This is how you make your first introduction to Finland
Finland, land of Nokia (of the phones on which you don't have a BartsBoekje could read, hihi just kidding, we didn't exist at that time), saunas and Helsinki. Bóóming Helsinki that is, perhaps Hipster Helsinki is a better name. But Finland has even more. Of course there is the Finnish Lapland in the backyard, but there is also Tampere, a 2,5 hour drive from Helsinki. We combined the capital + third largest city (Helsinki is number one, Espoo is second, Tampere is third) and it turned out to be a golden tandem of city trip and nature.
How will you experience your most beautiful Finland trip? With these tips and travel organization it will be a trip you will never forget.
Let's admit it right away, we actually didn't expect to like Finland so much. Bald, cold and dark, who does that for fun? And that's exactly why Finland is like a warm sauna, pardonez le pun, warm bath felt. Those Finns know how to turn necessity into a virtue.
This is not only due to the climate (in winter there are only about six hours of daylight and then there is also twilight), but also to the history. Take Helsinki, for example: for the entire 20th century, the Finnish capital was at the end of a dead-end street in Western Europe. Behind it was almost nothing, except endless forests and sooner or later the Iron Curtain. And realize: Helsinki is closer to Saint Petersburg than to Stockholm, closer to Kiev than Amsterdam.
After the fall of that cheerless curtain, Finland first had to deal with an economic crisis - exports to its most important trading partner, the Soviet Union, fell away - and then came Nokia: the most leading and innovative mobile telephones of the moment. It put Finland on the map, and also gave Finland the self-confidence to shake off its neutral attitude. Finland turned around, walked away from the dead end street and whispered 'hello Europe!'
In a whisper? Yes, in a whisper. What you should also know about the Finns is that they are not loudmouths and prefer to keep to themselves. When you see the Finns waiting at the bus pole, they are about one and a half meters apart. Because Finns love them personal space and like to be reserved. Until you meet them in the sauna on Friday evening, because that is precisely where you suddenly find yourself in an oasis of warmth, conviviality and openness. It explains why there are so many saunas in Finland: 3,5 million saunas for 5,5 million inhabitants.
First things first: Helsinki. With around 600.000 inhabitants, Helsinki is not a very large city. The city is easily laid out and very nice: there are no scooters whizzing around. Well, e-scooters, bicycles and scooters, they are so modern in Helsinki. What we also like: Helsinki is - unlike Hull, for example - a nice city for shopping.
There is Pohjoisesplanadi, a modest (because that's what they are, those Finns) version of our own PC Hooftstraat. In addition to Louis Vuitton stores, you will also find Finnish design such as aarikka, Balmuir and Kalevala (the latter made a worldwide splash by making the necklace for Princess Leila from Star Wars). We especially recommend Uhana & Papu, a nice store with Finnish and therefore Scandinavian design for both mom and baby.
And you have the Frederikstraat, around the corner from the nice things Lapland Hotel and Bulevardi Street. This street can be compared to the Amsterdam Nine Streets. No big chains here, but small boutiques. The street is considered the heart of it district design. And typically Finnish and non-Dutch: the shops here do not have the ambition to become great, but offer local craftsmanship. If you buy a bag here, you may be taken to the adjacent studio so that you can see where your new gadget was made. The road from the center to Frederikstraat, Bulevardi, is also nice to walk through.
Stores we recommend:
- into the Garden Kamp Galleria: You can consider Kämp Galleria as the local Bijenkorf. On the top floor, under a beautiful glass dome, there is a small gathering place of Finnish designers.
- Three: A concept store as concept stores should be. Heart for Tre.
- Metsä/Skogen: This store deserves some explanation. If you are talking about Finnish culture, Finnish design and concept store, then this store is an absolute must visit. Think of it as a concept store 2.0: a place where shopping is an experience and all your senses are stimulated. In addition to being a shop for sustainable products, Metsä is also a spa and harvest bar and a place where – thanks to the lifelike trees and lovely lounge chairs – you can switch off for a while.
- Revolve: On the Iso Roobertinkatu, around the corner from Frederikstraat. For all your vintage finds.
- Frida: For even more vintage finds.
And then we arrive at the addresses we love most: the places to eat. With a dot at number one Noll high at the top of the list. Nolla is Finnish for zero (or just zero ;)) and is Scandinavia's first zero waste restaurant. Here they use local and organic suppliers. Coffee, wine, tea and olive oil are available abroad (but still sustainable), the rest is from Finnish soil. And everything here is sustainable. For example, they measure the waste every month. If more bread is thrown away one month than another, they investigate why this is possible. The soap is made from frying oil, the glassware is recycled from old wine bottles and the napkins are made from old linen. At Nolla you also have a cozy and intimate seat and you won't notice that their own compost container is in the middle of the store.
And what we also appreciate: the gentlemen from Nolla do not emphasize their concept - and the fact that they have a container in the business - to their guests or on a daily basis. At Nolla they believe that this should be a normality and not a unique selling point. For Nolla, the emphasis is on a good atmosphere and good food, because that is what they want to make special. Nice, right?
Another typical bar in Helsinki Holiday Bar, on the water at Katajanokan Kanava and just behind the Uspensky Cathedral. A breath of fresh air is blowing here, literally and figuratively. Fresh because it is located on the water, but also fresh because the look & feel doesn't feel Finnish (but then again it does).
You can think of something like this here Place in Amsterdam. In other words: a well-thought-out hodgepodge of vintage furniture, vintage wines and international dishes. It is a nice walk from the Cathedral in the center of Helsinki, so this is a great base after your shopping spree.
Also fun for coffee and lunch lovers:
- Artisan Cafe (owner is Finnish coffee brewing champion)
- Walking
- Regatta
- Chapter (nice for lunch)
- Soil
- Esplanades
As you can see, there is plenty to do in Helsinki and Tampere is waiting for us. So here are a few must-do's in brief:
- Are you going to Helsinki in the fall? Then swimming in the Allas Moonlight swimming pool is a special experience. This heated outdoor pool is open during the winter months and many Finns go for a dip before, during or after work. Another example of the Finnish way of life. The swimming pool is located in the water of the Baltic Sea, so you would almost think you are just jumping into the sea. But luckily the pool water is warmer. And from our own experience we can say: there is something to swimming outside in the dark with a view of the city skyline.
- For anyone who loves books: both the old and the brand new library (New Central Library) are recommended to visit. The old one because it is very beautiful and classic, the new one because it is very new and ultra-modern. It can be that simple.
- By boat to the Finnish island of Suomenlinna. This is one of six islands off the coast of Helsinki. The fortress built on this site is on the World Heritage List.
On to Tampere, the third largest city in Finland. Why would you want to go to Tampere (pronounced tam-pûh-ruh) when you have Helsinki and Lapland? Three magic words: sauna, sauna and sauna. Since May 2018, Tampere can call itself the Sauna Capital of Finland, because: Tampere has 34 public saunas. And now 34 doesn't even sound that high, right? But realize: Finland has 5,5 million inhabitants and 3.3 million saunas. That is more saunas than cars, partly thanks to the fact that almost all Finns have a sauna at home and a second house with a sauna. From that perspective, 34 is still quite a lot. But now we hear you thinking, what do you do in a public sauna if you have one at home?
Good question. We put it to the test and went to Rauhaniemi sauna, the oldest public sauna in Finland, on Friday evening. The road here feels a bit like a horror movie. You arrive (by car or bus) at a deserted parking lot in the middle of the forest. Relief? No way (because: not sustainable and you now know what those Finns are like!). Then you walk a bit through that dark forest, until you stand at the edge of a lake. And voilà, here's what to do on Friday evening. The idea is this: you dive into the sauna, drink a beer, chat with the person sweating next to you, and as soon as you get too hot, you walk outside and take a dip in the natural water. Then you walk back - probably shivering -, open a new beer and take a seat in the sauna again. And we didn't think we'd ever say it, but there's something budding about sitting in a bikini with complete strangers in the sauna.
What else do we recommend in Tampere? Drinks & bites at Moro Sky Bar. This bar on the 25th floor – sounds higher than it is – of the Solo Sokos Hotel Torni gives an almost 360 degree view of the entire city. The bar is very trendy and breathes a breath of fresh air over the city. Did we mention there are also cocktails? There are also cocktails!
Another one hundred percent must visit is the cute Café Pispala. This cafe is located on the edge of the city, outside the center. That sounds remote, and yet Pispala is a real attraction. That has everything to do with the owner. He makes the best ones Fried chicken and pancakes during the weekend, and affordable international dishes during the week.
Furthermore, you don't want too much in Tampere. That is perhaps the art of Finnish life: not wanting too much and making do with the saunas and nature that you have. Because what you see everywhere in Tampere, and what also applies to the rest of Finland, is that the forest and the silence are within walking distance. Whether you are in Helsinki or Tampere, nature is always within a radius of 5 kilometers. And especially in Tampere, the area has a lot to offer, from a lookout tower with a view of the forests and the water to the old horse stables and the Pipi Longstocking-like houses. Are you cold? Then you can dive straight back into the sauna.
Finland in winter is a completely different experience than in summer. Do you want swimming, walking, unspoilt nature, buzzing cities and that by camper, fly&drive, canoe, bicycle or walking? Then take a look at a tour through southern Finland. A week of driving around nature parks and cities or a week of wild camping and canoeing across Finland's thousand lakes. A summer adventure in Finland is a different story the most adventurous routes, most beautiful cities and wildest nature.
