NordenBladet – Katrin Kaurov with her unique Nordic look and a positive attitude known from her Instagram (@katrinkau) has taken the fashion industry by the storm. The young Estonian model, speaking 5 languages and having visited 42 countries shares her experiences with NordenBladet.
What got you interested in modelling? How long have you been modelling?
I started modelling as a hobby as a teenager when I had my first international work trips abroad but made it a profession 2 years ago. I love that my job takes me anywhere in the world from Tokyo to Paris, London to Sydney – every day is always unique.
Where do you work as a model? Which brands do you work for? I work between Milan, London, Paris and plan to move to the States quite soon. As a model I work with many different brands depending on the city and season- some of my clients have been Balmain, Victoria Beckham and Guess for example.
What to expect when going for an agency interview? What should you wear to a modelling interview? In fashion industry an interview is called “casting”. If you go to meet an agency the simpler the better – a typical “uniform” is black skinny jeans and a black top with a leather jacket. If you go for a casting, it is great to also show some personal style.
How often you mix work and vacation travels?
To be honest, not that often – when I go for a vacation, I prefer to be in the nature, go surfing, hiking and leave my phone behind if possible. However, whenever I am on a work trip I try to enjoy the local culture and do as much sightseeing as possible on my free time.
What is your favourite travel destination and why? For a holiday – I absolutely loved Sri Lanka and Indonesia. For work so far Paris was my favorite city, but I’m sure NYC will be a very exciting journey too!
What is your most memorable job? A fashion show in Athens that was organized on a horse hippodrome. I had just landed from Paris and was taken there without any explanations by the driver. Besides the confusion, the location was magical.
Do you have any travel secrets – how to stay fresh after long flights?
Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water during travels, bringing my own food for flights (since airplane food is often very processed) and wearing comfortable clothes. On long flights I like to use a face mask and try to get as much sleep as possible.
Do models get paid to travel? Just to go on vacation – no. However, when you fly for a job in a different country the client covers the flights, accommodation and any other expense over there.
Speaking of flying, I would love to ask about airports as well. What makes one airport comfortable? Please name your three favorite airports and why they are your favorites? My favorite is definitely the airport in Tallinn, my home country. Despite being tiny and cozy, the airport has a gym and public library to name a few. My second favorite might be Singapore which is considered the most beautiful airport in the world – there’s even a a butterfly garden inside. The third one is perhaps Linate Airport in Milan, being just a quick taxi drive away from the center. Since I travel a lot it is important that the airport is fast & convenient with some cute coffee shops inside.
How often you do airport shopping? What´s the best thing you´ve bought? I don’t shop that often in the airports, but I love finding some unique brand pieces or cosmetics from the duty-free section. My latest purchase was a black Furla bag from Paris airport.
Obviously you eat healthy. You choose to eat your own food on planes, but what can you tell about airport restaurants? I think the selection is getting better lately – more fresh and vegan options. However, I think there’s still a lot of room for development! A good option in the airports is always Joe & the Juice with its fresh juices, sandwiches and great coffee.
How luxurious is a fashion model´s life – do you fly private planes, business class or take regular flights? Is there a model apartment or luxury hotels with room service? What is the most glamorous and the last glamorous part of models life? I think this is the biggest misconception about modelling – the glamour of it. Of course, there are jobs that take you to the best hotels and exciting locations, but the every day of modelling is often more “regular” than expected. When models begin their careers usually they stay in apartments full of other young models, take regular flights and run all day to castings or photoshoots. My point being – besides the glitz and glamour of the job, it is a hard career like every other requiring a lot of effort.
Who are your favorite designers? What brands you wear daily, on travels, evenings etc. I am a big fan of environmentally friendly fashion labels, many smaller ones who are just starting out. Also, I love brands who are not afraid to make a statement with their clothing like Vivienne Westwood or Stella McCartney.
I am not such a big spender on clothes though, I keep my daily style rather simple.
Where would be your dream work destination? I would love to work in Cape Town one day. It is a location all models love – apparently you can go straight to surf after castings, the nature is incredible and people are very open-minded. Tel Aviv seems very vibrant as well.
Your dream cover / advertisement / collaboration? Oh there are so many. Almost every model wants to be the cover face of Vogue or collaborate with Victoria Secret’s. Doing a campaign for Nike is perhaps a more unique dream of mine, since sport and active lifestyle has always played a big part in my life.
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.
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.
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.
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. 🙂
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!
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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!
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!
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).
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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.
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… 🙂
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!
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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.
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!
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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.
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
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.
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.
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!
In the next blog post the day in Tampere and our journey to Vaasa!
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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!
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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)
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NordenBladet – Enontekiö (Eanodat, Enontekis) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approx. 1,900 inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very sparsely populated area of about 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 sq mi) between the Swedish and Norwegian border. Finland’s highest point, the Halti fell with a height of 1,324 metres (4,344 ft) above the mean sea level, lies in the north of Enontekiö, where the municipality occupies a part of the Scandinavian Mountains. The administrative centre of Enontekiö is the village of Hetta. About one fifth of the community’s population are Sami people. Enontekiö’s main industries are tourism and reindeer husbandry.
Location and dimensions Enontekiö is located in the province of Lapland in the outermost northwest tip of Finland. The bulge between Swedish and Norwegian border, which is occupied by the municipality of Enontekiö, is called Käsivarsi (Finnish for “arm”), because before World War II, Finland’s borders had the shape of a woman’s figure (Suomi-neito) and the area looked like her raised right arm. The municipality occupies a large and sparsely populated area of 8,391.35 km2 (3,239.92 sq mi) (more than three times the area of Luxembourg). Thus Enontekiö is Finland’s third-largest municipality in size, after Inari and Sodankylä, and with a population density of only 0.24/km2 (0.62/sq mi), it is the second-most sparsely populated municipality, after Savukoski.
Enontekiö’s neighbouring municipalities are Inari in the east, Kittilä in the southeast, and Muonio in the south; on the Swedish side in the west, there is the municipality of Kiruna and on the Norwegian side in the north, there are Storfjord, Gáivuotna (Kåfjord), Nordreisa, and Kautokeino. Enontekiö shares a border of more than 450 kilometres (280 mi) with the two adjacent states. The border to Sweden is formed by the river Muonionjoki and its tributary, Könkämäeno.
Villages
The main village of Enontekiö is the settlement of Hetta in the south, with approx. 800 inhabitants. There is no village with the name of Enontekiö, but Hetta is often called the municipality’s name. Other important places are the village of Kilpisjärvi, which is located near the border triangle of Finland-Sweden-Norway, as well as Karesuvanto and Palojoensuu, both of which are located at the Muonionjoki at the Swedish border. Enontekiö’s villages are concentrated in the southern area and along the banks of the rivers Könkämäeno and Muonionjoki in the west of the municipality. Often, there is a corresponding village on the Swedish side of the river, bearing the same name (or the Swedish form of the name), e.g. Karesuvanto/Karesuando. In contrast, the part of the Käsivarsi Mountains away from the rivers is almost completely uninhabited.
5x Kilpisjärvi, Finland (NordenBladet)
Hetta (Northern Sami: Heahttá) is the main village in the municipality of Enontekiö in the north-west part of Finnish Lapland. It is also the municipality’s administrative centre and the start or end point of the standard trekking / skiing route across the Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park.
Enontekiö Airport is located 9 kilometres (6 mi) west of Hetta and generally has flights from Helsinki in the Spring months. Otherwise, the nearest Finnish airport is Kittilä, c. 2 hours South although Alta, in Norway is a similar distance. Tromso (Norway), Kiruna (Sweden) and Rovaniemi (Finland) are all a similar distance (c. 3–4 hours drive) although flying into Tromso is a good option if your intention is to spend the majority of your time in the far West of Enontekiö, in the village of Kilpisjärvi.
Hetta is a popular tourist destination for cross country skiers and winter outdoor activity enthusiasts. Ice fishing, husky sledding (the local company, Hetta Huskies, won a Gold Award in the World Responsible Tourism Awards in 2015), snowmobiling and visiting traditional reindeer farms are all popular activities for visitors. There is also plenty of cabin and hotel accommodation and easy access to the high tundra arctic plateaus just 20 km north of the village.
Hetta and Ounasrjärvi in Enontekiö, Finland (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)
2x Hetta´s Church – Hetan kirkko (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)
The following villages belong to Enontekiö (Sami name, if available, in parentheses):
2x Little Näkkälä village in Enontekiö, Finland (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)
Topography
In its northern tip, Enontekiö is the only Finnish municipality that includes part of the Scandinavian Mountains. Through that and through its location in the far north of Finland, it is geologically and scenically very different from the rest of the country. Halti, the highest mountain of Finland with a height of 1,324 m, is located in Enontekiö, together with all 21 other mountains higher than 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in the country. Besides Haltitunturi, probably the best known and scenically most distinctive mountain is the Saana with a height of 1,029 metres (3,376 ft), which rises above the village of Kilpisjärvi. The southern part of the municipality is less mountainous, but some single fjells (tunturi, which means hills towering above the timber line) rise above the otherwise rather flat surrounding area. Below, a part of the Pallastunturi–Ounastunturi-massif extends into Enontekiö’s territory.
A little more than 5% of the municipality’s area consists of water. Several large rivers originate in Enontekiö: The Muonionjoki, Ounasjoki, Ivalojoki, and one of the headstreams of the Tenojoki have their sources in the municipality. Enontekiö owes its name to them: Eno is an old Finnish word for “major river” and tekiö is derived from the verb tehdä (“to make”). All of the 825 lakes in the area are rather small. The largest lakes are the Pöyrisjärvi, the Kilpisjärvi near the village with the same name, and the Ounasjärvi near Hetta.
Saana (Northern Sami: Sána) is a fell in Enontekiö, Finland. Saana’s summit lies 1,029 metres (3,376 ft) above sea level and 556 m (1,824 ft) above the adjacent Kilpisjärvi lake. Geologically it is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, and is made of the same kinds of schist and gneiss rock. The mountain was historically considered sacred to the Sami people. The peak is a popular destination for hikers and backpackers because of the sweeping views offered at the summit.
3x Stairway to Saana (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)
Flora and fauna
The vegetation of Enontekiö is very meagre, due to the extreme northern latitude. The northern border of the natural geographic range of the spruce approx. matches the southern border of the municipality; the range of the pine ends only 20 km (12 mi) north of Hetta, too. North of that, only birches grow. The timber line is approximately 600 m (2,000 ft); above that, a tundra-like vegetation predominates. The largest part of the municipal area consists of these plateaus or bogs, which mainly predominate at the rivers. Only 19% of Enontekiö’s area is afforested. About 70% of the total area is conservation area of various grades. Enontekiö contains parts of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, as well as the wilderness areas of Käsivarsi, Pulju, Pöyrisjärvi and Tarvantovaara.
Due to the harsh climatic conditions, there are not especially many species among Enontekiö’s fauna; however, there are Arctic species that are unknown to southern Finland, e.g. Norway lemming, Arctic fox, snowy owl, Eurasian dotterel, ptarmigan, and ring ouzel. Besides the semi-domesticated reindeer, there are a lot of small mammals and bird species.
Climate
Enontekiö’s climate is characterised by the extreme northern location, the high altitude compared to the rest of Finland and the closeness of the Arctic Ocean. Due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, the winters are not quite as harsh as in central Lapland, which is characterised by the continental climate, but the summers are shorter and cooler.
The annual average temperatures of Enontekiö are the lowest of Finland. In Kilpisjärvi, in the north of the municipal area, the long-term average is −2.3 °C (compared to Helsinki: approx. +5 °C; Berlin approx. +9 °C). July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of +10.9 °C, the coldest is January with −13.6 °C. Due to these extreme climatic conditions, the growing season only lasts a little over 100 days. Thus, the winter, with its 200 days, is very long. The annual average precipitation is 459 millimetres (18.1 in). In the cold season, enormous amounts of snow can fall: The highest snow depth ever recorded in Finland was measured on April 19, 1997, in Kilpisjärvi: 190 centimetres (75 in). Normally, a permanent snow cover is generally formed in October and does not melt again until the end of May. In sheltered places, snow can remain even longer; thus a ski race is traditionally held for Midsummer’s night in Kilpisjärvi.
Enontekiö’s municipal area is located between 200 and 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. Accordingly, there are extreme seasonal differences in the length of daylight. In Kilpisjärvi, the Midnight Sun shines between May 22 and July 23. Accordingly, Polar night (kaamos) prevails between December 2 and January 11. Enontekiö has the highest rate of occurrence of Polar lights in Finland: In the region around Kilpisjärvi, this natural spectacle can be observed on average three out of four nights during the dark season in clear weather.
Population development and structure
Enontekiö currently has nearly 2,000 inhabitants. In the beginning 1990s, there were still 2,500 inhabitants. Because the structurally weak Lapland was hit harder by the Finnish economic crisis than the south, a wave of migration to expansion centers in the south started in the middle of the decade. Initially, the number of inhabitants also rapidly decreased in Enontekiö, but it now has consolidated at a lower level. Enontekiö’s population consists of 12.4% under the age of 15, 69.2% between 15 and 64, and 18.3% older than 64. The excess of men is conspicuous. They account for 53.2% of the population
Sami
Enontekiö is part of the native settlement area of the indigenous Sami people. Nineteen percent of the municipality’s population are ethnic Sami, but only 9.2% speak Sami as their native language. The municipality is part of the Sami “homeland” (kotiseutualue), which is defined by law and where Sami have special minority rights. Thus Northern Sami, the particular Sami language used in Enontekiö, has official status in the municipality besides the Finnish language, and therefore is allowed to be used in contact with the authorities. Well-known Sami from Enontekiö are the artist, Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and the Joik-singer Wimme.
Economy
Enontekiö’s economic structure has a large percentage involved in the service sector: 76% of the gainfully employed population work in the tertiary sector, 45% of these work in civil service. Agriculture and forestry employ 13% of Enontekiö’s inhabitants, the manufacturing sector 6%. As is usual in the structurally weak Lapland, the unemployment in Enontekiö is a big problem: In January 2007 with 24.7%, the municipality had the second highest unemployment rate of all Finnish municipalities. In 1996 at the peak of the Finnish economic crisis, the unemployment rate was near 40%.
Reindeer husbandry was the dominant branch of business in Enontekiö for a long time. In the northwest of Lapland, reindeer husbandry has already been done for centuries, in contrast to the other regions of the Finnish reindeer husbandry area, where it was only introduced on a large scale in the 19th century after the eradication of the wild Finnish forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus). Reindeer husbandry plays an important role even today. The herders are organised in the cooperatives (paliskunta) of Näkkälä and Käsivarsi and have a total of 20,000 semi-domesticated reindeer. Due to the climatic conditions, agriculture is scarcely possible, but dairy farming is operated on a small scale. Due to the sparse vegetation, forestry plays only a minor role.
Tourism is a major branch of business in Enontekiö, even if there are fewer visitors than in those municipalities of Lapland which have big skiing centres. Enontekiö mostly attracts nature tourists, who travel to Lapland for hiking, fishing, canooing, skiing or snowmobiling, as well as automobile tourists, such as those on their way to the North Cape. Annually, more than 100,000 overnight stays are registered. Twenty percent of the tourists are from abroad. The largest group are the Norwegians, followed by the Germans, Swedes, Dutch, and British. The Norwegians visit Enontekiö mainly for its low prices. The Norwegian shopping tourism made up 40% of the retail business volume in all of Enontekiö, and even 60–70% in Kilpisjärvi, near the border.
Transportation
Enontekiö’s most important traffic connection is highway 21 (E8). Along its entire route, starting in Tornio at the Gulf of Bothnia, it follows the line of the Finnish–Swedish border and ends in Kilpisjärvi at the Norwegian border. The main road 93 branches off highway 21 at Palojoensuu and at first leads in an eastward direction to the municipal centre of Hetta and then further in a northward direction to the Norwegian border. The villages of the southern part of the municipality are connected to each other by small roads. But in the northern part of Enontekiö, highway 21 is the only road, taking a course next to the banks of the Muonionjoki and Könkämäeno; the uninhabited area between the river valley and the Norwegian border has no roads at all. There are three border crossings in Enontekiö: The village of Karesuvanto is connected by a bridge with the Swedish bank and there are border crossings to Norway in Kilpisjärvi and Kivilompolo.
The municipality has its own airport, (Enontekiö Airport), west of Hetta. It is mainly approached by charter flights, whose passengers account for 95% of the airport’s passenger volume. Regular flights to Enontekiö are established only in the spring. The company Finncomm Airlines provides direct flights to Enontekiö from Helsinki-Vantaa between March and May. The passenger volume of 13,700 passengers per year is relatively low.
Enontekiö is not connected to the railroad network. The next railroad station is in Kolari, approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the south.
Education and social affairs
There are five primary schools in Enontekiö: In the Kilpisjärvi primary school, pupils are taught from preschool to 9th grade, in the schools of Karesuvanto, Hetta, and Peltojärvi, from preschool to 6th grade. Enontekiö’s upper school is attended by pupils of the 7th to 9th grade. The higher education entrance qualification can be obtained after graduating from the upper school at the secondary school of Enontekiö. The primary schools of Kilpisjärvi and Karesuvanto and the upper school of Enontekiö offer native language education to Sami pupils. Adult education takes place at an adult education centre. The municipality’s library is located in the main village of Hetta, more remote regions are supplied by a mobile library. The University of Helsinki runs a biological research station in Kilpisjärvi. The University of Oulu runs the KAIRA radio telescope facility at Kilpisjärvi as well.
Healthcare is organised together with the neighbouring municipality of Muonio. In Enontekiö, there are two health centres for inpatient treatment, one in Hetta and one in Karesuvanto. Beds are available in Muonio’s health centre.
Useful links:
Enontekiö´s official website: https://enontekio.fi/
Enontekiö Airport: https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/enontekio (Finnish: Enontekiön lentoasema) (IATA: ENF, ICAO: EFET) is an airport located in Enontekiö, Finnish Lapland, 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west southwest of Hetta, the municipal centre of Enontekiö.
