Finland – Western and Central (Turku, Tampere, Jyväskylä) July 18-20, 2019
After a 120km drive from Jyväskylä (which I included in Finland east and north), I saw Mobilia and then parked near the boxing museum for the night mooching free wi-fi from Café Europa (password Cafelatte) and got a €90 parking fine.
Mobilia, Kangasala. 25kms SE of Tampere is this large vehicle museum. The exhibits are of cars from the 70s and a large exhibit of rally cars. In a separate building are its classic cars, mostly American. €12, 9 reduced*
Day 9
TAMPERE (pop 235,000, urban area 335,000)
It is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. Tampere is the second-largest urban area and third most-populous individual municipality in Finland, after the cities of Helsinki and Espoo.
Tampere is wedged between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is dubbed the “Manchester of Finland” for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry.
Helsinki is approximately 160kms south of Tampere, and can be reached in 1h 31m by Pendolino high-speed rail service and 2 hours by car. The distance to Turku is roughly the same. Tampere–Pirkkala Airport is Finland’s eighth-busiest airport, with over 230,000 passengers in 2017.
History. Tampere was founded as a market place on the banks of the Tammerkoski channel in 1775 by Gustav III of Sweden and four years later, 1 October 1779, Tampere was granted full city rights. At this time, it was a rather small town, consisting of only a few square kilometres of land around the rapids. Tampere grew as a major market town and industrial centre in the 19th century.
Tampere was the centre of many important political events of Finland in the early 20th century. On 1 November 1905, during the general strike, the famous Red Declaration was proclaimed on Keskustori. In 1918, after Finland had gained independence, Tampere played a major role, being one of the strategically important sites during the Civil War in Finland (28 January – 15 May 1918). Tampere was a red stronghold during the war. White forces captured the town after the Battle of Tampere, seizing about 10,000 Red prisoners on 6 April 1918.
After World War II, Tampere was enlarged by joining some neighbouring areas. It was known for its textile and metal industries, but these have been largely replaced by information technology and telecommunications during the 1990s. The technology centre Hermia in Hervanta is home to many companies in these fields
Finnish Boxing Museum (Suomen Nyrkkeilymuseuo). Founded in 1991, the museum exhibits boxing equipment, medals and awards, publications and photographs showing the stages of boxing sports since ancient times. It includes the organizations and individuals (including coaches and managers) who have significantly influenced boxing’s development around the world.
In the basement of the building on Aleksanterinkatu 26, it can only be seen by appointment. There are no signs or anything indicating the museum. Contact +358-400830128 or rejo.hietalo@suomi24.fi/ Admission by donation.
Moomin Museum. Moomin is a Finnish comic strip and books drawn by Tove Janssen. The museum has many cartoons, drawings and models of sets. Not so interesting for a non-Finn adult. €12*
Deaf Musuem. Google Maps directs you to place in Tampere but this is only the collections and can’t be visited by the public. The real museum is in Helsinki.
Finnish Labour Museum Werstas. Kindergarten teachers, printing, a large steam engine, alcohol consumption, wars (Civil War, Winter War, Continuation War, rise of labour unions after 1945, women’s liberation, employment, children’s rights. Free
Spy Museum In the NM “Bizzarium” series, follow the English book to see what is here: ciphers, surveillance, forgery, women in espionage, Cold War, cameras, air reconnaissance, weapons, National Security Agency (USA), vignettes of many spies including Eric Snowden. €9, 8 reduced*
Tallipiha (Stable Yards). This is a market area with many small shops, a cafe and play facilities for children.
Milavida (Museum). This grand manor house was owned by the Nottbeck family, originally from St Petersburg, who owned the Finlayson Company, a cotton mill starting in 1836. The mill was enlarged and they became very wealthy. A son built this house in 1899, but both him and his wife died and only the four orphans lived here. It was sold to the city in 1905. In the early 20th century, the family all emigrated to Switzerland, Canada and other countries. The house has been restored. €8, 6 reduced*
Vapriikki Museum Centre. Vampires, Messenger (letters, postal system, modern messaging systems), video games, natural history (stuffed animals), media, rocks, City of Theatre, cameras, – this museum center has it all. €13, 10 reduced
Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. Also In Vaprilkki, Finland has had many great players in the NHL, especially goaltenders. See a Canada Cup and World Championship trophy, vignettes of many players, medals, hockey sweaters and other memorabilia. SÄRKÄNNIEMI Theme Park. This was incredibly crowded on a hot summer day. The parking lot (€15 for the day) was full.
Särkänniemi Planetarium. In the amusement park as is
Sara Hildén Art Museum
Amuri Museum of Workers’ Houses. In the NM “Open-Air Museums”, these were housing from 1870-1970 established for the Finlayson Cotton Mills. Most of the houses were demolished by about 6 were retained to make this museum. Most had central kitchens and 4 one-room “apartments”. There are a sauna, goods store and a few shops in one building.
Palander House. This is a gorgeous 5-story Art Deco building occupies an entire block. The most noticeable feature are the windows – rounded at the top and lovely multipaned and stone carvings of owls surrounded by palm leaves under. Balconies of wrought iron are on the NE corner and columned on the NW corner. Green conical roofs are also on these corners. The south side is only 2 stories and a courtyard is entered from here.
Lenin Museum. Protests started in Russia in 1905, St Petersburg was a dangerous place and Lenin who led the Bolshevik Party went in exile in Tampere in Finland. The Workers Party here was strong and they let Lenin use their building for meetings. This is the house where Lenin first met Stalin in 1905. Lenin started to write his book his here and returned to Russia after the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin died in 1928 and Stalin took over introducing the first 5-year plans. Many were sent to labour camps in Siberia and in 1953, when Stalin died, they were closed releasing 2.5 million prisoners.
Finland has always maintained good relations with the Soviet Union and didn’t boycott the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow.
The museum opened in 1946 in the Worker’s Hall where the two first met. Many Soviets visited the museum (20,000 annually). In 1991, the Lenin Museum in Moscow closed.
This is in the NM “House Museums” series. €8, 6 reduced*
Hiekka Art Museum. On the 2nd floor – Finnish art. 3rd floor – more furniture than art. Note that this museum does not open till 3pm. €10, 5 reduced*
Tampere Art Museum. This is a contemporary art museum and has the usual junk. I’m always amazed at all the people trying to get meaning out of this and look intellectual. Basement – Lars Holmstrom: graphic abstracts, 1st floor: 3 videos all in Finnish, 2nd floor: more videos, 6 months of daily self-portraits. €11, 5 reduced*
Day 10
A two-World Heritage Site day!
Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki. A World Heritage Sites since 1999, this is about 18kms east of Rauma along a dirt road.
Dating from 1500-500 BC, there are 36 burial cairns on a 700m-long rocky ridge. Sea covered most of this area in the Bronze Age (sea level was 30m higher and the coast was islands). Scandinavians moved to the coast of Finland bringing burial customs, metal and bronze weapons, jewellery and tools. The climate was a few degrees cooler than Stone Age averages but a few degrees warmer than now. Hardwoods grew, farming had begun (cattle), but fishing and seal hunting were still important.
People were buried here over a 1000-year period. Land lift raised the land by 10m as the 2km thick glaciers receded. Inside the cairns were stone circles, stone cists, circular dry stone walls and shorter straight stone walls. Only one artefact has been recovered here, a fragment of a bronze bracelet. This indicates that the dead didn’t need everyday items in the afterlife. Burials occurred from 1300-1000 BC and 170-82 BC.
This is a very uninspiring place. Follow the map that shows 6 “groups” of cairns, simple random jumbles of rocks. Nothing can be entered or seen. You walk down the ‘road’ and turn left or cross the small group of trees directly in front of the parking area. The area is open 24 hours. Free
RAUMA (40,000)
Rauma is a town and municipality on the west coast of Finland, 92kms north of Turku, and 50kms south of Pori. Granted town privileges in 1442 (then under the rule of Sweden), Rauma is known for its paper and maritime industry, high quality lace (since the 18th century) and the old wooden architecture of its centre – Old Rauma, Vanha Rauma – which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
History. In the 14th century, before being declared as a town, Rauma had a Franciscan Monastery and a Catholic church. In 1550, the townsmen of Rauma were ordered to relocate to Helsinki but didn’t and Rauma continued to grow. Practically the whole wooden part of the town of Rauma was devastated in the fires of 1640 and 1682. The city centre, which was as large as the town was until 1809, has approximately 600 wooden buildings. The neo-renaissance style of many of the houses is a result of prosperity brought on by seafaring. In 1897 Rauma had the largest fleet of sailing boats in Finland, totaling 57 vessels. Goods were mainly exported to Germany, Stockholm and the Baltic states. In the 1890s, Rauma got a teacher’s college (a ‘seminar’), which was later annexed to the University of Turku. The name Rauma comes from the Germanic word strauma, meaning “stream
Old Rauma. the wooden city centre of the town of Rauma is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 0.3 km², with approximately six hundred buildings (counting both proper houses and smaller buildings like sheds) and about 800 people living in the area. The town of Rauma expanded outside the Old Rauma proper only in the early 19th century. The oldest buildings date from the 18th century, as two fires of 1640 and 1682 destroyed the town. Most buildings are currently inhabited and owned by private individuals, although along the two main streets and around the town square they are mainly outside in business use.
Locations of special interest include the Kirsti house, which is a seaman’s house from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Marela house, which is a ship owner’s house dating to the 18th century but with a 19th-century facade, both of which are currently museums. Other sights include the rare stone buildings of the Old Rauma: the Church of the Holy Cross, an old Franciscan monastery church from the 15th century with medieval paintings and the Old Town Hall from 1776. Another church in Rauma, the Church of the Holy Trinity, also from the 15th century, burned in the fire of 1640.
Church of the Holy Cross. Franciscans came in 1442 and built this church for the convent finishing it in 1512. The convent was closed in 1532 during the Reformation and it became a Lutheran church in 1640 soon after the departure of the monks. The tower was built in 1640 and served as a landmark for ships in the Gulf of Bothnia.
This is a stone church dating from With one aisle on the left, the balcony above is lined with paintings of saints. Unusually for Finnish Lutheran churches, the entire apse has bright frescoes with decorative rib vaults and a lovely stained glass window placed in 1891. The paintings date from the Middle Ages. The brass chandelier dates from 1648. The Medieval triptych on the east side originated in Prussia in the 1440s.
Rauma Maritime Museum. In a lovely wood building built around a central brick tower with a crenellated roofline, this has the history of maritime Rauma, with many ships models, paintings and artifacts. €9, 6 reduced*
PORI (pop 85,000)
Pori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland 10kms from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river. The city covers an area of 2,062.00km2 of which 870.01 km2 is water. The municipality is unilingually Finnish. It is the 11th largest city in Finland, and the 7th largest urban area.
History. City of Pori was established in 1558 by Duke John of Finland who was later known as John III of Sweden. It was a successor to the medieval towns of Teljä (Kokemäki) and Ulvila. Sailing the Kokemäki river had become more and more difficult since the 14th century due to the post-glacial rebound. The importance of Kokemäki and Ulvila began to decline as the ships could no longer navigate the river. In the 16th century the situation had become so bad that Duke John decided to establish a new harbour and market town closer to the sea. The Bourgeois of Ulvila were ordered to migrate to the newly founded city. At the beginning Pori had around 300 involuntary residents. However, they soon recognized the advantages of their new location, which offered opportunities for profitable trading, among other things. Ship building has been important since the beginning of history of Pori. Shipyard started by the river in 1572 and it worked until the early 20th century. The biggest ship probably ever built in Pori was “Porin Kraveli”, completed in 1583.
During the Greater Wrath in 1713 Pori was occupied by Russian troops. Eight Russian regiments spent four months in town from September 1713 to January 1714 vandalizing and demolishing the city. Some of the most wealthiest residents vanished, they were probably imprisoned and taken to Russia. Wind mills and storage houses were burnt. Most of the oxen and horses and more than 400 boats were lost. The Russian invasion of Finland continued another seven years. It meant great financial loss for Pori as the foreign trade was completely finished. After the Greater Wrath Pori lost its staple rights and the city went into deep depression. A new “golden age” for Pori started in 1765 as the city got back the staple rights for foreign trade.
As the Crimean War broke out in 1853 Pori was attacked by French and British navy in 1855. The French frigate D’Assos made the first attempt on July and managed to catch one ship outside the Isokari island before they sailed further north. Another attack was made by British fleet on 9 August. Mayor Klaus Wahlberg negotiated a deal with the enemy and the city was saved. Two sailing ships and 17 smaller boats along with some other properties were given to the British.
As most of its houses were made of wood, the town has burned down and been rebuilt nine times first in 1571 and the last major fire in 1852 when more than 75 per cent of the city was destroyed and most of the residents became homeless. Only a few buildings, such as the Town Hall, were saved. The Great Fire of 1852 was one of the worst disasters in Finland. The newly completed buildings, such as the Pori Theatre and Hotel Otava are historically and culturally important. Four esplanades, which are wider than the other streets, divided the new city center in four parts.
In WW II, Pori was bombed four times by the Soviet Airforce in 1939–1940. Most of the bombs were aimed to the harbour area instead of the city itself. From 1942 to 1944 Pori Airport served as an air depot for the Jagdgeschwader 5 of German Luftwaffe, one of the major German air depots in Northern Europe. On September 1944 Germans left the airport and destroyed most of their facilities with explosives. One German-built hangar is still used today. Total of 319 Soviet Red Army prisoners of war died in Pori as they were used as a forced labor by the Germans.
Rosenlew Museum. Futuromania – designing future living is about living spaces designed in the 50s and 60s. Upstairs is the history of the Rosenlew family who came ot Pori 1812 and first were involved in timber and the family continues to run the business. It evolved into shipping, sawmills, pulp and paper, packaging, machine works (foundry, locomotives, grain harvesters and tools), energy (power stations, dams), yeast, bricks, wooden houses and electronics. The company was disbanded in 1987. €5, 2.50 reduced*
Satakunta Museum. This is a beautiful new museum that is very well done showing the history of the area (Satakunta) and the city of Pori. Storyboards in English but I couldn’t get English on the many video screens. Labels in Finnish. €7, 3.50 reduced*
Yyteri beach. About 18kms NW of Pori on the way to the lighthouse, this beach is a curving 2kms of fine powdery golden sand, The water is quite shallow for some ways out. Park and walk about ½km on wood boardwalk through trees, then sand dunes. There is a zip-line obstacle course above and around the parking lot that would be great fun especially for kids.
Säppi Lighthouse (Kallo Lighthouse). This is a very cute small, white, 3-story hexagonal lighthouse made of bolted plate steel. There is small red cottage attached.
Wolf Cave. This is a crack in the Pyhävuori mountain in Kristinestad. The upper part of the crack has been packed with soil, forming a cave. In 1996, some objects were found in the cave that brought about speculations that it could have been inhabited in the Paleolithic, between 120,000 and 130,000 years ago. These objects, if authentic, would be the only known Neanderthal artifacts in the Nordic countries. There is disagreement as to whether Neanderthals actually settled in the cave.
In 1996, plans were made to empty the cave of soil and turn it into a tourist attraction, but because of the risk that the cave was about to collapse, in part as a result of the excavation itself, the cave was stabilized in 2002, and a protecting wire netting of steel was set up to prevent chips of stone from falling.
VASA (pop 68,000)
On the coast. it is named after the Royal House of Vasa and is the regional capital of Ostrobothnia (Swedish: Österbotten, Finnish: Pohjanmaa). The city is bilingual with 69.8% of the population speaking Finnish as their first language and 24.8% speaking Swedish. The surrounding Ostrobothnian municipalities have a clear Swedish-speaking majority.
History. It was founded by Swedish seafarers in the 14th century. Thanks to the sea connections, ship building and trade, especially tar trade, Vaasa flourished in the 17th century and most of the inhabitants earned their living from it. The first library in Finland was founded in Vaasa in 1794. In 1793, Vaasa had 2,178 inhabitants. During the Finnish War, fought between Sweden and Russia in 1808–1809, Vaasa suffered more than any other city. The Russians plundered the city for several days and killed 17 civilians – this was exceptional during the Finnish war as the Russian forces had avoided that kind of cruelty that far. It was probably a result of the frustration the Russians felt because of intensive guerilla activity against them in the region. Vaasa became a part of the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire.
A fire in 1852 almost completely destroyed the mainly wooden and densely built town. Out of 379 buildings only 24 privately owned buildings had survived. The new town rose in 1862 about 7kms to the northwest from the old town. The town’s coastal location offered good conditions for seafaring. The town was promptly renamed Vasa (Vaasa) after the Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown in 1917.
Near the Polar Circle, Vaasa falls in continental subarctic climate with severe dry winters and almost warm winters. The prevailing direction of the winds, North Atlantic Current and the proximity of the Gulf of Bothnia gives a climate a certainly livable in the city altought despite the latitude, similar to the south of Alaska. The Föhn wind passes over the Scandinavian Mountains and leaves a milder and drier weather in the lee of the mountains where Vaasa is found, affecting especially in the winter which explains sunny days even in the season of curt solar duration.
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art. The exhibits are a cross section of the history of newer art, from international modernists to Finnish contemporary artists from 1950 on. The basic exhibition, which is founded on the art collection of Simo Kuntsi from Vaasa. It opened in 2007 in the 1875 former customs warehouse in the inner harbour of Vaasa. €7, 5 reduced*
Ostrobothnian Museum. Established in 1895, it is the historical museum of the City of Vaasa and a museum of natural science for Ostrobothnia.
The three permanent exhibits are: The Hedman Floor houses antiques and works of art, Vaasa 400, the city history, and the Terranova exhibition, the natural history section. €9, 6 reduced*
Maritime Museum. Only in Finnish. Most lighthouses in Finland are shown, some big ship models (he also did the paintings of lighthouses), Wasa shipping line, many ships motors. €4, 2 reduced (does not take Museum card but let me in for free)
Replot Island. At the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, it is about 150km2, one of the largest islands of Finland. The first habitations are from the 11th century. Today there are four major communities on the island, Replot kyrkoby, Norra Vallgrund, Södra Vallgrund and Söderudden. Since 1997, Replot has been connected to the mainland via the Replot Bridge, the longest bridge ever built in Finland, with a length of 1,045 metres.
Replot is part of a larger archipelago and most of the smaller islands around Replot have traditionally been used as fishing camps. Today the buildings are generally used as summer cottages. A large part of the Replot archipelago has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Öja is an island in the Gulf of Bothnia in Kokkola municipality with an area of 90km2. Öja is also the name of a settlement on the island with a population of 800.
K H Renludin Museum, Kokkola. The exhibition is a comprehensive representation of art from Central Ostrobothnia. Finnish contemporary folk art, international naïve art and outsider art is also exhibited. €7, 5 reduced*
The sun set at about 11pm. It doesn’t get dark at night.
GO TO Northern Ostrobothnia and Eastern (Oulu, Kajaani, Joensuu)
I returned to Finland Western on August 1, 2019 from Sweden on Finnlines Ferry.
FERRY FROM SWEDEN to FINLAND
Departs from Kapellskär, Sweden about 80kms east of Stockholm on the east coast and arrives at Naantali, Finland, just north of Turku. I took the overnight ferry departing at 9pm and arriving at 7:15am with a stop in Lumparland in the Åland Islands. Cost a whopping €336. It is quite straightforward to book at www.finnlines.com but I had questions and phoned +46 771340900 (Sweden). One must book a cabin – it is not possible to bring a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor like every other overnight ferry I have been on. Two meals, a buffet dinner and breakfast are included. I was given a “special deal” – sleeping in a cabin where pets had been in the past and saved €100, so I paid €231. Other than the departure at 9pm Sweden time, the ship and arrival times are Finland time, one hour ahead.
Kappellskä is nothing but a ferry terminal so it is an easy place to navigate. I ended up with a 2-bed inside cabin with a complete bathroom and a TV. I was again in need of a shower, so that was very much appreciated.
The buffet dinner was very good and I ate a lot of the fall-off-the-bone pork spareribs.
Day 11 in Finland
NAANTALI
Kultaranta. This palace is the summer residence of the President of Finland in the district of Kulturanta on the island of Luonnonmaa. The granite manor house is surrounded by 54 hectares of park (mature trees and grass with two formal gardens and a large greenhouse). It was originally built in 1914 by a businessman who died in 1917. It was purchased by the Finnish government in 1922 for this purpose. The garden is only open to the public on Fridays from 18:00-20:00 April 15-Oct 31. Guided tours with Naantali tourism (www.visitnaantali.com) at 2pm Tuesday to Sunday, 21/06-11/08. €13 and must be reserved.
There is heavy security with a huge no drone zone but I had a good look at the park through the fence.
Moomin World Theme Park. Accessible by ferry. I didn’t go here – I’ve already seen more than enough of this Finnish cartoon series.
TURKU (pop 192,000)
Turku is a city on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. Turku, as a town, was settled during the 13th century and founded most likely at the end of the 13th century, making it the oldest city in Finland. It quickly became the most important city in Finland, a status it retained for hundreds of years. After Finland became part of the Russian Empire (1809) and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland was moved to Helsinki (1812), Turku continued to be the most populous city in Finland until the end of the 1840s, and it remains a regional capital and an important business and cultural center.
Because of its long history, it has been the site of many important events, and has extensively influenced Finnish history. Along with Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, Turku was designated the European Capital of Culture for 2011.
Due to its location, Turku is a notable commercial and passenger seaport with over three million passengers traveling through the Port of Turku each year to Stockholm and Mariehamn.
The sixth largest city in Finland, there were 330,192 inhabitants living in the Turku sub-region, ranking it as the third largest urban area in Finland after the Greater Helsinki area and Tampere sub-region. The city is officially bilingual as 5.2 percent of its population identify Swedish as a mother-tongue.
Turku Botanic Garden. Rock gardens, seasonal ornamental flowers (great display) and large areas of natural woods. NA and Eurasian trees. This is 6kms west of the city. Free
Turku Castle. Built in the 13th century and added to many times, it became a residential palace for Duke John in the 16th century and was used by Russian and Swedish armies in the 18th and 19th centuries. This square stone fortress (painted white) has a large cobble courtyard surrounding by 3-story buildings built inside the walls. At the west end is the inner courtyard of unpainted stone with a tall keep at the end. Built for defense there were no doors inside but rooms were accessed by gangways on the walls. Church with many polychromes. There are 7 models of the various construction phases. This is a great fort to visit with many nice rooms and small corridors connecting everything. There was a great exhibit on the role of 16th century women, noble and peasant. Ironworks were an important industry in Turku. €12, 6 reduced*
Forum Marinum. Turku has a large ship building industry. Great exhibit on shipbuilding from wood to steel. Many boats but all in Finnish. Food transport after WW II, role of icebreakers. Modern Finnish naval vessels. €17, 10 reduced*
Besides these 3 boats, there are 4 small naval vessels and a warship that can be visited.
Sigyn. This small sailing barque has been under renovation for 2 years and is expected to return in 2020. Read about it in the museum.
Suomen Joutsen. This 3-masted steel hulled, sailing cargo ship was built in St Nazaire, France in 1902 as the Laennec (96m long, 12m wide with highest mast 52m high). These has long fore and aft decks making them safer. It carried cargo between Europe, Australia and the US. During WWI it was owned by the US government. From 1922-27 as the Oldenburg it was owned by a German company who used it to train merchant sailors. In 1929, it was purchased by the Finnish government for use as a naval training vessel and the name changed to the Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland) and had 8 major ocean voyages. In WW II it became a supply ship and after the war as a supply ship for minesweeping. From 1960-90, it was moored and a seaman training school. In 1990, it became a ship’s museum. Great exhibit on the Navy Band. €6, 4 reduced (if visited separately from the museum.
S/S Bore. This big ship is a HI hostel, Café Navigare (12-8) and nice restaurant. It would be a great place to stay with seating all over the decks.
The Statue of Friendship Between Leningrad and Turku (Leningradin Ja Turun Ystavyyden patas). This statue is located in Puolalanpuisto Park in Turku. It was erected in1968 in honour of the 15th town twinning between Turku and Leningrad. It depicts 4 figures, 3 men and a woman, greeting and embracing each other. It is made of bronze, stands 2.5m high and the figures are a blocky, cubist design. The .5m high base is red granite.
Market Square. This large paved square is an open air market with vegys, fruit, food trucks, clothes, books under small awnings.
Åbo Svenska Teater. Dating from 1839, it is the oldest theatre building in Finland. Plays only in Finnish. Box office open 12-6.
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art – WAM. This modern/contemporary art museum has rotating temporary exhibits. Tuomas Laitinen – Habitat Cascade: glass sculptures interacting with an octopus in room suffused in a magenta light suggesting alternative forms of communication. The second much larger exhibit was HC Berg – large thin acrylic boxes with coloured concentric circles or vertical lines of light (that seemingly move) and similar boxes with concave mirrors with messages that change with the viewers position – quite attractive and unusual. One can only guess at how he makes them. €10, 5 reduced
Pharmacy Museum. Presents 18th and 19th century pharmacy when all medicine was from plants, animals and minerals. It is in the 17th century Qwensel House, also part of the museum with period furniture and wallpaper. Enter from the courtyard at the back. The pharmacy has lots of bottle, jars and drawers, the manufacturing process (retorts, distillation, presses, scales, mortars) and dried plants. The house belonged to a doctor, there was never a pharmacy here but the museum was produced here as a reason to save the building. €6, 3 reduced*
Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova. This museum has 2 parts. An archaeological excavation of medieval Turku dating to the 13th century (many additions over the centuries until a place was built over it all in 1928) with good models and a lot of old stone walls surrounded by exhibits describing town life primarily in the 16th century. The class hierarchy was nobles in the castle, German and Swedish business people and Finish commoners. Upstairs are 2 rooms of temporary art exhibits: Paivikki Kallio (graphics and prints – quite good) and Saara Ekstrom (videos and photographs – quite bad). €10, 7 reduced*
Posankka. In the NM “Bizzarium” series, this is large plastic “sculpture” of a rubber duck with pig-like qualities – a snout and a long curly tail – but a short round body and big blue eyes. It sits on a grassy boulevard. You could buy t-shirts with it in Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art.
Sibelius Museum. Jean Sibelius was Finland’s most famous composer (1865-1957). The museum has a large collection of musical instruments (including several pianos and organs), and gramophones and record players around a central performance venue (has concerts every Wednesday), and an exposition on Sibelius. His most famous work was Finlandia and then 7 symphonies. He had a problem with alcohol and cigars and produced no music after 1927. €5, 4 reduced
Turku Cathedral. Finished in 1300, it is the largest church in Finland and the main church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It was added to many times and was Catholic before the Reformation when it had 42 chapels. The chapels became family vaults. The bell tower has burnt down several times and this one dates to 1827. With 5 aisles, it is grand inside and out. The stone/ red brick façade has a high bell tower with a clock. An austere grey inside, the only colour is the stained glass and candy cane ribs on the vaulted ceilings of the aisles and brick edged arches. €2 to see the museum*.
Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum. This open-air museum has cottages built between 1785-1808 and standing in their original locations. It was spared in the Great Fire of 1827 and the buildings were ordered to be demolished as their repair was poor. Starting in the 1930s, they were restored and turned into craftsmen’s homes and workshops. Virtually every trade is exhibited but not all have craftsmen every day. When I was there 2 houses, each with several crafts were open. Very well done museum. €10, 5 reduced*
Kylämäki Village of Living History. This open-air farm museum is a group of four farms all in their original locations (farms were often grouped together like this in Finland). It represents farm life in the 1950s. Most buildings originate from the 19th century, one from the 1700s and a few from the 20th century: cowsheds, barns, threshing barns, farmhouses, stables, granaries, woodsheds, drying barns, sheds, cellars and a water tower. This is very hands-on and you can touch most anything. It is a great place for kids who can use looms, do wood working and other crafts. Free
Taidekappeli (St Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel). The church has a very unique shape – very narrow and tall with slightly curved sides. Constructed of pine, the frame is massive curved 4’’x 20” glue laminated (each about 4” x 1.5” x 11 layers) beams with knotty pine panelling attached to the outside to produce a stunning look. The floor and pews are also pine. It is completely unadorned. The pews are simple benches, the altar a simple rectangular frame. There is small wood cross and a stand with an icon of Mary and Jesus. Lighting is small copper lights. The only windows are about 1.5m wide and next to the altar at the end. St Henry was the first bishop of Finland. Instruments include a piano and small organ. Musicians were about to play. Free
Artists show for 1-2 months and the church takes a commission.
An artist was showing his work. Tentti Tuovinen takes unusually shaped wood and planes it and sands it very smooth to show the grain and produce artistic shapes. The prices seemed high, €300 – 5000. The nicest was a female torso. Free
Paimio Hospital (formerly Paimio Sanatorium), Paimio. Paimio Sanatorium was a former tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, Southwest Finland, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Aalto received the design commission having won the architectural competition for the project held in 1929. The building was completed in 1933, and soon after received critical acclaim both in Finland and abroad. The building served exclusively as a tuberculosis sanatorium until the early 1960s, when it was converted into a general hospital. Today the building is owned by Turku University Hospital but is not functioning as a hospital; rather, the building has functioned as private rehabilitation center for children since 2014. The sanatorium has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Despite being built 90 years ago, it still looks very modern with its classic lines. Aalto followed many of the tenets of Le Corbusier’s pioneering ideas for modernist architecture (e.g. ribbon windows, roof terraces, machine aesthetic).
Aalto’s starting point for the design of the sanatorium was to make the building itself a contributor to the healing process. He liked to call the building a “medical instrument”. For instance, particular attention was paid to the design of the patient bedrooms: these generally held two patients, each with his or her own cupboard and washbasin. Aalto designed special silent basins, so that the patient would not disturb the other while washing. Aalto placed the lamps in the room out of the patients’ line of vision and painted the ceiling a relaxing grayish green so as to avoid glare. Each patient had their own specially designed cupboard, fixed to the wall and off the floor so as to aid in cleaning beneath it.
In the early years the only known “cure” for tuberculosis was complete rest in an environment with clean air and sunshine. Thus on each floor of the building, at the end of the patient bedroom wing, were sunning balconies, where weak patients could be pulled out in their beds. Healthier patients could go and lie on the sun deck on the very top floor of the building. As the patients spent a long time — typically several years — in the sanatorium, there was a distinct community atmosphere among both staff and patients; something which Aalto had taken into account in his designs, with various communal facilities, a chapel, as well as staff housing, and even specially laid out promenade routes through the surrounding forest landscape. In the 1950s the disease could be partly dealt with by surgery and thus a surgery wing, also designed by Aalto’s architect studio, was added. Soon after, antibiotics saw the virtual end of the disease, and the number of patients was reduced dramatically and the building was converted into a general hospital.
The main entrance is marked by a nebulous-shaped canopy unlike anything being designed at that time by the older generation of modernist architects. The building is widely regarded as one of his most important early designs — designed at the same time as the Vyborg Library. Aalto and his wife Aino designed all of the sanatorium’s furniture and interiors. Some of the furniture, most notably the Paimio chair, is still in production by Artek. It is 7-stories high with a row of windows along the entire length of each floor and a balcony on one end. It is all white except for the beige 7th floor. Appropriately for a one-time sanatorium it is out in the country amidst a forest of pine trees.
FERRY HELSINKI to TALLINN, ESTONIA
I drove for a while towards Helsinki and then searched www.laevapiletid.ee for ferries to Tallinn Estonia. Echero’s trip (€53) at 2:30 was sold out and most other ferries were €89-120, but Viking had a ferry at 10:30 for an amazing €33. I tried to book online but couldn’t, tried phoning but couldn’t connect, visited the Viking website where the fare was €89 and returned to Laevapiletid, sent an email and got the trip. It was hard to believe it could be so cheap and reinforces using Laevapiletid to do all bookings in the north Baltic.
I slept at a gas station without wifi, worked on my posts and had a great 8 hour sleep. The 120km drive into Helsinki was fast averaging over 130kms/hour and I arrived at the Viking check-in at 9:45, loaded and sat on the sundeck writing all this.
Nomad Mania Finland – Western and Central (Turku, Tampere, Jyväskylä)
World Heritage Sites
Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki
Old Rauma
Petäjävesi Old Church
Struve Geodetic Arc
Tentative WHS: Paimio Hospital (formerly Paimio Sanatorium) (28/01/2004)
Modern Architecture Building: Paimio: Paimio Sanatorium
Islands
Iso-Nauvo (Storlandet)
Jurmo
Kemiönsaari (Kimitöön)
Korpo
Öja
Replot
Borders: Finland (sea border/port)
XL: Turku archipelago
House Museums/Plantations: Kokkola: K H Renludin Museum
World of Nature: Archipelago National Park (Sight)
Festivals
Kaustinen Folk Music Festival
Konemetsä/Kosmos Festival – Open Air Forest Festival
Pori Jazz Festival
Provinssirock
Ruisrock
Seinäjoen Tangomarkkinat
Tampere: Tammerfest
Tangomarkkinat, Seinäjoki
Turku music festival
Zoos:
Ähtäri: Ähtäri Zoo
Lieto: Zoolandia
Lighthouses:
Bengtskär: Bengtskär lighthouse
Kylmäpihlaja Lighthouse
Windmills
Konnevesi: Konnevesi Museum Windmill
Korpoström: Hembygdsmuseum Windmill
Luopajarvi: Luopajarvi WindmillA
Pälkäne: Pälkäne Windmill
Uusikaupunki: Uusikaupunki windmills (Myllymaki)
Beaches: Yyteri
Caves: Wolf Cave
Ski Resorts: Himos Ski Resort
Aviation Museums: Kuorevesi: Hallinportti Aviation Museum
Railway Museums: Jokioinen: Jokioinen Museum Railway
Vehicle Museums: Kangasala: Mobilia
European Cities
JYVÄSKYLÄ
Airports : Jyväskylä (JYV)
Museums:
Craft Museum of Finland
Jyväskylä Art Museum
Museum of Central Finland (Keski-suomen Museo)
House Museums/Plantations: Alvar Aalto Museum (Sight)
Entertainment/Things to do:
Jyväskylä: Kuokkalan Kartano
Jyväskylä: Toivola Old Courtyard
Planetariums: Kallioplanetaario
Aviation Museums: Aviation Museum of Central Finland
Pedestrian Bridges: Ylistö bridge
PORI
Museums:
Rosenlew Museum
Satakunta Museum
Lighthouses: Säppi lighthouse (Kallo Lighthouse)
SEINÄJOKI
Museums:
Lotta Svärd Museum
Törnävä museum (Southern Ostrobothnia Provincial Museum)
TAMPERE World City and Popular Town
Airports: Tampere (TMP)
Museums:
Deaf Museum
Finnish Boxing Museum (Suomen Nyrkkeilymuseuo)
Finnish Labour Museum Werstas
Hiekka Art Museum
Moomin Museum
Sara Hildén Art Museum
Tampere Art Museum
Vapriikki Museum Centre
House Museums/Plantations : Lenin Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts : Tampere: Milavida (Museum)
Entertainment/Things to do:
Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
Tallipiha (Stable Yards)
Planetariums: Särkänniemi Planetarium (? In amusement park??)
Theme Parks: Särkänniemi
Open-Air Museums” Amuri Museum of Workers’ Houses
Bizzarium: Spy Museum
TURKU World Cities and Popular Towns
Airports: Turku (TKU)
XL: Turku archipelago
Museums:
Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova
Forum Marinum
Pharmacy Museum
Sibelius Museum
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Turku Castle
Religious Temples:
Taidekappeli (St Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel)
Turku Cathedral
Entertainment/Things to do:
Åbo Svenska Teater, Turku
Luostarinmäki Handicrafts
Monuments: Friendship Statue between Leningrad and Turku
Ship Museums:
MS Bore
Sigyn
Suomen Joutsen
Entertainment/Things to do: Kylämäki Village
Open-Air Museums: Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum
Markets: Market Square
Maritime/Ship Museums: Forum Marinum / Sigyn / Suomen Joutsen
Botanical Gardens: Turku Botanic Garden
Bizzarium: Posankka
VASA
Airports: Vaasa (VAA)
Museums:
Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art
Ostrobothnian Museum
Vehicle Museums: Vaasa: Maritime Museum
Villages and Small Towns
MATHILDEDAL
TAMMISAARI (Ekenas)
NAANTALI
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Naantali: Kultaranta
Theme Parks: Naantali: Moomin World Theme Park (Sight)
RAUMA
World Heritage Sites:
Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki
Old Rauma
Religious Temples: Rauma: Church of the Holy Cross
Maritime/Ship Museums: Rauma: Rauma Maritime Museum