A Finnish Summer
Whether you are restless for the road or prefer to stay put, a traveller, a homebody or somewhere in between, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in Finland.
Photo by SaiKrishna Saketh Yellapragada, by Unsplash.
On the journey to anyplace, we walk stretches alongside others and likewise roads we would rather face alone. This is how we move through the world. We connect and retreat. It’s an ebb and flow, a dance between two partners who both want to lead. The heart and the head wrestle between desires that might be oversimply categorised into two innate inclinations: the thirst to be at the height of human engagement, synapses lighting up the brain like fireworks as we make as many connections as possible, and the need to withdraw, to be alone or with a handful of others where one might find comfort and privacy to fold inward onto oneself. Each person, I think, experiences a different ratio of this push and pull that dictates how they go about engaging with the world around them and those they meet within it.
My idea of a perfect place is one that allows you to alternate as you please between these two contrasting sides of the human experience, both beautiful in their own right: making contact with new people, absorbing new knowledge, being absorbed by new experiences in cities that seem to lack nothing, or dissolving into the contrasting quiet stillness of the wilderness and simultaneously attuning to the minute rustlings ever occurring within the self. There is no compromising when you visit Finland; wandering from the avenues of the city outward into the surrounding serene woods, the one can easily experience both.
Photo by Joakim Honkasalo, via Unsplash.
Photo by Tapio Haaja, via Unsplash.
Exploring Helsinki is sure to satisfy the instinct to explore as a single stranger among a flood of others. The city’s small size makes the it easy to fill the avenues between buildings of stunning architectural quality with people, locals and tourists alike. However an acute attention to detail makes the city feel truly personable and unique, especially the southern half. Ullalinna, Punavuori, Eira and the design district were my favourite clusters of streets, home to old bookstores that I am told mysteriously never go out of business, carefully curated vintage stores (see Relove), bespoke antique shops (such as Fasaani), and tastefully decorated cafes. And of course, there’s the sea lapping at the city-peninsula on three sides, a refreshing reminder that one is never really confined, that freedom is always an option.
Photo by Tapio Haaja, via Unsplash.
Photo by Matias Malka, via Unsplash.
While even the city offers a sense of peacefulness, true imperturbability lies in the landscape beyond, where endless evergreen forests sprawl, only interrupted by islands breaking off the mainland like breadcrumbs floating atop stained glass sea. In summer many Finns escape to mökki, traditional cottages tucked in the woods, to be in almost total solitude and relax with family and friends. Driving north along wildflower-lined roads, past flat plains and thick forests peppered with lakes like mirrors and the odd red cabin, it is impossible not to feel at ease. When I ask what prevents more people from building summer homes in such a stunning landscape, my friend’s uncle and our host smokes the salmon and tells me, ‘we Finns like our space. And we like to be naked, so we like it here where no one can see’. So you see what I mean about the complete normality of being disconnected. Cottage owners are able to make their properties a complete oasis by no other standards than their own. In this case, that means covering the interior of the outhouse with Bruce Springsteen memorabilia. Whatever floats your boat goes, and honestly, it’s a relief.
I was lucky to be introduced to the country by one of its own, one of my dearest friends. Spending a week at her family home in Kotka, a small city less than two hours drive out of Helsinki, I was able to get to know her ever better, experiencing the elements of her childhood and teenage years first hand: starting the day with warm karelian pies and an endless flow of filter coffee, walking in the woods and feeling inflated with fresh air for the first time in far too long, sweet summer strawberries staining our fingers, watching the sun go down over the island-spotted sea later in the evening than I’d ever seen it go down and eating pick and mix liquorice until our stomachs hurt. It was one of the best and most personal introductions to a new place I’ve ever had.
If I’ve gathered correctly, the Finnish way seems to prioritise doing even small things with great care and hides generosity beneath a reserved exterior. These are traits I noticed in nearly everyone I encountered whilst there, my friend no exception. As a result, I felt a sense of respect for both the inclinations to tune in and to zone out, to soak the company and activities of those around me or to enjoy being completely by myself. The air, carrying the lingering smell of the sea, seems to sit lighter on your shoulders there, and permits even strangers to sway within it with ease.
Photos via the Maritime Museum of Finland.
Hometown Heritage
Kotka is a fishing town of about 52 thousand people, its peaceful suburban streets interrupted by clusters of forest, its coastline breaking off into breadcrumb islands that polka-dot the sea as far as the eye can see, its town centre and single shopping centre appropriately punctuated with groomed parks and gardens. It’s a lovely city, impeccably kept in true Scandinavian fashion, but small and quiet enough to make an unsuspecting location for Finland’s Maritime Museum. The building itself is objectively pristine, its polished wood matching the ship reconstructions suspended from its high ceilings.
Photos via the Maritime Museum of Finland.
Beautiful architecture aside, the museum’s comprehensive collection and photo archives bring to life both local narratives and Finnish maritime history, alongside the works of homegrown artists and writers. The museum is far from a sterile catalogue of items; its presentation feels very much like a scrapbook pieced together with great precision, a memory box of stories and memorabilia immortalising the generations of grandparents and great-grandparents of the city’s current residents. That’s not to say that the collection is poorly organised or shabby, nor the museum shoddily kept; only that it seems remarkably close to home. Offering visitors a truly unique and personable experience, there is something to be said about the investment of a heritage institution in a small town context, where locals tell histories like personal anecdotes, and where visiting foreigners can access a precious glimpse into community memories.
Connecting (and Disconnecting) with Finland’s Best
For a trip that will feed you a taste at both city and country life, a local companion as tour guide and translator makes all the difference. But if you don’t happen to be best friends with a Finn, I’d bookmark the following spots.
In the capital, Helsinki’s central green Esplanadii, sprawling Kaisaniemi park, waterside Kaivopuisto and hidden Tehtaanpuisto are my favourite places to take advantage of Finland’s unbeatable park culture. Sip Helsinki-brewed Gold Digger IPA at a Design District bar like Bronda and people watch. Walk or run along the coast from Munkkisaari to the South Harbour, breathe in the sea, and stop for coffee or lunch at one of the several beautiful cafes along the way, or grab a bite from the Old Market Hall or the outdoor market square to accompany the stunning view.
Small towns like Porvoo and Kotka boast quaint corners and scenic views, for something between city and country.
Beyond the city, there are countless ways to spend time outdoors: hike in the woods, swim, paddleboard or take a boat out onto the lake, or just simply drive outside the city and sit in the soothing green stillness. Mökki are available for rent, offering the perfect opportunity to get out into the serene wilderness of Finland’s forests.
