Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for finland
A City’s Living Room
By Linda Tancs
Many libraries are cherished meeting places, but in Helsinki, Finland, they’ve taken it to a new level. Billed as a living room for residents, Oodi is a relatively new library in the heart of the city. A third of its space is reserved for books. So what, you may wonder, is the rest used for? Well, there’s a cinema. And a recording studio. And a photography and video studio. Work spaces. Meeting rooms. A children’s playground. If you’d like to just sit down with a good book and a ubiquitous cup of Finnish coffee (they do, after all, consume the most coffee in the world per capita), then you can head to Book Heaven on the top floor. Both guided and self-guided tours are available.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Nature and Culture in Finland
By Linda Tancs
Cultural attractions abound in Hämeenlinna, Finland, one of the country’s 107 towns. It’s the birthplace of Jean Sibelius, Finland’s national composer. You’ll also find a 13th-century medieval castle, the city’s signature attraction, overlooking Lake Vanajavesi. Add to that the forest park of Aulanko and you have the perfect mix of nature and culture. The park’s scenic lookout tower at Aulangonvuori Hill gives enviable views over the valley of Lake Vanajavesi with its bays, rocky islands and capes. Part of a nature reserve, the Aulanko area is the first national urban park in the country.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Prehistoric Paintings in Finland
By Linda Tancs
Opened in 2017 to celebrate Finland’s centenary of independence, Hossa National Park is the nation’s 40th national park, featuring crystal clear fishing waters and ancient rock paintings. An old Sámi hunting ground, Hossa’s oldest dwellings are almost 10,000 years old. The park also sports a series of rock paintings at Värikallio Cliffs dating back nearly 3,500 years, the largest prehistoric paintings in Finland. You’ll find a wide range of hiking and biking trails (almost 56 miles of them) and ample opportunities for canoeing and fishing like the first inhabitants.
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Cavernous Appetites in Helsinki
By Linda Tancs
Caverna Restaurant is situated deep in a natural limestone cave near the center of Helsinki, Finland. Debuting last summer, the venue offers lunch and dinner buffets, including Brazilian churrasco meat skewers and Japanese teppanyaki-style food. Designed to make dining an entertainment event, the facility seats 300 guests. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Helsinki Central Railway Station at 5 Yliopistonkatu.
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Helsinki’s Maritime Fortress
By Linda Tancs
One of the world’s largest maritime fortresses, Suomenlinna was built off the coast of Helsinki, Finland, in 1748. In addition to the homeland, this notable monument of military architecture has defended Sweden and Russia. Anything but staid, the bastion fortress is a living district inhabited by 850 city residents. Open year round, you’ll want to reserve at least a half day to explore its many turns and tunnels.
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One Hundred Years Into the Future
By Linda Tancs
In the middle of the scenic lake district of Saimaa in eastern Finland, the largest lake district in Europe, they’re celebrating one hundred years into the future. That’s where you’ll find the medieval castle of Olavinlinna, site of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. For 100 years, the astounding acoustics of Olavinlinna have been captivating opera lovers from all over the world. The centennial season opens today with a grand gala, the program for which spans the entire 100-year history of the Festival. Continuing through 4 August, the 2012 season is an interesting mixture of new and traditional, Finnish and international. Representing tradition are three of the most legendary and most popular productions in the Festival’s history: Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, and Verdi’s Aida. These three classics will be matched with two world premieres: Kimmo Hakola’s La Fenice and the first opera created by an online community: Free Will. Round-trip transport to the season’s performances is provided (for a charge) from the main Savonlinna hotels.
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Hot Igloos for Cold Nights
By Linda Tancs
If severe, wintry weather has you feeling like an Eskimo, then hunker in an igloo in style. Consider the Igloo Village in Lapland, where glowing glass pods dot the landscape surrounding the safe haven of Finland’s second largest reserve, Urho Kekkonen National Park. The Northern Lights are visible here until late April. Not to worry, the igloos are climate-controlled, so you needn’t give up your creature comforts. As the Eskimos say, “May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart.”
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Santa Claus is Coming to Town
By Linda Tancs
In honor of the impeding arrival of Santa Claus, today we highlight Santa Claus’s Village. Located near Rovaniemi, Finland, approximately 520 miles from Helsinki, Santa Claus’s Village offers the child in all of us a chance to explore and discover the Arctic Circle origins of the world’s most famous gift giver. Visit the village online at www.santaclausvillage.info. Later tonight, track Santa’s progress in his world travels at www.noradsanta.org.
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