FINLAND

Levi – one of the Finland’s most interesting tourism destinations + LINKS, PHOTOS & INFO!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland, based on the number of visitors. Lovely place to visit with friends or with familyt. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. Amazing scenery, great skiing pistes, excellent services and good connections make Levi one of Finland’s most interesting tourism destinations!

First, I´ll answer  the 12 most common questions about Levi, Lapland

Where is Levi Finland?
Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

How do I get to Levi?
Despite its location in the far north, Levi is easily reachable, as the Kittilä airport is located about 17 km and the Kolari railway station about 85 km away from Levi. By car or bus, the distance to the city of Rovaniemi is 170 km and the city of Oulu is 380 km. Visiting Levi also gives you a great opportunity to visit the close-by fells Ylläs (65 km) and Pallas (60 km) in the Finnish Lapland.

To Levi it is better to fly via Helsinki (1h30min) or Stockholm (1h40min) to Kittila a/p. and there is shuttle bus from the airport to Levi takes 15 min. You can also take a sleeper train from Helsinki to Kolari (80 km away from Levi) or to Rovaniemi (with this trains you can take your car as well).

What airport is closest to Lapland Finland?
Rovaniemi is the most popular airport (travelers interested in visiting Santa Claus’s village should fly here), being Ivalo the northest one. Rovaniemi serves as the entrance to all Lapland, Northwest Russia, Northern Sweden and Norway. It is not only serviced by Finnair but also by Norwegian and AirBaltic.

Who flies to Kittila Airport (IATA: KTT, ICAO: EFKT)?
Jet2, Flybe, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways offer seasonal charter flights during the winter direct to Kittilä airport (Finnish: Kittilän lentoasema) from a range of UK airports. Taxis are available outside the airport during scheduled arrival times, and are operated by the local taxi company Kittilän ja Levin taksi.

How many airports are there in Lapland?
Each of the airports has its own appeal and target audience: Rovaniemi (309,731 passengers in 2009): Father Christmas’s airport on the Arctic Circle, in the capital of Lapland. Kittila (245,292): Airport in the hub of tourist centres. Ivalo (130,592): The airport for wilderness and trekking.

Is Levi Finland in the Arctic Circle?
Levi, Finland. Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Can you see Aurora Borealis in Finland?
In northern Lapland the lights shine about every other clear night between September and March. In southern Finland they are visible on about 10-20 nights a year. Look to the stars. If you notice that the night sky is clear and starry, your chances of seeing the northern lights are good.

How many hours of daylight does Lapland?
In the south of the country daylight in December lasts only for 6 hours. In northern Lapland a period of darkness prevails at that time, with the sun not rising above the horizon at all.

How cold is Lapland?
Then slowly the temperatures will go down until they reach to -20 C in December. The coldest months are January and February. Then it is common to get under -30 C for at least a few days to weeks. In March the sun will be strong so then it is not likely it will get under -15 C. The frost will slowly disappear in April.

What is the weather look like in Levi?
The skiing season in Levi usually lasts from October until May. In the wintertime, it is recommended to pack a large amount of warm clothes with you, as in January-February, the average temperature drops to -14 degrees, and degrees as low as -30 can occur.

Especially during the spring season Levi provides excellent conditions for cross-country and downhill skiing since the average temperature in March is about -8.4 degrees and in April-May one can already enjoy warm weather in sunny slopes. During the hottest time of summer, in July, Levi’s average temperature rises to 14.4 degrees, making Levi an interesting summer destination as well.

Levi average monthly temperatures (source: National Climatic Data Centre):
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Av. temperat. °C -14,0 -13,1 -8,4 -2,0 4,8 11,4 14,4 11,5 5,9 -0,5 -7,2 -11,6

Does Lapland have snow all year round?
The Lapland region has a subarctic to continental climate characterized by mild summers and cold, snowy winters. … The amount and duration of snowfall also varies by location, but the average number of days with snow is around 175 – 225 days per year between mid-October and mid-May.

What is the best time to visit Finland?
It depends on what you’d like to experience: for plenty of snow and winter activities, December to March is the best time. For springtime sun and the revival of nature after the winter, April to May is the period. For long and warm summer days and plenty of events, opt for June, July and August.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT-PTjH7s2/

 

What to Do at Levi? – Levi Activities
Here are the best things to do in Levi, Finland
Every year many interesting events take place in Levi, including the Alpine World Cup, which attracts a large audience from around the world. Over the years, the prestigious race has gained great popularity among both athletes and the general public. Levi’s winter attractions – the glamour of Lapland, polar nights, frost and reindeer – have guaranteed it a spot on the international competition calendar. Levi also organizes many other sports events where athletes can challenge themselves in biking, golf, trail running and other sports activities.

1. Northern Lights tours and safaris.
Experience the magical Northern Lights in the Lappish sky. The Aurora is an unpredictable, natural event, which occurs all year round. Come on a night safari or stand on an open space to witness these phenomena. The northern location of Levi guarantees great opportunities to see Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, during the trip. In order to make the experience as memorable as possible, it is worthwhile to take part in an organized Northern Lights tour which lets you admire the dancing lights in amid incredible landscapes. Find the tour organiser here.

2. Skiing, Downhill skiing and snowboarding.
The largest ski resort in Finland offers skiers and snowboarders a total of 43 skiing pistes, 28 lifts and, of course, extensive after ski options in the spectacular fell landscape.  To the delight of skiing fans, Levi has a total of 230 km maintained ski tracks, including sections with skiing on ice as well as on the pistes of the fells. The 28 km long illuminated trails offer a chance to ski from early morning to late at night – even during polar nights!

Thanks to the snow machines (view pictures which I took in October), the Levi slopes remain in good condition throughout the season. In total, Levi has 28 lifts, two chair lifts, two gondola lifts and three carpet lifts for beginners. Levi is a great destination also for families, as the little ones can ski for free in Levi’s 10 children’s ski slopes. Levi has much to offer for both beginners and experienced skiers, as there are as many as 43 skiing slopes at the resort, ranging from easier runs to steep black pistes. The peak of the Levitunturi fell is 531 meters high; the highest altitude difference is 325 meters and the longest slope is 2.5 km. If you are looking for speedy activities, head to the northeastern pistes or the Levi Black piste, both ensuring sufficient challenge even for the world’s top skiers. Since Levi offers plenty of pistes across the fells, the long lift queues are rare. The touring Levi Ski Bus offers rides between the slopes, the Levi Center and the largest resorts around the fell.





The Levi Skiing Track Map gives a good overview of the 230 km long track network. With the help of the map, you can find the best skiing tracks in Levi’s spectacular scenery. The Levi Slope Map provides information about the pistes, lifts and services in the Levi Ski Resort. The map helps you navigate across the fells and find the best slopes for your taste.

3. Snowmobiling and Icekarting.
The snowmobile is the fastest means of transport through the masses of snow in the fell area of Lapland. If snowmobiling is not already familiar, beginners are offered courses in learning the basics of driving a snowmobile. With adequate skills it is possible to explore the beautiful nature of Lapland through speedy activities. Icekarting is for the fans of speed and driven with go-karts equipped with studded tires. The activity that is suitable for all ages lets you challenge yourself or compete against other drivers on the ice-track of a frozen lake.

4. Enjoy one of the best Spa´s in Finland – Levi Hotel SPA
Levi Hotel Spa (Levitunturi) is the resort’s flagship property in a peaceful yet convenient location 300m from the ski lifts and Levi village center. A high standard of hotel coupled with excellent spa and recreation facilities makes it a great choice for families and couples alike. Guests have complimentary use of the fabulous ‘Spa Water World’.  Levin’s high-quality spa (Levintie 1590, 99130 Sirkka, Finland) is known for its versatility, offering a choice of enjoying the atmosphere in the whirlpools, spending time in the outdoor pools or swim laps in the fitness pool. In addition to traditional saunas, the spa offers relaxation in steam rooms and specialty saunas available in the pool section.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSO_hwnz0G/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTqMtXHzVx/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpU5QBFnaHD/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSRG4TnnLv/

5. Visits to husky- and reindeer farms and Reindeer and husky safaris.
Near Levi you can see wild but friendly reindeer every morning and night fall.  It is sooooo magical – I think one of the most amazing things in Levi! Read my blog about visiting Levi with children here. So, when in Levi, be sure to take the time to visit a husky- or reindeer farm, where you can admire the lives of the Arctic Siberian huskies and genuine Lapland reindeer. At many farms it is also possible to feed the animals, give lassoing reindeer a try and sample traditional Lappish reindeer dishes. In addition to farm visits, Levi offers participation in reindeer safaris or driving husky sleds. Dog sledding is a great winter activity offering unforgettable experiences also for larger groups.

? Wolverine Fell Wilderness and Nature (Kätkäjärventie 407, 99130 Kittilä)
The company Wolverine Fell Wilderness and Nature (Kätkätunturin Erä ja Luonto) was established in the year 2000. It offers programme services all year round and also includes reindeer husbandry.
Homepage: https://reindeerandfishing.fi/

?? Lapland Safaris (Keskuskuja 2, 99130 Levi)
Would you like to ride a dogsled in the snow-covered wilds? Or go snowshoeing on a frozen lake and admire the Arctic night sky and the Northern Lights? They can help you experience the wonders of winter Lapland every day. Just choose a safari and they’ll do the rest.
Homepage: https://www.laplandsafaris.com/en/

? Levin Poropalvelu (Sokkaporantie, 99140 Köngäs)
Contacts here: https://www.levi.fi/en/enjoy-levi/services/levin-poropalvelu.html

? Levin Sammuntupa ja porotilapalvelut (Taalontie 160, 99130 Levi)
Go and experience a 19th century reindeer farm. Their café is open daily from 10 am – 4 pm. They also arrange reindeer safaris with their own reindeer.
Homepage: https://www.sammuntupa.fi

? Ounaskievari (Ounasjoentie 826, 99140 Köngäs)
They are located seven kilometers from Levi- Center, in Köngäs village. They have been working there for over 20 years and offer a variety of reindeer ride to our guests.
Homepage: http://www.ounaskievari.fi/

? Santa´s Cottage & Pet Farm (Purolantie 6E, 99130 Sirkka)
The only pet farm in Levi is open in November every day 11–15, providing guests experiences with animals. We are located just 2km from the center of Levi! In December we are open every day 11–17, and we also provide Santa Claus programmes. From Santa’s Pet Farm you find nice experiences: cool pets to see, snowy activities on the farmyard, Horse shoe hunting game and reindeer and pony rides!
Homepage: http://www.kompiainen.fi/

 


https://www.instagram.com/p/BpR31bxn8k5/

Husky safari takes you out into the Lappish wilderness:

? All Huskies (Kuusseläntie 56, 99100 Kittilä)
Sled dogs safaris near by Levi.
Homepage: https://www.allhuskies.fi/

? Levi Husky Park (Inarintie, Sokkapora, 99140 Köngäs)
Homepage: https://www.polarspeed.fi/

? Polar Lights Tours Oy (Muoniontie 955, 99130 Levi)
Enjoyable Husky safaris and memorable horse trecks! In their home yard you will find about one hundred Alaskan huskys, Siberian huskys and Alaksan malamutes our happy and energetic working sled dogs and eight original Finn horses. With these wonderful animals you will get to enjoy our nature all year on our safaris.
Homepage: https://polarlightstours.fi/

? Tundra Huskies Huskyfarm (Sokkaporantie 1, 99140 Köngäs)
Tundra Huskies Huskyfarm is the home of 70 Arctic Huskies. They offer Huskysafaris always the original way. At the Huskyfarm you will meet Arctic Siberian Huskies, Husky puppies, Wolfdog hybrids, and our own Reindeers which you can feed by hand.
Homepage: https://www.huskysafari.fi/

? Wingren s Dogsafaris (Sokkaporantie 44, 99140 Köngäs)
Wingrens Dogsafaris is located in Köngäs in the Northern part of Finland, 12 km from Levi, which is Finlands largest ski resort. There are about 50 sleddogs in the kennel.
Homepage: http://www.dogsafaris.fi/

6. Food experiences / Top Restaurants in Levi
The center of Levi is like a small town with shopping opportunities and a wide selection of tourism services ranging from spas to bowling alleys. Visitors also have a wide choice of restaurants where it is possible to taste reindeer meat and other local Lapland delicacies.

? The newest freshly renovated and most popular restaurant in Levi is Kekäle Bar & Grill (Levintie 1590, 99130 Kittilä)- very modern, beautiful and offers the world’s top food in the cosy milieu.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUyGtFnLMZ/

? Tuikku (Tuikuntie 11/ Tunturitie 421, 99130 Sirkka-Levi), a panoramic restaurant at the top of a fell, is very famous for its breathtaking scenery. Also Levi’s nightlife is lively, as the pubs and nightclubs along the promenade offer vacationers’ entertainment at the end of each day. Levi’s famous after-ski must not be forgotten, as it is, after all, considered the best in Finland.

There´s a number of small and lovely places to eat – Nili-Poro, Steakhouse – Pihvipirtti, Cafe Soma, Jangalla Restaurant, KingCrab House, Renna, Restaurant Aurora Sky, Kafet Cafe & Bakery, Restaurant Ammila, Levin Panimo & Pub, Restaurant Kiisa, Wanha Hullu Poro, Northern Cowboy, Stefan’s Steakhouse Levi and many others.



7. Visit an Ice Gallery (Akantie, 99130 Sirkka, Finland).
Being at Levi also provides a good opportunity to visit an ice-built hotel or a snow-molded restaurant. The ice gallery Luvattumaa, Lainio snow village and the snow restaurant Snow Dome are must-see venues for all Arctic culture lovers. Sheltered by the beautiful Lappish nature, Luvattumaa welcomes travellers to open their senses and experience the ice, the snow, the water, the scents and the flavours. During the winter season, snow castle the Levi Ice Gallery opens its doors for the public. Their River Spa is open throughout the year, as is the true heart of Luvattumaa – the Lappish hut restaurant.

8. Buy souvenirs
There are many lovely little souvenir shops to buy Finnish hand made products. You can find nice knitted hats, wooden and porcelain dishes, Moomin series and many more. All kind of national cups, plates, key rings etc.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT-3sgnMJc/

9. Go Hiking or just walk around center – there is so beautiful!
Levi offers both short hiking trips and long wilderness hikes, since in addition to the marked nature trails in the vicinity, hikers can venture all the way to the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park. The changing seasons each bring their own colour to hiking, and you can, for example, enjoy nightless night excursions during midsummer or be mesmerised by beautiful autumn colours.











10. Visit or stay at night in Igloos
Book a Glass Igloo excursion as part of your Winter Wonderland holiday to Levi. The glass igloos are an incredible example of engineering, opening up the beauty and majesty of Lapland’s night sky. The glass is made of a special-make of thermal glass that keeps the inside of the igloo toasty even when the temperature outside drops to a chilly -30c. Inside the glass igloo there is a small living and sleeping space.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpWSWS6n4OD/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpWUFUSn1dG/

Not sure what to do or where to go?! Visit Levi´s tourist information center (Myllyjoentie 2, 99130 LEVI)
When you need help or inspiration during your stay in Levi, Lapland, Levi Tourist Office is a good place to start. In addition to the places/activities outlined by me there are thousand things to do in Levi in winter time, in summer time and year-around – Ice fishing trips, Kick sledding tours, Snowshoeing tours, Icelandic horse trek, Saunas and ice baths, Rafting and paddling, Golf, Summer Toboggan run, Scenic lifts, Biking, Disc golf, Levi Adventure Park, Tennis, Mini Golf, The children’s traffic- and playground, Fishing and hunting, Gyms and fitness, Bowling, Ball sports, Climbing etc etc.


TEXT & PHOTOS: NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL6 – Levi Hotel SPA in Sirkka, restaurant Kekäle, magnificent nature, ski slopes, etc) + MANY PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Our grand road trip had already taken us quite far North and as I described in the previous post (read blog review HERE), the more up North, the more miraculous Finland gets. The road between Kolari-Kittilä was like a fairy-tale – there were reindeer on the sides of the road and even by the highway. Me and the kids would go Ah and Oh every kilometre that we passed. It was a very special feeling. Besides, there are quite few inhabitants there and also wild nature, which I like.

Since I didn’t dare to speed to avoid running over any reindeer, and since we also stopped at every possible stump to take pictures, then getting from Oulu via Kolari to Sirkka took us extremely long. Once we arrived it was already eight o’clock and I was quite tired from driving. Before starting the road trip I had done my homework well and had thoroughly calculated where to stay overnight in order to get the most out of our journey. In northern Finland in Sirkka the choice was Levi Hotel SPA (Levintie 1590, 99130 Sirkka, Finland) – while with children it is the most comfortable place to stay – good location, parking is free of charge, a quality hotel, luxury rooms, good standard of service, a selection of many good hotel restaurants, SPA and pool center, short distance by foot to everywhere (i.e. ski slopes, souvenir shops). Briefly, it was everything you could need in just one place. Our stay there was made especially pleasant by the fact that extra to our Superior-room an interconnected Junior-suite was also added, thus we had two separate bedrooms all in all, two separate bathrooms, a living room, a sauna section, two balconies and further amenities (three big flat screen TV-sets, safe deposit box, ironing board, an iron, clothes dryer, WiFi, slippers, dressing gowns, etc). For children there were gift baskets with handmade chocolate, lemonade and candies, also stuffed toys and in our room awaiting us there were complimentary invitations for three guests to the restaurant Kekäle (the newest and most popular top notch restaurant in Levi), as well as a welcome note from the hotel manager. On top of that, the hotel governor personally was there to meet and welcome us! I am so deeply moved to see that NordenBladet is so cordially and personally hosted – it gives a warm feeling! Thank you for the wonderful surprise and remembrance!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpR31bxn8k5/











https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSPufpHgcV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSO_hwnz0G/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSClhOHjf5/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTrsJAn_FK/

When we had got acquainted with all the rooms and additional space, we decided to visit the Levi SPA that was integrated with the hotel. Although the SPA and the hotel are technically in different buildings, one can enter the SPA from the hotel through a hallway without necessarily going outside. It is a pleasant large SPA and I liked that there were cool sliding tubes and yet they were not dangerous – either with too rapid water flow or the risk of falling into the water from too high. As a mother it made me feel much more at ease.

Now being a Finnish “SPA expert” I can say that to my mind it is the best SPA in Finland – if not top 1 then at least among top 3 for sure. Pleasant warm water, several different pools, saunas, two large sets of pools inside and also a set of pools outside where there is also a Jacuzzi. Besides, there is also the magnificent mountain view!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSRG4TnnLv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSQet4HKsI/

After going to the SPA I worked a while behind the blue screen, Ivanka Shoshana spread her toys in the living room and played with them, and Estella Elisheva was busy with our social media. We live-streamed in Instagram (@helenareetennet) the entire trip around Finland that took place in October-November and today it is possible to read about the journey online in four languages – in Estonian (NordenBladet.ee), in English (NordenBladet.com), in Finnish (Ohmygossip.fi) and in Swedish (Ohmygossip.se). In the travel posts I describe where exactly we travelled and I share useful information and interesting facts about various destinations in Finland – fervent tourism objects, undiscovered pearls, premium hotels, top notch retaurants, SPA-s, adventure parks, zoos, shops, department stores, historical places, holiday resorts, etc. Altogether, a lot of interesting information! The reader of NordenBladet is a 45+ wealthy Scandinavian woman with children and in our portals daily tens of thousands of search events take place regarding travel destinations and tourism. NordenBladet has become the largest media edition in Scandinavia offering information, articles and weblinks about the Northern countries.

Located 17 km from Kittilä center and the airport, the holiday destination and active sports centre Levi has for more than four times been announced as the best ski resort in Finland, and indeed, it is a magical and beautiful place, perfect for spending the holiday with family. Bearing the badge of Scandinavian safety and comfort, the beauty of Nordic forests, the mystical aspect and the beauty of the nature, the care and cordial attitude specific to a smaller place. While many people visit Levi during the winter months – because nowhere else can you find so much snow and fierce skiing mountains as here – then I would actually venture to assert that it is no less an impression and experience that you get here visiting the place in spring-autumn as well as during the summer months. The wonderful forests-mountains and hiking tracks, cute log houses and peaceful holiday village, golf courts, reindeer and the Nordic air of mystery on every step – not to mention the Nordic lights that can best be seen exactly in this region! Despite being in the far North, in Lapland no less than top quality service awaits you, accompanied by the crop-of-the-cream restaurants, enormous SPA and, again, quality. By the way, not far from the place stems the lineage of the famous Lapland witch – Näkkälän noita, whose powers are well known around Scandinavia. According to folk wisdom the witch draws the powers and energy from the forests in Levi neighborhood.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTqMtXHzVx/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpU38jknv5v/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpU5QBFnaHD/

Breakfast done, we decided to go and see the town. There is a lot to discover in Levi, I intend to post a separate story about it, yet I will add a brief outline piece here as well. For travellers with cars (like us) it is especially nice to discover Levi, since one can swiftly and smoothly drive through the entire neighborhood. Yet also the pedestrian-travellers’ outlook is not narrowed down too much, for example it is easy to reach any nearby destination on foot from Levi SPA Hotel. Levi Express Gondol can take you uphill to visit Samiland Exhibition – both the journey uphill as well as the exhibition itself amount to a full impression. Address Tunturitie 205, 99130 Levi. Levin Lapinkylä (Isotaalontie 285), 12km from Levi towards Rovaniemi is a fun village composed of igloos, and one can also see reindeer there. A popular place is Harjatie 2 (8,5km up North from Levi) Sky restaurant and Levi Igloo. During winter time in Akantie 180 (7km from Levi) the Levi Ice Gallery and Ice Restaurant of Levi are open.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTi6K8H5iy/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTfLB_n089/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTjsbGncfS/

rrrr

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUh768ncAP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUhTeYnEBI/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT2ukVHeTJ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT-PTjH7s2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT-3sgnMJc/



https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT9aoknutH/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpT4BtcHImX/

We spent two wonderful days in Levi, and two even more delightful evenings. Each day we went to the SPA and got to know the town. It was so relaxing and great that we would have stayed even longer. The highlight of the second night was the dinner in Kekäle restaurant. Three courses of the world’s top food in the cosy milieu of the modern beautiful freshly renovated restaurant! Yammmmmm… The meals were absolutely delicious and were wonderfully served (see photos and videos also from Insta!). Children were overwhelmed about Levi, Estella Elisheva even declared that she is determined to become rich as a grown-up, since rich folks have such great life. Travelling and getting to know new great places is really cool, especially when you can take time to enjoy it. The one who can notice and be glad about the small things is about to experience so much in life! It definitely pays off to be rich, yet wealth can also be a mindset, a lifestyle and an attitude that originates in our heads.

Next day greeted us with the journey to Rovaniemi. That is already the story for the new post.
Hugs!








https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUuFK8nisb/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUyGtFnLMZ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUzdF8HtvF/

Keywords: travel photos, levi pictures, north finland pictures, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, blog, Kekäle Bar & Grill, where to eat in levi, best places to eat in levi, Kittilä, Lapland, Levi, Levi Hotel SPA, Lovable Lapland, LovableLapland, North Finland, review, Sirkka, Tourism, tourism in levi, tourist, travel, travel writer, best things to do in levi finland, travelblog, travelblogging, Levintie 1590 99130 Sirkka, levi tourist information, Finland, luxury spa in finland, finland spa, spa hotel finland, luxury hotels in north finland, luxury hotels in levi, with children in levi, levi skiing, ski holiday finland, ski holidauy levi. finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers. scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map. trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland. scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer. travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland. road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do. norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip. road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland. why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL5 – Oulu sightseeings, Kemi, Tornio and the journey through Kolari to Levi) + MANY PHOTOS & INFOLINKS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – On the fourth morning of our road trip around Finland the sun was greeting us again. We already felt like experienced travellers as we had covered quite so many kilometres (Tallinn – > Helsingi -> Tampere -> Vaasa -> Oulu). Today the longest ride was waiting for us (Oulu -> Kemi -> Tornio -> Kolari -> Kittilä -> Levi).

Oulu town was founded in 1605 by the Swedish king Karl IX near the Oulu stronghold that had been erected somewhat earlier. Previously Oulu used to be the center for tar production and was the second largest town in all of Finland after Turku. Nowadays Oulu is a rapidly growing center for technology and for lots of people also a beloved resort. And it really is beautiful here, it is not without reason that Nallikari in Oulu is called the Nordic Riviera – the kilometre long sandy beach, opportunities for hiking, the Vauhtipuisto game park (Hietasaarentie 9), Ponitila for those keen on riding, and additionally also minigolf and other fields of sport (for example 600km of cycling roads/light traffic roads). Not far from Oulu city centre in Liminga municipality there is Escurial Zoo and Flower park (see Kukka- ja eläinpuisto Escurial – Paavolantie 83 C, 91900 Liminka). Among the sightseeings a great destination is also Turkansaari Open Air Museum where one can learn about traditional lifestyle like tillage, forestry, cattle breeding, fishing and tar production. The museum area comprises two islands covered with full flora – Turkansaari and Siikasaari. However, the best known tourism object in Oulu is the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan museo) next to Ainola park. Everyone interested in the cultural history are recommended to visit this! The address is Ainolanpolku 1, 90130 Oulu. Also a fascinating institution in Oulu is near Myllytulli (Nahkatehtaankatu 6) is Tietomaa Science Centre (Tiedekeskus Tietomaa) – the function of the centre is to popularize the achievements of science and technology to common people in a fun and fascinating manner.

We had breakfast in the hotel (see photos HERE), packed and took the luggage in the car and set off from the hotel to Oulu city center where we had a walk, took some photos from the old town and where I also had two brief meetings/consultations. Afterwards we headed towards Kemi and Tornio.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRIIP3H-9t/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRI_67H6_8/

















It is a bit more than 100km from Oulu to Kemi – driving there at a normal speed would take ca 1.30h. The population of Kemi is 21019 (population census August 31 2018), the town is situated near the Swedish border and it was founded in the year 1869 by the Russian czar Alexander II. The northern part of Finland indicates that the country reaching to the polar circle is much more than the capital city Helsinki. Starting from Kemi completely new horizons open and it is possible to experience a completely different kind of Finland. The more to the North – the more exotic it gets. The town of Kemi on the banks of the Gulf of Bothnia is a seaside town and during winter it attracts tourists with the ice breaker Sampo (this allows to go into the sea straight from the ship and take a swim in the midst of ice blocks during a 4-hour arctic voyage). The address is Sampotie 137, Kemi 94900 and the cruise “Arctic Icebreaker Cruise” can be booked via their homepage.

An exciting tourist magnet in Kemi is also the Snow Castle Resort (Lumilinnankatu 15, Kemi 94100) – arguably the world’s largest snowtown/centre where you can find SnowRestaurant365, an ice bar, sculptures made from snow and ice (snow town), the restaurant Lumihiutale, Sea Lapland Day Spa etc. PS! There are various smaller snow towns in Northern Finland, Lapland. An interesting place to see is also the Kemi gemstone museum Kemin Jalokivigalleria (Kauppakatu 29, Kemi 94100) founded by the jeweler Teuvo Ypyä, that actually accommodates the crown (see Wikipedia image HERE) prepared for the King of Finland, however, since Finland eventually became a republic then the crown was never used. Among the many interesting jewels there is also the necklace with 647 jewels, that used to belong to Marie Antoinette.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRTlmhH_OR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRWNb5nyYH/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRWmXiHOBN/

The best known sightseeings in Tornio /most visited tourist attractions are the Provincial Museum Of Tornio Valley (Torikatu 4, Tornio 95400); Duudsonit Activity Park – TornioHaparanda (Vesaisenkatu 1, Tornio 95400); Tornio Church (Seminaarinkatu, Tornio 95400). Tornio church was built in 1647 but in the year 1682 burnt down completely and was rebuilt in 1684 near the original location. The church was dedicated to the Swedish Queen Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (lived 1636-1715 and was the wife of the Swedish King Charles X) and until today it is the oldest wooden church with an actual congregation in Lapland. Hedwig Eleanora was relatively detached from political life yet a dominant figure who ruled as a regent repeatedly and was by the way for 61 years the de facto first lady in the royal court but later was known rather as a passionate card game player and a friend of gambling, the widow that conducted great parties.

In Tornio I really also wished to visit the Tornio Panimo Brewery founded by Karl Johan Boström in 1873. The current manager of the factory Kaj K. personally allowed us a private industrial tour and in the morning also sent an email about inviting us, however, my previous meetings lasted quite so long that the time was already pressing and since the route Tornio-Levi that we had to cover that evening to stay for the night was ca 300km then unfortunately we had to cancel it. Since there was no time then we also skipped the dinner and held a proper rally of ice cream and frappe in Tornio trade centre (Rajalla På Gränsen) in Robert’s Coffee. Ivanka had 3 strawberry ice creams and us me and Estella Elisheva both had 2 frappes. Yum, a severe calorie strike. The prices, however, were higher than in the capital city Helsinki – waffle ice cream with one ice cream ball was 3.50 eur and one large frappe with whipped cream was 7.10 eur. After that we started off towards Levi – first along the Finnish-Swedish border to Kolari.

Ahh, what a pleasant journey from Tornio to Kolari and from there on to Levi — peaceful, calm — no speeding cameras, no ugly buildings. Quiet country life and picturesque view! Children with rucksacks were coming from country school, across the street there were cows on the meadow. Such beautiful views. I remember thinking to myself that now finally I am here in the North and can see the local life here… And it is so great! The road and the railroad run along the state border and from time to time one can have a glimpse of Sweden over the waters. Both on the Swedish as well as the Finnish banks there are nice little villages.

Our journey went mostly along the E8 road: Tornio -> Rutosaari -> Kukkola -> Aapajoki -> Karungi -> Kankaanranta -> Risudden -> Armassaari -> Ylitornio -> Haapakoski -> Rahtu -> Kuivakangas -> Maaherra -> Juoksengi -> Turtola -> Korpikoti -> Pello -> Lempeä -> Oranki -> Sieppijärvi -> Kolari -> Ylläsjärvi -> Kittilä -> Sirkka -> Levi

On the way there was also Aavasaksa – a 242m high mountain in Lapi county Ylitornio municipality, that has been selected by the ministry of environment among the 27 national landscapes in Finland. As a fun fact it is known about this mountain that the French Academy of Science, led by Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, completed geophysical measurements there in 1736-1737, that confirmed the theory of Isaac Newton, according to which the Earth was flat. At some point I discovered that we were almost out of gas and I was struck by panic – here you go with your nice views and landscapes – I already imagined myself knocking on a local farmer’s stable door and asking whether he had gas in his tractor from which to bargain half to me. Iccccc… Yet in Ylitornio there was ABC self service gas station and gas 95 cost 1,614 per litre.

The next stop was the Arctic Circle (Napapiiri)! How cool is that?? 😀 We parked the car and obviously again took some photos for the social media like we do on every step. Estella Elisheva posted a video to her Insta story (@Estella.Elisheva) and I posted to my Insta feed (@helenareetennet) where one could follow our entire journey in live. For those of you who snoozed that instant – no worries. The full overview of the trip, in four languages, will be published in NordenBladet portals (NordenBladet.ee; NordenBladet.com, Ohmygossip.fi and Ohmygossip.se). The present blog is fifth in line and it pictures the fourth day of our 12-day adventure. 🙂







https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRo6kDnnbR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRtdtYn5Yr/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRv4cyn42i/

Once we arrived in Kolari it was already dark outside. Also, I was exhausted from driving. For one day more than 500km of driving would be more than enough, especially when you are coming from another four days of driving. I was comforting myself that in Levi we would remain for many days so that I can be calm and have a rest. Well, in Kolari we experienced a most beautiful moment in our lives – the road sides were full of reindeer, lots of them were right on the road so I dared drive no more than 20km/h… Soooooo totally cute! First we were slightly scared that, uh oh, reindeer on the road, but then Estella Elisheva who is such a lover of wildlife already started taking pictures with them in five minutes. FROM THIS MOMENT BEGAN our miraculous real life fairy tale of Lapland! ?✨❄ How we finally got to Levi and what enormous surprise awaited us there that same night – I will write about that already in my next blog! Hugs!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpR31bxn8k5/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpR4JcBnD6K/

Keywords: with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, lapland travel blog, finland travel blog. finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, reindeer finland, reindeer lapland. driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, #LovelyLapland, Arctic, Arctic Circle, digital nomad, Finland, Kemi, Norden Bladet, Keminmaa, Kolari, Lapland, Oulu, reindeer, Tornio, Tourism, travel, travelblog, travelblogger, travelbloggers, Ylitornio, Nallikari, luxury hotels in Oulu, luxury places in oulu, what to do in oulu, what to do in kemi, Oulu city center, snow castle, snow castle resort, Arctic Icebreaker Cruise, kemi info, oulu info, visit Tornio, Rutosaari, Kukkola, Aapajoki, Karungi, Kankaanranta, Risudden, Armassaari, scandnavian nomads, Haapakoski, Rahtu, Kuivakangas, best scandinavian travel bloggers, Maaherra, Juoksengi, Kemi wiki, Turtola, Korpikoti, Pello, Lempeä, life in finland, life in north finland, Oranki, interesting places in north finland, Sieppijärvi, Ylläsjärvi, Napapiiri, adventure blog, girls who travel. best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL4: Journey from Vöyri near Vaasa and through Kokkola and Kalajoki Oulu and the evening in SPA) + PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Monday morning (October 22) was again sunny and beautiful in Finland. Our lovely little rent house that we got via Airbnb was filled with sunshine and a wonderful view to the lake opened from the window. We had breakfast and at around ten started off from Vöyri to Oulu. Like I already described in the previous blog (read HERE), Finland’s west coast is very beautiful and it just invites one to spend a vacation there – be it then in Turku, Vaasa, Oulu, Kemi or somewhere in smaller towns in between these cities. Beautiful views to the Baltic Sea, beautiful pine and fir forests, lively little villages…

First we headed along E8 (Vöyri -> Kaitsor -> Karvat -> Oravais -> Ytterjeppo -> Kovjoki -> Pedersöre -> Edsevö -> Lepplax -> Kruunupyy e. Kronoby) to Kruunupyy where I had a hasty business dinner in Botnia hotel (Kirkkotie 8). In Botnia one can have a super favourable smorgasbord – 9EUR per person). Kruunupyy is exactly between Edsevö and Kokkola. The next time I spend time there I definitely wish to see the Larsmo area. From Edsevö turn to left and take road nr 68 (Edsevö -> Sandsund -> Jakobstad -> Larsmo -> Hästgrundet -> Gertruds -> Bosund ->Kuivakanta -> Nuolipuro -> Kokkola). There is an abundance of small islands and lakes – around a couple hundred in one bunch for sure. I can imagine how beautiful pictures of nature one could take there! Also it would be a great place for everyone who likes to take a walk in the forest, ride a bike, go fishing, canoeing or go for a boat trip. There is plenty to discover and there are plenty of activities to do there!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOV3TVHedk/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOj0eSHVrT/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOvLE9HDHU/

From there we continued the journey from Kronoby -> Kokkola -> Vitsari -> Peltokorpi -> Maunumäki -> Marinkainen -> Ala-Viirre -> Himanka -> Rahja -> Siipo -> Kalajoen Hiekkasärkät -> Meinala -> Kalajoki. The road was full of traffic cameras and it made me think about the possible fines that might have been sent to me by the end of the road trip (until today there are luckily none…. huh! 😀 )

In Kalajoki I once again had a meeting and we visited a shop where I would like to launch the sale of Elisheva & Shoshana pharmacy cosmetics series (handicraft soaps, bathing salt, etc). Kalajoen Hiekkasärkat and Kalajoki are a tourism centre with a beach line of ca 4.5 km, there one can find an adventure park, swimming centre, golf fields, a hotel, camping, restaurants, shops, etc. In the surrounding there are kilometres of pine forests! We got a nice vibe from the place – a beautiful an cool place!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpHfte3H-A6/

From Kalajoki we headed on to Liminka (Kalajoki -> Vasankari -> Yppäri -> Pyhäjoki -> Parhalahti -> Siuvatti -> Piehinki -> Haapajoki -> Arkkukari -> Raahe -> Pattijoki -> Revonlahti -> Liminka) where we visited the Liminganportti centre, took a brief coffee break and I also let my eyes rest from driving – it was around 300km back to Vöyri where we started off and yet another 30km to reach Oulu. In Oulu we drove directly to the hotel since the kids were eager to go to Eden SPA (Holstinsalmentie 29, 90510). We enjoyed ourselves there for many hours and then had supper in Aro restaurant – I had an Alla Casetta pizza (15.90), Estella Elisheva had Nizza salmon salad (14.90), Ivanka Shoshana didn’t want anything while she had already eaten in Liminka. Oulu is a place where I would definitely like to go also in the summer – the Nallikari resort in Toppilansaari and the sand beach are so inviting, whereas even now in autumn it seemed really nice. The Finns are eager to visit SPAs and all the SPAs are thus cramped with visitors. Now having visited so many of the bigger SPAs in Finland as well as the SPA hotels, I am already kind of an expert on SPA culture and I can quite convincingly assure you that there is a fine market niche for SPAs in Finland. In the Nordic cold climate a warm swimming pool and hot sauna suit so well!

We got back to our hotel room quite late, I still did some work in my computer, then took the kids in a nice cuddle and fell asleep. For the next day we had planned many meetings and a long trip from Oulu through Kemi, Haparanda and Kolari to Levi (over 500km).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpO2rygHgkU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpO3bXhH-df/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPGhg1HHkE/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPQiGXHoCU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPSDkVHVWM/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPVq0aHL87/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPWcGJHX3C/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPojVlnAwY/

Keywords: vaasa, interesting things to do in vaasa, what to do in vaasa finland, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, Vöyri, Kaitsor, Karvat, Oravais, Ytterjeppo, Kovjoki, Pedersöre, Edsevö, Lepplax, Kruunupyy, Kronoby , Edsevö , Sandsund, Jakobstad, Larsmo, Hästgrundet, Gertruds, Bosund, Kuivakanta, Nuolipuro, Kokkola, luxury holiday places in finland, west finland, discover finland, amazing places in finland, E&S, E&S luxury cosmetiscs, E&S nature cosmetics, Elisheva & Shoshana, E&S soaps, Elisheva & Shoshana soaps, Kokkola, Vitsari, Peltokorpi, shopping in finland, Maunumäki, Marinkainen, Ala-Viirre, Himanka, Rahja, Siipo, Kalajoen Hiekkasärkät, Meinala, Kalajoki, what to do in kalajoki, kalajoki finland, swimming in kalajoki, hotels in kalajoki, camping in kalajoki, restaurants in kalajoki, Liminka, Vasankari, Yppäri, Pyhäjoki, Parhalahti, Siuvatti, Piehinki, Haapajoki, Arkkukari, Raahe, Pattijoki, Revonlahti. scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway. trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip. around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, family travel blog, where to travel with family, where to travel with small kids, visit finland in winter. finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi. finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, scandinavian media, who writes about finland. campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, my finland. all you need to know about finland. scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, 2 weeks in finland, travel in finland with car, mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland. travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go. best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL3: Vaasa – ruins of Korsholm castle, Mannerheim, Airbnb renthouse etc) + PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – After the exciting morning in Tampere (read about it HERE) we started off towards Vaasa. It is ca 260 km from Tampere to Vaasa. Most of the distance I covered on E12 road yet here and there we turned off from the main road to see the around. On our route we crossed Teivo, Ylojärvi, Rakkakoski, Kalalahti, Hämeenkyrö, Kyrökoski, Järvenkylä, Kostula, Jouti, Kilvakkala, Mansoniemi, Riitiala, Parkano, Jalasjärvi, Jokipii, Luopa, Kurikka, Tuiskula, Koskenkorva, Jakkula, Laihia, Helsingby and Runsor.

In about two hours time we took a small lunchbreak on the way and then headed on again. While many people have asked about the gas prices and the road taxes, then I will add these here. Petrol E95 costs ca 1.56 eur in Finland, E98 1.64 and diesel 1.45 – these are Neste prices. The tariffs may vary a bit from station to station but in general these were the prices almost everywhere. There is no need to worry about being trapped on a road – there are plenty of petrol stations on the roads and most of them enable self service (you pay with the card and fuel. To my knowledge there are no road taxes in Finland, at least on our trip around Finland we never crossed a fee based road and we did travel numerous large highways, smaller roads and village roads. However, there were many speed controlling cameras.

Vaasa is a town on Finland’s west coast in Pohjanmaa county, the narrow part of Merenkurkku (Kvarken) where Finland and Sweden are separated by a mere 80 km. About a quarter of the population are Finnish Swedes. It is a pleasant seaside industry and university town. I really like Finland’s west coast, there is plenty to see and visit. The history of Old Vaasa dates back to the 14th century. Ca 4 km from the current city centre of Vaasa there are the Old Vaasa ruins (Kauppiaankatu 5, 65380 Vaasa). There is also the castle of Korsholm that apparently belonged to a wealthy Swedish politician and magnate Bo Johnsson Grip.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpMh7-CnNOd/

 

The best known sightseeing in Vaasa is the Statue of Liberty, 14 m high and weighing 3.6 tons, located in Vaasa market square (Hovioikeudenpuistikko 15, 65100 Vaasa), created by the sculptors Yrjo Liipolan and Jussi Mäntysen. The statue also depicts the 30-year-old Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim that studied in St Petersburg military school and served in the Russian army and who has been featured in history books as Finland’s most famous commander and statesman, the commander-in-chief in three wars and a two-time statesman. Mannerheim is the man who not only conquered back the territories lost by Moscow peace treaty but who also led the white army in Finland’s Civil War and all of Finland’s armed forces in Winter War and had the greatest merits in maintaining Finland’s independence.

The Nordic countries have such beautiful old towns! I like the historical market places and central squares, houses with beautiful architecture, cobble-stone pavements in the old town. There is history in every step. We took photos and Estella Elisheva posted to her friends the live-videos in her Insta story (@estella.elisheva) as well as Snapchat. During the entire journey we posted live also to my Instagram account (@helenareetennet). It was so sweet that whenever there was a longer pause, the acquaintances started inquiring by phone: Where are you? Is everything alright? etc… 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpMqFfmnSHc/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpMrecGHJS2/

Then we went shopping and I bought something to eat for dinner. I had booked a lake house via Airbnb about 20-30 km in the direction of Oulu in Vöyri and we decided to cook at home. While staying in the hotel we usually eat out or dine in the hotel restaurant. For me finding accommodation via Airbnb was something new, earlier i had just once stayed in Israel but then there were many people in a room and it was arranged by someone else. So for me it was a new experience and I was quite happy about it.

Should anybody wish for purchasing a luxurious summer house in Finland then it is definitely worth considering the surroundings in Vöyri. Maxmo, Tottesund, Brudsund, Särkimö, Österö, Oxkangar, Ulot, Kvimo, Lilloxkangar, Kaitsor, etc… Overall, the region on the banks from E8 towards the Gulf of Botnia is simply wonderful!


https://www.instagram.com/p/BpM1OnKHKRd/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpORH1fnRgA/

RRR

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOV3TVHedk/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOjKfQnxVh/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOj0eSHVrT/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpOkfkVHzpz/

Keywords: Teivo, Ylojärvi, Rakkakoski, Kalalahti, Hämeenkyrö, Kyrökoski, Järvenkylä, Kostula, Jouti, Kilvakkala, Mansoniemi, Riitiala, Parkano, Jalasjärvi, Jokipii, Luopa, Kurikka, Tuiskula, Koskenkorva, Jakkula, Laihia, Helsingby, Runsor, interesting places near vaasa, what to do in vaasa, vaasa finland information, petrol prices in finland, road prices in finland, diesel price in finland, fuel price in finland, road cameras in finland, Pohjanmaa, Merenkurkku, Kvarken, Finnish Swedes, Korsholm, Old Vaasa ruins, visit vaasa, travel to vaasa, Statue of Liberty in vaasa, sightseeing in Vaasa, famous places in vaasa, vaasa photos, Maxmo, Tottesund, Brudsund, Särkimö, Österö, Oxkangar, Ulot, Kvimo, Lilloxkangar, Kaitsor, Gulf of Botnia, all you need to know about vaasa, vaasa travel blog, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, Norden Bladet travel info, NordenBladet travel site, Nordic info in english, norden info in english. nordic travel info in english, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, countryside life in finland. finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, helena-reet travel blogs, finnish travel blog, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, small villages in finland, suomi, suomen bloggaaja, vaasa map, vaasa wikipedia. best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, matkailu. travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, suomen matkat, suomen matkailu. planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, 2 weeks in finland, travel in finland with car, finnish blogger. mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finnish travel influencer. finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, best finnish blogger. finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

Helena-Reet: Around Finland on a road trip with children (VOL2: Impressions from Tampere – sightseeings and a lot more) + TRAVEL PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Tampere, at first glance, is an ordinary big city – the chimneys are fuming, cars are racing by and people are bustling to and fro. In the morning while taking a walk through the city we could see a broken bar window and there was trash thrown on the ground from Saturday night. Yet taking into account that it is the second largest city in the country, the general impression was still that it is a sweet and peaceful place.

Tampere (Tammerfors) is located between Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, which are connected by Tammerkoski canal, running through the city centre and dividing the city into two – eastern and western Tampere. I have heard that each side is breathing in their own rhythm and many local people that have been born on one side needn’t ever go on the other side. Also, the famous ice hockey teams working on either side are competing against each other – Tampere Lynx and Tampere Tappara.

Without choosing sides and without background information, I found myself in western Tampere during my first visit to Tampere. We arrived in Tampere on Saturday evening (read about it HERE) and we didn’t hurry to get to know the nightlife. First, of course, because I was travelling with children and also because I find a good night’s sleep very important. While in my youth I was able to go straight to work or to school from a party then today I prefer a peaceful visit to the SPA in the evening, a pleasant dinner, a movie, or a book.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpLtSoNnNen/

Estella Elisheva was the first to wake in the morning. She had set her alarm clock so that she could work out 40 minutes before breakfast. Then we went to eat and already at 9 a.m. we went for a morning walk in the city. A lot grand and beautiful architecture met the eye and I liked the way the water bodies and parks succeeded one another, forming an integrated unity. There were hundreds of restaurants at hand as well as shops and hotels, music and concert halls, theatres and cinemas. We were walking, taking photos for NordenBladet and Insta (see @helenareetennet) and before we noticed it was 11 o’clock. At that time I was like fivepence in Sokos department store (Hämeenkatu 21, 33200 Tampere) going up the elevator to the second floor to visit Marks & Spencer (M&S) store where one can buy clothes even if one is not pursuing a modelling career nor intending to do the catwalk in a swimsuit.

There are many young people in Tampere thanks to two univesities and two polytechnics that are also offering higher education (from the total population of 234 441 there are 40 000 students) and the city is famous for its active cultural life. By the way, the well known writers Väino Linna, Kalle Päätalo, Hannu Salama and the poet Lauri Viita originally come from Tampere. In Tampere Ristimäki there are the studios of Yle TV2.

There are numerous sightseeings in Tampere worth visiting. Already the museums and art galleries are really for each preferance. The best known museums are Muumi Museum (Yliopistonkatu 55); the museum centre Vapriikki (Alaverstaanraikki 5); Finnish Ice Hockey Museum (Alaverstaanraitti 5); History and Work Museum Työväenmuseo Werstas (Väino Linnan aukio 8); History of Media Museum Rupriikki Media Museum (Alaverstaanraitti 5); Emil Aaltonen Museum (Mariankatu 40); Tampere Lenin Museum (Hämeenpuisto 28); Sara Hildén Art Museum (Laiturikatu 13); Amurini Employee Museum quarters or Amurin Työläismuseokortteli (Satakunnankatu 49); Spy Museum (Satakunnankatu 18); Tampere Art Museum or Tampereen taidemuseo (Tampere-talo, Yliopistonkatu 55). An interesting place for nature lovers as fans of esoterics would certainly be Tampereen Kivimuseo (Alaverstaanraitti 5), that displays stones and minerals originating from more that 80 countries, gathered by and granted to the museum by Paavo Korhonen. With children it would be interesting to visit besides the Muumi Museum also the exhibition dedicated to Haihara doll in Vapriikki museum centre – “The Doll Museum Jubilee Exhibition“. More info about Tampere as well as Finnish museums in general can be found on the page museot.fi.

Also, among the sightseeings another most known and visited is Tampere Cathedral (in Tuomiokirkonkatu), designed by Lars Sonck in romantic style and decorated by frescoes made by Hugo Simberg; then Pyynikki park and panorama tower (Näkötornintie 67); 167,9m Nasinneula tower designed by Pekka Ilveskoski (Laiturikatu 1); the great conference and concert centre Tampere Hall or Tampere talo (Yliopistonkatu 55 PL 16), etc. It is also worth while to visit the Finlayson region or Finlayson alue (Finlaysoninkatu). As homework I have taken notes that I wish to see Tampere Market Hall (Hämeenkatu 19) that is considered to be the largest indoor market in the Nordic countries, and Tampere Tallipiha Stable Yards (Kuninkaankatu 4b) that is located in the rooms built in the 1880s by the factory owner Wilhelm von Nottbeck for his horses, the rooms have now been finely renovated and built into a shopping centre. The centre accommodates plenty of interesting handicraft boutiques.

I will soon visit Tampere again in relation to business matters and then I will be able to find out new places there. I find it great to have my favourites in every city – the favourite hotel, the favourite restaurant/caffee, etc. At the moment I cannot put my finger on anything particular, since we were mostly passing by. It would be interesting to visit the Särkänniemi amusement park with children (Laiturikatu 1), where besides the merry-go-round there are also an aquarium, planetarium and a small zoo. This time we only took photos of it.

In the afternoon we headed towards Vaasa as the next chapter in our “Trip around Finland“. The road was full of traffic cameras and therefore the journey was a bit less pleasant than coming from Helsinki to Tampere. The GPS kept beeping. However, about Vaasa you can already read from the next blog post!






https://www.instagram.com/p/BpL90CPnsem/






https://www.instagram.com/p/BpL_9B2Hc8E/









Keywords: tampere, blog about tampere, travel with kids to tampere, sightseeings in Tampere, best sightseeings in Tampere, what to do with children in tampere, where to go in tampere, what to do in tampere, intresting places in tampere, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, tampere finland, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, visit tampere finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to tampere, helsinki to tampere train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, Särkänniemi amusement park, best amusement parks in finland. things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in tampere, visit tampere, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, Sokos hotel in tampere, sokos hotels. wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in tampere, tampere driving, tampere winter itinerary, luxury vacation in tampere, luxury vacation finland, finland luxury travels, luxury travel blogger. touring tampere by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, tampere travel blog, helsinki to tampere train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, 2 weeks in finland, travel in finland with car, mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, Tammerfors, visit Tammerfors, original sokos hotel ilves, hotel ilves in tampere, tampere finland things to do, swimming in tampere, spa in tampere, spa hotel in tampere, spa hotels in tampere, good hotels in tampere. norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to tampere, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to tampere from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland tampere trip, finland spa trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

Tampere city center – East or west?

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – East or west? Tampere is divided by the 18-metre high rapids of Tammerkoski that run from north to south between lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Many locals never actually change sides: if you were born on the east side, you might never move across the river. The same is true for the two leading ice hockey teams: if you were born into a family of Tappara supporters, you might never cheer on Ilves. In addition, there are also two slightly competing outdoor grocery markets to choose between – we will return to them a bit later.

The city centre is compact and easy to get to: hundreds of restaurants and special shops, large department stores, hotels, music venues, concert halls, theatres and cinemas are all within walking distance. More than just a commercial centre, the heart of Tampere is also home to tens of thousands of people, while several beautiful parks, restored old factory areas, the banks of the rapids and the many bridges crossing it join together to form a beautiful place. One of the biggest tourist attractions, Särkänniemi fun park with its 168-metre high Näsinneula observation tower, is also located right on the side of the city centre.

In the heart of the old town, massive red brick factory buildings rise directly from the foaming rapids on both sides of Tammerkoski. The renovated Finlayson textiles factory today houses various restaurants, cinemas, businesses and the editorial department of a local newspaper. New blocks of flats complement the area. On the eastern bank of the river, the large Tampella factory area has been converted to create a modern and extremely popular residential area with central boulevards, new blocks of flats and loft flats within renovated factory buildings.







https://www.instagram.com/p/BpL90CPnsem/






https://www.instagram.com/p/BpL_9B2Hc8E/









If you like a lake or riverside view, you can choose from many of Tampere’s residential areas. The red brick blocks of flats near the Koskikeskus shopping centre provide one option and the brand-new Ratina area offers a view both to Lake Pyhäjärvi and to the backwaters of lower Tammerkoski. The Laukontori market place is right here and so are several restaurant boats that serve refreshments on the river banks on warm summer evenings. The city’s Central Square is just two blocks away from Laukontori. Most of the local traffic bus lines pass by the square which becomes the venue for a Central European style Christmas market during December.

The railway station used to mark the eastern city limits but times have changed: the emphasis is moving eastwards, partly because the east end of the main Hämeenkatu street has been converted to create a public transport lane and partly because of the increasing appeal of the Tulli commercial area to the east of the railway. Tullintori shopping centre can be found here, along with a new, 88-metre high hotel that combines locomotive halls from the 1870’s with a modern, black skyscraper. The campus of the University of Tampere and conference and concert hall Tampere-talo are right on the side of the Tulli area.

And the other marketplace? That’s called Tammelantori and it is considered by many to be the one and only: here you can still sense the old time marketplace atmosphere. Take a look at the massive red brick Aaltonen shoe factory on one side of the market square; it is a reminder of the times when Tampere was the shoemaking centre of Finland. Once you have bought all the vegetables and flowers you need, why not pull up a chair in the popular market cafe to catch up on gossip, or visit one of the many ethnic restaurants in the vicinity.

Photos: Tampere (Helena-Reet Ennet/NordenBladet)
Source: Katariina Kallio/VisitTampere.fi

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland – DONE! (VOL1: Tallinn-Helsinki-Nurmijärvi-Riihimäki-Hämeenlinna-Tampere) + PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – I can say nothing but WOW! I am surprised myself that I undertook this “crazy” thing and carried out a tour of 12 days with children around almost all of Finland. The entire journey was even cooler than I could imagine. We witnessed and experienced so much that it is tricky to describe all of it at once. I could start a similar or even lengthier road trip this moment – and the same I can say about both my children. All the three of us are entirely superbly thrilled about the trip! It is so cool to be travelling with them, finding out new and exciting traits about their characters, listening to their ideas and plans for which the everyday schoolday, the extracurricular activities, the workday doesn’t usually leave that much space.

We started off on 20 October in the early morning. Viking XPRS departed at 07.00 from Tallinn and arrived at 09.30 in Helsinki. I bought two-way boat tickets already in August, the moment I stumbled upon the idea of travelling and also I thought that buying them early would entail a discount. I paid 157 EUR (tickets to and fro, vehicle, three passengers and a cabin), yet soon enough it turned out that the trip would be longer than initially planned and also that the tickets would be less expensive a week before the departure. So I annulled the previous tickets (I always purchase the 6 EUR insurance that enables me to cancel and/or change the tickets). I bought new tickets, this time one way tickets, so that the return wouldn’t be “an obligation”. A4 Seaside Standard cabin + car + 3 people, the sum total was 65 EUR. I always travel in a cabin since 2h30min aimlessly wandering in the boat would be very tiring for me and it seems a waste of time. The cabin gives you some privacy, is peaceful and adds the possibility to extend the morning sleep or also take a look into the subject of work.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpI_IaPnOae/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpJZo9THP1G/

At 09.30 we were in Helsinki in the harbor located at Katajanokanlaituri 8 and as the children wished we headed in the first place to Starbucks (Esplanadi 39, 00100 Helsinki) – when you exit the harbor and drive to Pohjoisesplanaadi Academic Bookstore (Akateeminen kirjakauppa) then it is in the same building. We ordered Grande Latte (5.10), Grande Strawberry Cream Frappuchino with whipped cream (5.50) and Grande Mango Frappuchino also with whipped cream (5.80).

Then I switched on my Garmin GPS. As I have a very old model then I prayed that it wouldn’t let us down during the travel, and we headed towards Nurmijärvi. (HERE you can read more about Klaukkala village and Nurmijärvi). We drove around in Nurmijärvi, and by the way we also visited Aleksis Kivi’s birthplace and memorial. Riipilä, Reuna, Klaukkala, Luhtajoki, Palojoki, Alhonniittu, Karhunkorpi, Raala, Jäniksenlinna, Nukari, Suomies, etc… all sweet small countryside places. The more up north, the more there are forests, the more meadows, and privacy.

Further on we drove through Hyvinkää and stopped in Riihimäki as we wished to pop into FLOW Kosmetiikka factory-store to see how the making of nature friendly soap is done in Finland. We had a box of “Elisheva & Shoshana” handmade luxury soaps in the car with us and I thought since we were already the neighbourhood then why not say hi to “colleagues” and find out more about their soap assortment. Unfortunately they were exactly on the same day away at a fair.

In Riihimäki we also decided to dine – for the great joy of the children in Hesburger. We ordered double cheese burger menu (Kerrosateria) 7.90, Megaburger 6.90, Cheese burger 2.60 and large French fries 2.70.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpJrxBKn62Y/

All full, our tiny car turned towards Hämeenlinna. We decided to visit Häme stronghold (Kustaa III:n katu 6, 13100 Hämeenlinna) on the banks of Vanajavesi lake, dating back to the Middle Ages, that is functioning now as a museum. Hämeenlinna is the oldest town is Finland’s mainland and until the 19th century among the most important towns in Finland. Hämeenlinna is the place where, provided a broader time schedule, one might spend days. The best known sightseeings in Hämeenlinna besides the Häme stronghold are the stronghold’s cannon museum, prison museum and Hämeenlinna art museum. By the way, this is also where the world renown composer Jean Sibelius was born and lived until the age of 20 – also the composer’s birthplace is open for tourists (Hallituskatu 11).

At around half past four we started off towards Tampere. It is 79km from Hämeenlinna to Tampere via E12 Road (around an hour driving). I drove without any stops directly to Tampere to manage to go to the Ilves SPA in the evening so that the children could go to bed at a normal time, since all of us had woken at 5 in the morning. The hotel SPA was sweet cozy and peaceful, besides us there were just two more people. After swimming and sauna Ivanka Shoshana started playing with the dearest toys taken along in her Pippi Longstocking rucksack, she told her Baby Alive doll and Penny Ling what she had seen during the day. Estella Elisheva was watching a video from Hans something in her cell phone while I briefly did some work in the computer. The hotel also did a surprise gift to us, the room service catered champagne, Karlfazer sweets, strawberries in chocolate and also beverage for the children. As I asked what all these were for, since we hadn’t ordered anything to the room, the maid announced that it was from the hotel to the VIP guests. 🙂 Nice! You don’t say – it made me feel delighted. Many thanks! Our room was high up and from the window there was a wonderful view. Starry Tampere is charming!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKFmGVH0lf/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKRPTaH0eJ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKGXqKHyOR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKHG9-ntUH/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKVlRSHAtu/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKapo5HxDj/

In the next blog post the day in Tampere and our journey to Vaasa!

Keywords: your finland guide, finland guide, finland travel book, finland travel guide, finland maps, finland roads, Helsinki, visit Helsinki, what to do in helsinki, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, Katajanokanlaituri 8, Helsinki harbor, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in helsinki, helsinki finland, trip to helsingi, road trip south finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit helsinki finland, finland travel guide, helsinki road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, what to do near helsinki, Viking XPRS, Viking line, visit finland, finland helsinki itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in helsinki city, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, helsinki itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, is it expensive in finland, how much cost to travel in finland, cabin price, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to helsinki, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to north finland by car, finland road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres helsinki, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, helsinki city center, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, helsinki travel blog, from tallinn to helsinki, from helsinki to tallinn, from finland to estonia, from estonia to finland, Hesburger, hamburger, Hesburger prices in finland, what cost food in finland, helsinki to tallinn ships, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, 2 weeks in finland, Starbucks, Starbucks in Helsinki, travel in finland with car, mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, helsinki travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, luxury cosmetics, natural cosmetics, best soaps, hand made soaps, E&S, Elisheva & Shoshana, Elisheva & Shoshana luxury soaps, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children, Pohjoisesplanaadi , Pohjoisesplanaadi Helsinki, Klaukkala village, Nurmijärvi, what to do in Nurmijärvi, where is Nurmijärvi, Nurmijärvi info, Aleksis Kivi, Aleksis Kivi Nurmijärvi, Riipilä, Reuna, Klaukkala, Luhtajoki, Palojoki, Alhonniittu, Karhunkorpi, Raala, Jäniksenlinna, Nukari, Suomies, Hyvinkää, Riihimäki, Häme stronghold, Hämeenlinna, what to do in Hämeenlinna

Helena-Reet: A big trip to Finland coming up next week! Searching for extremeness and ultimate luxury

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Already next week, on the 20th of October, I will start an extraordinary trip with my kids. We are going on a trip that dares to undertake very few experienced grownup travelers. Namely, I practically have a plan to take the way around Finland by car, while myself being the only driver and my two companions will be my daughters (12-year-old Estella Elisheva and 10-year-old Ivanka Shoshana).

Ivanka Shoshana is autistic – according to the papers with a profound disability. Uh, it sounds awful, because she is actually a very smart and lovely girl, but still travelling with her is something way different from travelling with a normal child. However, on this point I have never “given her mercy” – she had gone along with all my extremes, I take my kids everywhere and I can say that the progress compared to many other children with the same diagnosis is amazing. Of course, it depends on the child, but the environment and direction (by setting an example) also have a high impact. Ivanka is in form four subsistence learning class. I am convinced that thanks to the teachers’ and specialists’ (and my) efforts her development has been so rapid that maybe she could even enter the first grade in a normal school, though in a small class and keep up with other students, in other words, to go through the simplified curriculum. In the big picture, it does not matter if she is in the first or the fourth grade, the outcome is more important.



2x Ivanka Shoshana

There is about a week until our trip and our travel anxiety is growing. As I have just got started with the cosmetics brand named Elisheva & Shoshana (it is a part of E&S brand that I created for my daughters several years ago aiming to do something altogether), I have had less time than usual to pre-prepare our trip. I hope to get many experiences – we would like to see as many sights as possible, the ones that are so to say in “uncomfortable”, out-of-the-way places, that people usually do not visit. I will leave out Kuusamo from my initial trip route and I will replace it with the following trajectory: Kivitaipale, Narkaus, Portimo, Tolja, Ranua, Kuha, Asmunti, Pudasjärvi, Hirvaskoski, Ervasti, Auho, Puolanka, Leipivaara, Paljakka, Ristijärvi, Paltamo, Jormua and Kajaani. Tomorrow I will continue my research… Old towns and city centers are fascinating and we will visit them for sure, but the places that so to say an ordinary tourist does not see on a daily basis are also very interesting – I have always liked to experience and reflect something that all the newspapers/blogs do not write about and that all the tourism websites do not promote. Something unique, something special – something that one cannot experience every day. The experiences – even a special tree, landscape… or a local resident or his/her undertaking. I would like to fit some extreme luxury into our trip as well – something royal, almost lavish and pleasing to one’s eye or senses. If you think that it is easy to find such pearls, you are wrong. Type in “Luxury in Finland”, “Luxury in Lapland”, “Luxury in Tampere”, “Luxury in Rovaniemi”, “Luxury in Kuopio” or some other similar search phrase into Google… Google does not offer anything useful besides some a bit more expensive hotels, that actually do not provide the luxury I am thinking of at the moment. However, there is enough such luxury in Finland that seven-star hotels decorated with gold and ornaments, crowded with handmaids do not offer – surrounding virgin forests, clean and untouched nature, beautiful lakes, northern lights and a lot of genuine and ancient culture. Nature is definitely the luxury of Finland; it is actually the greatest value of all Nordic countries. I wish people could appreciate it more! My experience says that you get the greatest luxury if you can imagine up unto yourself exactly what you expect from your trip and just order it. It is possible to buy and book everything, even the things you do not have on the “programme”. You need some fantasy, this is what people usually lack of. It is the most difficult to come to a conclusion what you want. Heh…


Please, send me some hints, if you have any good suggestions what we should visit during our trip! The biggest stopping points are Tampere, Vaasa, Oulu, Levi, Rovaniemi, Kajaani, Kuopio and Jyväskylä. Do not be afraid to come up with your ideas – I am interested in EVERYTHING THAT IS EXCITING, really!

Right now, I will start reading the book named “Lotte from Gadgetville” by Andrus Kivirähk to Ivanka. Have a nice evening!

Keywords: planning car trip, planning finland trip, planning finland vacation, vacation in finland, Kivitaipale, Narkaus, Portimo, Tolja, Ranua, Kuha, Asmunti, Pudasjärvi, Hirvaskoski, Ervasti, Auho, Puolanka, Leipivaara, Paljakka, Ristijärvi, Paltamo, Jormua, Kajaani, luxury in finland, all around finland, around all finland, around all finland with car, Tampere, Vaasa, Oulu, Levi, Rovaniemi, Kajaani, Kuopio, Jyväskylä, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, two weeks in finland, 2 weeks in finland, travel in finland with car, mom travel blog, is it safe to travel in finland, safe travel in finland, best places to visit in finland, nordic travel sites, scandinavian travel sites, scandinavian travel website, scandinavian travel magazine, scandinavian travel news, nordic travel news, finnish travel news, finland travel news, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children

44 COMMON QUESTIONS with answers about Finland

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – What are the traditions of Finland?, Where does Santa live Finland?, Where in Finland can you see the Northern Lights?, Is Finland a Scandinavian country?, What is the average temperature in Finland?, How many saunas are in Finland? etc – get answers to all your questions!

What food is Finland famous for?
Fried vendace (Coregonus albula) is a summer-time delicacy in Finland. The fish are fried, served, and eaten whole, usually accompanied with garlic sauce. Fried Baltic herring is a popular and wholesome Finnish dish. It is usually accompanied with boiled or mashed potatoes.

Do they eat reindeer in Finland?
Reindeer are found in Finland’s northern province of Lapland and their meat is one of the healthiest foods you can put on your plate according to recent studies. It is high in B-12, omega-3, omega-6 and lean. And it is delicious! Served with mashed potatoes, this dish is eaten throughout the country, in all seasons.

What are the traditions of Finland?
The Finnish Christmas, Joulu, follows traditions of Christmas trees and the Advent calendars. Holidays start on December 23. Gift giving occurs on Christmas Eve with a visit from Joulupukki (Father Christmas, Santa Claus). Traditional meals are typically only eaten on Christmas followed by sauna.

What is Santa Claus called in Finland?
The name “Joulupukki” literally means “Christmas goat” or “Yule Goat” in Finnish; the word pukki comes from the Teutonic root bock, which is a cognate of the English “buck”, and means “billy-goat”. An old Scandinavian custom, the figure eventually became more or less conflated with Santa Claus.

How is Christmas celebrated in Finland?
Finnish people believe that Santa Claus or Father Christmas lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. In Finnish Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Hyvää joulua’.

Where does Santa live Finland?
Santa Claus lives in “Santa Claus Village & the arctic Circle”. You can meet Santa Claus and cross the magical Arctic Circle every day at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi in Finland. Rovaniemi is the Official Hometown of Santa Claus in Lapland.


Santa Claus in his post office (NordenBladet)

Where in Finland can you see the Northern Lights?
In northern Lapland the lights shine about every other clear night between September and March. In southern Finland they are visible on about 10-20 nights a year. Look to the stars. If you notice that the night sky is clear and starry, your chances of seeing the northern lights are good.

Can you see Northern Lights from Helsinki?
Because of this, the Northern Lights (or Aurora Borealis) happens mostly in the north of Finland, in the region of Lapland. However, during periods when there’s high solar activity, like the current one, the Northern Lights can be seen further south.

What month is the best to see Northern Lights?
April to August. To see the Northern Lights you need dark skies and from early-April until late-August, the Aurora may be blazing across the Arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment, as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show.

What is a puukko knife?
A puukko is a small traditional Finnish general purpose belt knife with a single curved cutting edge and, usually, a flat back.


Puukko knife (Kellam)

How many municipalities are in Finland?
As of 2017, there are 311 municipalities in Finland, of which 106 are cities or towns (kaupunki). As of 2017, 16 municipalities are unilingually Swedish (all in the autonomous Åland region).

How many provinces are in Finland?
In 1995 the old system “Finland 12 provinces (lääni, län, 400+ municipalities” was replaced with a new one: “Finland 6 provinces (lääni, län), 20 regions/counties (maakunta, landskap), 400+ municipalities”. (May 2014)

How many regions are in Finland?
Finland comprises 19 regions called maakunta in Finnish and landskap in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region.

Is Finland a Scandinavian country?
Geographically Finland is not a part of Scandinavia, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are. However, Finland, together with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia form the Nordic countires, known in Finnish as Pohjoismaat.

Why is Finland not a part of Scandinavia?
Finland isn’t a part of Scandinavia but of Fenno-Scandinavia. It is also one of the Nordic countries. Scandinavia refers to the Scandinavian Mountains, or Scandes, which stretch over Norway and Sweden. Due to the shared cultural and language context Denmark is also considered as a part of Scandinavia, but not Finland.

What is the Finnish language based on?
The Uralic languages with the most native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian, which are the official languages of Hungary, Finland, and Estonia, respectively, and of the European Union.

How old is the Finnish language?
Despite its physical origins it’s not, however, related to Russian, which belongs to the Eastern European Slavic language family. The most ancient ancestor of Finnish and other Uralic languages was Proto-Uralic, spoken approximately 2000 to 7000 years ago.

How many letters are in the Finnish alphabet?
The Finnish alphabet has 29 letters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, å, ä ja ö. The letters š and ž can occur only in loan words.

Is Finnish hard to learn?
According to a freshly-released list Finnish is among the group of languages the FSI considers to be the most difficult for English speakers to learn. Over the years language learning hobbyists have compiled numerous lists rating the world’s easiest — and most difficult – languages to learn.

Can Estonians understand Finnish?
The two other national languages that are Uralic languages as Finnish are Estonian and Hungarian. Estonian and Finnish are very close to each other, and Estonians and Finns usually may understand each other. Even though Finnish and Hungarian are related languages, they do not look or sound similar.

What is the biggest city in Finland?
Helsinki. Helsinki is Finland’s biggest city as well as the nation’s capital.

Which are the 5 biggest cities in Finland?
1) Helsinki
2) Tampere
3) Turku
4) Oulu
5) Jyväskylä

How long is daylight in Finland?
In the middle of winter, in contrast, daytime is very short. In the south of the country daylight in December lasts only for 6 hours. In northern Lapland a period of darkness prevails at that time, with the sun not rising above the horizon at all.

Why is Finland called the Land of the Midnight Sun?
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the sun remains visible at the local midnight.

What is the climate of Finland? What is the average temperature in Finland?
July temperatures in Finland average 13 to 17°C. February is usually Finland’s coldest month, with temperatures averaging from – 22 to -3°C. In northern Finland, winter temperatures often drop as low as -30°C or even down to -50°C, sometimes with strong, cold easterly or northeasterly winds.

How hot does it get in Finland?
If daytime temperatures during the summer in Lapland resemble those of the rest of Finland, around 20 °C (68 °F), with peaks around 30 °C (86 °F), nights remain cool or even cold, with minimum temperatures typically below 10 °C (50 °F).

Where is Swedish spoken in Finland?
Helsinki, the capital, had a Swedish-speaking majority until late in the 19th century. Currently 6.1% of the population of Helsinki are Swedish-speaking and 9.6% speaks languages other than Finnish and Swedish. The Swedish dialects spoken in Finland mainland are known as Finland-Swedish.

What state is Helsinki in?
Helsinki (Swedish: Helsingfors) is the capital city and most populous municipality of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of 642,045.



3x Helsinki, Finland (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)

What are people from Finland called?
Finns or Finnish people (Finnish: suomalaiset) are a Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these countries as well as those who have resettled.

What is the population of Finland 2018?
The most recent confirmed population figures date to the 2010 census, which found an official population of 5.36 million. The population of Finland has since grown to an estimated 5.54 million in 2018.

What is the ethnic makeup of Finland?
Finland is a relatively ethnically homogeneous country. The dominant ethnicity is the Finnish people but there are also notable historic minorities of Swedes, Sami and Roma people. As a result of recent immigration there are now also considerable groups of ethnic Russians, Estonians and Somalis in the country.

What animals live in Finland?
Native woodland animals include bear, elk, wolf, wolverine, lynx, and Finnish elk. Wild reindeer have almost disappeared; those remaining in the north are domesticated.

Is it safe in Finland?
There are no major safety issues in Helsinki, as long as you are aware pickpocketing does happen, and there are a couple of shady spots in Helsinki which single Finland travelers may want to avoid at night. The countryside is practically crime free.

Is Finland a developed country?
Finland is the most stable country in the world. Finland is the freest country in the world together with Sweden and Norway. Finland is the safest country in the world. Next to Norwegians and Icelanders, Finns feel the second least insecure in the world.

What do you call a person from Finland?
In English we have the words “Finn” and “Finnish”, which are not synonyms. The main difference between them is that the word Finn is a noun, while Finnish is an adjective. When you talk about the people of Finland, you can say that they are Finns or that they are Finnish people.

What is the culture of Finland?
The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage, as represented for example by the country’s national languages Uralic Finnish and Germanic Swedish, the sauna, with common Nordic, and European culture.

What percent of Finland is white?
Altogether, immigrants constitute barely 2 percent of Finland’s population of 5.2 million. There were 108,346 foreign-born residents at the end of 2004, according to government statistics. Of those, fewer than 25,000 were born in non-white countries whose residents would look conspicuous on the streets of Helsinki.

What is a Finnish sauna?
The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over three million saunas in Finland – an average of one per household. For Finnish people the sauna is a place to relax with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation as well.

How many saunas are in Finland?
You can still find people in Finland who were born in the sauna. Not when it was heated, of course, but it was a sterile place where hot water was available. It is estimated that there are two million saunas in Finland, for a population of 5.3 million.

What do u wear in a sauna?
The sauna is experienced best in your birthday suit, wearing nothing but a smile and a towel around your waist to protect the bench and your privacy. Don’t even wear jewelry and glasses. Let your exposed skin sweat freely. Just be clean and dry when you enter.

How many lakes are there in Finland?
187,888 lakes. There are, however, at least 55,000 lakes that are at least 200 metres wide. If lake is defined to be a body of standing water larger than 500 square metres, then there are 187,888 lakes in Finland.

What is the largest lake in Finland?
Lake Saimaa, lake in southeastern Finland. It lies just northwest of the Russian border and is northeast of Helsinki. It has an area of 443 sq mi (1,147 sq km) and is the primary lake in the Great Saimaa lake system, which, at 1,690 sq mi (4,377 sq km), is the largest system in Finland.

How many islands are in Finland?
Sometimes Finland is referred to as the land of the thousand lakes, but that is a serious understatement. Finland has some 180000 (yes one hundred and eighty thousand!) lakes and almost as many islands! Just the Archipelago sea alone has some 40000 islands!

What is the main religion in Finland?
Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Finland. The majority of individuals in Finland identify as members of a Christian church; the vast majority of these Christians are attendants of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Its followers make up 70.9% of the population.

Featured image: Northern Lights Village Saariselkä (inarisaariselka.fi)

What food is Finland famous for, Do they eat reindeer in Finland, What are the traditions of Finland, What is Santa Claus called in Finland, How is Christmas celebrated in Finland, Where does Santa live Finland, Where in Finland can you see the Northern Lights, Can you see Northern Lights from Helsinki, What month is the best to see Northern Lights, What is a puukko knife, How many municipalities are in Finland, How many provinces are in Finland, How many regions are in Finland, Is Finland a Scandinavian country, Why is Finland not a part of Scandinavia, What is the Finnish language based on, How old is the Finnish language, How many letters are in the Finnish alphabet, Is Finnish hard to learn, Can Estonians understand Finnish, What is the biggest city in Finland, Which are the 5 biggest cities in Finland, How long is daylight in Finland, Why is Finland called the Land of the Midnight Sun, What is the climate of Finland, What is the average temperature in Finland, How hot does it get in Finland, Where is Swedish spoken in Finland, What state is Helsinki in, What are people from Finland called, What is the population of Finland 2018, What is the ethnic makeup of Finland, What animals live in Finland, Is it safe in Finland, Is Finland a developed country, What do you call a person from Finland, What is the culture of Finland, What percent of Finland is white, What is a Finnish sauna, How many saunas are in Finland, What do u wear in a sauna, How many lakes are there in Finland, What is the largest lake in Finland, How many islands are in Finland, What is the main religion in Finland, visit finland, info about finland, fun facts about finland, information about finland, Nordic info in english, NordenBladet

1...171172173...183Page 172 of 183