island. The two opposing cathedrals face each other off high above the city in a contest for its soul. Built as a Russian Orthodox church in Byzantine-Slavonic style in 1868, it features classic onion-topped domes and now serves the Finnish Orthodox congregation. The high, square interior has a lavish iconostasis with the Evangelist flanking panels depicting the Last Supper and the Ascension. Orthodox services held at 6pm on Saturday and 10am Sunday are well worth attending as a discreet visitor for the fabulous chorals and candlelit atmosphere.
reviewed
-
C
Oulu Cathedral
Oulu’s imposing cathedral was built in 1777 but then came the great fire of 1822, which severely damaged the structure. Tireless architect CL Engel rebuilt it in Empire style, adding dome and renaissance-style vaulting, which impart a powerful airiness to the fairly unadorned interior. It got promoted to cathedral in 1900 when the bishopric moved here from Kuopio; notable artworks include a fine altarpiece of the Ascension, a very Finnish Crucifixion in the transept, Finland’s oldest portrait (1611) above the door to the vestry and, typically, a hanging boat, for the protection of the sailors of this most maritime city.
reviewed
-
Zoo
The small town of Ranua is famous for its excellent zoo, which focuses almost entirely on Finnish animals, although there are also polar bears and musk oxen from further north. A boardwalk takes you on a 2.5km circuit past all the creatures, which include minks and stoats, impressive owls and eagles, wild reindeer, elk, a big bear paddock (they hibernate from November to March), lynx and wolverines. Apart from the animals, there’s plenty to do for kids, with horse rides, a minikart circuit, pettable domestic animals and little assault courses. Ice-cream stops dot the route, and there’s a cafe and lunch restaurant.
reviewed
-
Lighthouse
Bengtskär is the southernmost inhabited island of Finland, which is 25km from Hanko and famous for its lighthouse. It was built in 1906 to protect ships from the dangerous waters of the archipelago and given the perilous nature of the waters it had to be 52m high, making it Scandinavia’s tallest lighthouse. Damaged extensively during the Continuation War by the departing Red Army in 1941, it remains a stunning spectacle thanks to substantial refurbishment. Today it also takes guests in simple rooms that have quite a view. There are a few exhibits explaining the historical significance of the island, and a shop.
reviewed
-
D
Pohjois Pohjanmaan Museo
This park museum merits exploration but has almost too much information to take in at first bite. It covers the earliest habitation of the region through to the 20th century, including plenty of information on the tar trade. Cameras allow you to zoom in on the impressive scale model of 1938 Oulu; a traditional pharmacy, paintings of the great fire, and a schoolroom are included in the wide-ranging display. A series of reconstructed rooms from different periods of history range from formal 19th-century salons to a student’s 1960s bedroom with Che poster, typewriter and hair-curlers.
reviewed
-
Petäjävesi Church
Thirty-five kilometres west of Jyväskylä, pause at Petäjävesi to see the wonderfully gnarled Unesco-listed wooden church. Finished in 1765, it’s a marvellous example of 18th-century rustic Finnish architecture with crooked wooden pews and a fairytale shingle roof. Prior to its construction, there had been some debate about whether this village should get a church at all. Jaakko Leppänen started the job minus planning permission and properly drawn instructions. Burials took place under the floorboards, and there’s also a spooky wine cellar under the nave – ask the guide to show you.
reviewed
-
E
Vapriikki
Tampere’s premier exhibition space is Vapriikki, a bright, modern glass and steel gallery in the renovated Tampella textile mill. As well as regularly changing exhibitions on anything from bicycles to Buddhism, there’s a permanent display on Tampere’s history from prehistoric times to the present as well as a small but cluttered ice-hockey museum, with memorabilia of the players and teams that star in Finland’s sporting passion. There’s also a museum of shoes – Tampere was known for its footwear industry – and a pleasant cafe.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Castle
The castle is 14km east of Ekenäs, and about 2km west of the wonderfully named village of Snappertuna. It’s signposted Slottsruiner/Linnanrauniot off the main road; buy your tickets at the cafe. There’s not a lot of explanatory material in English, but it’s great to climb up and down the levels and patrol the ramparts. There are free tours from mid-May to August weekends at 3pm. During July there are evening concerts at Raseborg; contact the Ekenäs tourist office for details. There are occasional buses to Snappertuna from Ekenäs or Karis.
reviewed
-
Bomba Village
Nurmes’ biggest draw is Bomba Village, 2.5km southeast of the town centre. The imposing Bomba House, with its high roof and ornate wooden trim, is a replica of a typical Karelian family house, and was built in 1855 by Jegor Bombin, a farmer from Suojärvi (now in Russian Karelia). It now houses the Bomban Talo restaurant and eating there is the only way to see inside. The surrounding re-creation of a Karelian village makes for a pleasant browse among craft studios, especially when the summer market is on.
reviewed
-
Louhisaari Manor
The village of Askainen, 30km northwest of Turku, has stunning Louhisaari Manor. This lavishly decorated home was once owned by the Dutch Fleming family before being purchased by the Mannerheim family. It’s the birthplace of Finland’s greatest military leader and president, Marshal CGE Mannerheim, so it attracts a lot of interested Finns. The manor was built in 1655 in the Dutch Renaissance style and is surrounded by an English landscaped park that makes for a good picnic. Tours are disappointingly only in Finnish.
reviewed
-
F
Lappee Church
Lappee Church is an adorable wooden church built in 1794 to an unusual ‘double cruciform’ floor plan. It’s barely on speaking terms with its bell tower, which is situated across the park and houses a cafe. South of the church stretches the graveyard, with an evocative war memorial, which features cubist and modernist sculptures commemorating Finns who died in the Winter and Continuation Wars. The most striking depicts a mother mourning her soldier son lost in battle, by Kauko Räsänen.
reviewed
-
Nousiainen Church
Nousiainen, 25km north of Turku, makes a good day trip for the Nousiainen church. It’s a noteworthy medieval church because it’s the first resting place of St Henry, an Englishman and Swedish-consecrated bishop who was the first to bring Christianity to the Finns (with a little accompanying light war) in the mid 12th century. His bones were taken to Turku Cathedral in the 13th century. The current church post-dates this, having been largely built in the 14th century and restored in the 1960s.
reviewed
-
Espoo Museum of Modern Art
The city’s top sight is Espoo Museum of Modern Art, which holds over 2000 works, ranging from the early 20th century to the present. It’s definitely Finland’s most significant private art collection and worth the trip from Helsinki. Sharing the same address and opening hours, and visitable with the same ticket, Espoo City Museum and Finnish Toy Museum Leikkilinna can round out a day trip. You can catch buses 106, 106T, 110, 110T or 110 TA from the Kamppi.
reviewed
-
Maritime Centre Vellamo
Relocated here from Hylkysaari off Helsinki, this maritime museum is a spectacular new museum that fittingly recounts the maritime life of Finland. The tanker-sized building has a wavelike design with a mosaic facade of photographs that’s coolly attractive. The star exhibit is the Tarmo, the world’s oldest ice-breaker (1908) that determinedly ploughed Finnish waters until it was retired in 1970. There’s a roster of changing exhibitions that showcase other sea-based memorabilia.
reviewed
-
G
Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum
If you only see one museum in Finland, make it this handicrafts museum. Forget the stuffy exhibits, this is a genuinely historic portion of town that has survived the near-destruction of Turku including the savage Great Fire of 1827. All of the buildings are in their original locations, unlike other open-air museums where the buildings are relocated or recreated. The area consists of artisans’ and workers’ homes with a very real sense of their lives, thanks to in-period staff.
reviewed
-
H
Rauhalahti Tourist Centre
Rauhalahti Tourist Centre has grown around Rauhalahti Manor (Kartano Rauhalahti), an area converted into a year-round family park. The whole Rauhalahti area is full of amusements and activities for children and families including boating, cycling, tennis and minigolf in summer, skating, ice-fishing, snowmobile safaris, snowshoeing and a snow castle in winter. Take bus 7 from the town centre. There are also lake ferries from the passenger harbour in the town centre in summer.
reviewed
-
Pedersöre Church
Beautiful Pedersöre Church dates back to the 1400s, making it one of the oldest churches in Pohjanmaa. The oldest bell is marked 1488AD though the bell tower itself was replaced in the 18th century. King Gustav III of Sweden personally signed off on the plans to expand the church into the cruciform, though builders ignored his instruction to demolish the towering spire, which was later destroyed by fire, then restored in its dazzling original form.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Natural History Museum
Recently renovated, the Natural History Museum is known for its controversial weather vane of a sperm impregnating an ova. New exhibitions like Story of the Bones, which puts skeletons in an evolutionary context, bring new life to the University of Helsinki’s extensive collection of mammals, birds and other creatures, including all Finnish species. The dinosaur skeletons and the saggy African elephant in the foyer are hits with kids.
reviewed
-
Gemstone Gallery
The Gemstone Gallery, in an old seaside customs house, has an internationally notable collection of over 3000 beautiful, rare stones and jewellery, including a replica crown based on a design that was meant for the short-lived king of Finland. Sheets in various languages guide you in an offbeat manner around the exhibits, which include replicas of famous diamonds, and a solid dose of Finnish humour.
reviewed
-
Susiluola
Heading east on Rd 663, you’ll find Susiluola just before the village of Karijoki. This small cave is one of the most significant archaeological finds in Finland with evidence to suggest that humans occupied this area more than 120,000 years ago, before the ice age. As well as walking up the 500m trail to the cave itself, you can view some of the tools and artefacts found here in the visitors centre.
reviewed
-
Studio
The most celebrated artist of the National Romantic era, Akseli Gallen-Kallela painted most of his famous Kalevala works in this studio, which he also designed and helped build. It’s still owned by his family, who organise good exhibitions in summer. To get here, follow Route 66 5km south from the village of Ruovesi, then turn east 3km. The house is tucked away in the woods alongside a lake.
reviewed
-
Sibeliustalo
Sibeliustalo, by the harbour on Vesijärvi, is a spectacular concert hall in glass and wood and the home of the top-notch Lahti Symphony Orchestra, which is responsible for some of the best Sibelius recordings of recent years. The hall is wonderfully lit at night and has excellent acoustics. Guided tours (€10) run at 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays during July; phone to arrange tours at other times.
reviewed
