Festival of light in the dark winter

Every December 13th since 1898 in Finland the light is celebrated in the middle of the dark winter by crowning a young Swedish-peaking maiden in a white outfit with 4 candles. Santa Lucia was once concoinceded with the winter solstice (shortest day of the year) before calendar reforms. This celebration occurs mainly in Scandinavia and in Italy.

Magic is coming

The blue moment at the St. Thomas market in Helsinki

Streets are decorated, shops windows are beautiful, children are opening a new door on their Advent calendar everyday, happy music is played a bit everywhere: there is no doubt. Christmas is coming. During this festive period merchants and handicrafters are selling homemade delicacies and traditional handicrafts. The little wooden houses are poping in every city around the country bringing the Christmas feeling to locals and visitors.

Original Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi: Like two queens

Visiting a city by yourself or with a local are totally different experiences. AmazingFinland already went a few times to the city of Kuopio, but always by its own. It was time to try a different experience. The tourist office of Kuopio was contacted in order to ask for a day as a local. This article is telling you about our experience at the Original Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi.

Onnibus: the low-cost bus company

Photo: Onnibus

Travelling in Finland is not always cheap, especially when you don't know all the tricks. The bus company Onnibus (the luck bus in Finnish) is quite new on the market, offering trips starting from 1€ to many cities in Finland. Like for its equivalent for airlines, EasyJet, the principle of Onnibus is: book early and save a lot of money. Sounds interesting. AmazingFinland decided to give it a try for a trip Helsinki-Kuopio-Helsinki. The tickets were easily booked on their website 8 days before the departure. The page works perfectly and is very easy to use. The mobile website also works well. We got the tickets Helsinki-Kuopio for only 8€ per person. As a comparison, it would cost over 65€ with a traditional bus company or by train (without any special offer). The price was very affordable, mainly because we chose to depart at 11:30pm. For the way back, we paid 30€ with a departure at 11:15am. It was still very reasonable. But very often when something is cheap, it's of bad quality. Will we be disappointed?

Starbucks: coffee and Alvar Aalto

Finland is a country that loves coffee. The consumption is the highest in the world with 12kg per capita! The American giant from Seattle couldn't ignore any longer this little country. Opened in fall 2013 in the city center in the same building as the Stockmann Academic book store, the second Starbucks café is never empty. At rush hour the queue is so long that sometimes, customers have to wait outside. This place is very popular mostly among teenage girls. In summer, a little terrace is open.

In the chocolate world of Fazer

On September 17th, the sweet lovers are celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the first Fazer confectionery (1891) in downtown Helsinki. Karl Fazer, which his parents moved from Switzerland to Finland, studies baking in Berlin, Saint-Petersburg and Paris and became a pioneer in Finnish confectionery. Most of his products are still sold and are classics. Fazer Blue (milk chocolate) is the most emblematic chocolate of the assortment. But the oldest candy is the Fazer Pihlaja, a sugary berry-marmalade jelly candy. Finns love Fazer products. When asked about their favorite chocolate, they answer almost unanimously Fazer Sininen.

Cruise into the Sàmi culture

The energy efficient catamaran has a capacity of 120 passengers

Inari is a small town of 6700 inhabitants in Northern Lapland surrounded by Finland's second biggest lake which counts 3300 islands. The town has a big importance for the Sàmi people, the local indigenous people. Inaugurated in 2012, Sajos, the Sàmi cultural center, is also the home of the parliament. In Finland, three different Sàmi groups are living in the large and wild area: the Northern Sàmi (Northern and Western Lapland), Inari Sàmi and the Skolt Sàmi (smaller community that comes from Russia).

Next to the Siida museum which is dedicated to the Sàmi culture, there is a white catamaran that offers a trip into Sàmi culture from a different angle, twice a day in summer time. The almost 3 hours long cruise brings the passengers to the mystical island of Ukonkivi (Ukko's rock) located at 11km from the city. The boat itself is different from the usual touristic boats. It is brand new with an electrical and a diesel engine. Efficiency and silence are combined which is very appreciable. No black smoke nor annoying noise. The boat is so silent that it is easy to imagine being a swan admiring the breathetaking landscape from the blue water. The other advantage of the catamaran is that it is very stable. There is almost no movements due to the waves.

Design, fashion, innovation: the design week

In 2012, Helsinki was the world design capital. The country has a long tradition in functional and innovative design with a couple of iconic designers such as Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen or Tapio Wirkkala. Every year in early September during ten days (4th to 14th in 2014), the designers are showing their art in different events in the whole city. Fashion shows, exhibitions, concerts, seminars and galas are just around each corners.

Pihlajasaari: the favorite beach island of Helsinkians

Summer 2014 is pretty amazing. Temperatures have not dropped under 20 degrees for over a month and it almost never rained. Perfect weather to go to a beach. Pihlajasaari islands (West and East islands connected by a bridge) are located just a few kliometers in the southern bay of Helsinki. The West island is a large area with long sandy beaches flanked with colorful wooden changing rooms. There is also a picturesque wooden restaurant and other protected wooden villas. The East island is dedicated to people willing to camp or to stay on the naturist beach. Locals love to jump in a water boat and spend some hours chilling on the sand, swimming, barbequing (3 fire places), having a sauna or camping. The boats are operating daily until August 31st from the pier behind the café Carusel in Kaivopuisto (Merisatama) and from Ruoholahti. The last chance to visit the island is during the weekend of September 6th and 7th. Please note that dogs and bicycles are not allowed on the boat. But if you are visiting the island with your own boat, dogs are allowed in specifically marked areas. It is a place that boat photographers like. The large ferries from Tallinn, Saint-Petersburg, the Caribbeans and Polynesia are passing close to the West coast.

Timetable
Tickets

Sports idols: Finnish sports idols and fan culture

Probably the most famous Finnish sportsmen: Jari Litmanen (soccer), Kiira Korpi (figure skating), Kimi Räikkönen (Formula 1), Matti Nykänen (ski jumping) and Teemu Selänne (ice hockey)

The special exhibition named "urheiluidolit" (sports idols) presents Finnish sports idols and fan culture in three museums: Sports museum (Helsinki), Ski museum (Lahti) and the Finnish hockey hall of fame (Tampere). Each museum presents diffrent aspects of fan and fan cultures.

In Helsinki, the exhibition focuses on the sporting heroes from the past and now. The soccer culture is quite strong in the capital city, and as the museum is located just next door to the main football stadium, a wide part of the museum is dedicated to the football fan culture. Finns are naturally proud of the national team but many are following faithfully the English League clubs. But cherry on the cake: the fan that you are can take a picture with his/her idol or send him/her a message!

Ehrensvärd's trail: Nature and fortress

Ungern bastion

Ehrensvärd. This name might sounds familiar to you. He is indeed the creator of the fortress of Suomenlinna just outside Helsinki. Augustin Ehrensvärd was also the commander of the Swedish Archipelago Fleet from 1756 to 1766, and from 1770, until his death in 1772. In the small town of Loviisa (16.000 inhabitants) just 90km East from Finland's capital, you'll find the 2km long Ehrensvärd's trail going around the fortress of Rosen and Ungern. On the way, visitors will learn more about how the fortresses were built from stone hammering to the 18th century fortress, and about the local fauna and flora.

Symphonic water show in Lahti

Every summer the city of Lahti offers a synchronized music show twice a day at the fountain next to the small lake Pikku Vesijärvi (litterally the small water lake). The fountains built in 1997 was offered by the energy company Lahden Energia to the city. It counts 600 nozzles and the biggest can reach a height of 30m. It is the largest musical fountain in the Nordic countries. During the months of October and November, 250 color lights add more magic to the show in the dark autumn nights.

A paradise for cake lovers

In Finland, cakes are amazingly good but quite pricy. In Helsinki, a slice can be up to 8€! But no worries. This article will tell you about a place you absolutely need to visit!

Berry pie with vanilla sauce

Located a few meters from the bus station of Porvoo (50km East from Helsinki) in a 19th century white stone building, the discreet café Cabriole is a paradise for cake lovers. It is very difficult to make a choice in front of more than 10 different kinds of colorful home-made cakes: passion fruit, berry, fudge, lime, white chocolate and raspberries, Sacher and many more.

Sea, sun and beaches in Helsinki

Beach of Hietalahti

In Helsinki, the sea is never far from the neighborhoods. The capital of Finland counts 26 beaches, 13 are under the watch of rescuers. The largest beach is located in Hiehtaniemi, just a few minutes of walk from the busy bus station of Kamppi. Urban young people love to come here for enjoying the sun with a good book, listening to their favorite music, swimming or playing volleyball with friends. Another reason of its popularity is the fact that the beach is covered of sand and not stones like on most of the other beaches.

Cruises: don't fall in the traps!

Silja Symphony heading towards Stockholm

Helsinki is ideally located in the Gulf of Finland, close from Saint-Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia) and Stockholm (Sweden). A lot of boats are schuttling back and forth between Finland's and Estonia's capitals from early morning to late evening 7/7. The cities are just separated by 130km of water. It is the perfect destination for some shopping (especially alcoholic beverages as the prices in Finland are really high), enjoying a spa massage or having a walk in the picturesque old town. Going to Stockholm means for many people partying on the boat in the clubs and bars until late. Some of them won't even disembark. Since a couple of years, the company St Peter Line is offering visa-free trip to Russia for a stay shorter than 72 hours.

This article is not about telling you which trip is the best, which company is the cheapest. No, it's about the traps that you should avoid.

New in Helsinki

There are a couple of novelties in Finland's capital this summer. The most visible is undoubtedly the 40m high Finnair Sky Wheel at the Southern harbor. After a year and a half under renovations, the old market hall has reopened its doors just a few days ago with old and new shops. The little island next to Suomenlinna, Lonna is finally open to the public. AmazingFinland went to all of them and is writing about them. Are they worth a visit?

Watch out for birds!

Very aggressive male bernacle 

In May-June birds are nesting a bit everywhere. As nature is never far from the urban life, some birds might create their nest in unappropriate places. They need peace. When you see a goose with an aggresive behavior (showing the tongue, running over people, opening wings, biting or flying to the face), it means that there is a female with eggs or babies very close. It is extremely important to explain the situation to children and prevent any attack. The wingspan of a adult bernacle can be up to 2m. In Helsinki, they are particularly numerous on the islands such as in the zoo of Korkeasaari, Suomenlinna, Lonna and Seurasaari which are very much visited by families.

Helsinki turns into Rio for a few hours

The spirit of the famous carnival of Rio is coming to Helsinki! Império do Papagaio will resonate between the buildings of the city center for a few hours for the 24th time. The Samba carnival brings its rythms, vivid colors and happiness! Over a thousand dancers from different samba schools in the whole country will parade from the Senate Square at 3pm and contines to Unioninkatu, Pohjoisesplanadi (North Esplanade), Mannerheimintie and Aleksanterinkatu. But do not miss the preparation of the teams from 1pm on the same square.

The little festival with an amazing lineup

The show is always splendorous with Toni Kakko, singer of Sonata Arctica

Kivenlahti Rock is one of the first music festivals to start the summer season. Located in the sport stadium of Leppävaara in Espoo at the border with Helsinki, it has one of the most impressive lineup of all festivals! The most famous Finnish artists are on the program: The Rasmus, Sonata Arctica, Jenni Vartiainen, J. Karjalainen, Indica, Haloo Helsinki and so on. It will be rock and metal but also hiphop with Cheek and JVG.

Make your own Magnum!

Dried strawberries, pistachio and mini marshmallows are decorating the Magnum ice cream

In 2014 Magnum is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In the old university house few meters from Stockmann in Helsinki, there is a special bar where you can create your own delicious Magnum ice cream.

Celebrating the world

Peace, respect, tolerance and communication

Every year in May, the World Village Festival is organized in Kaisaniemi park next to Helsinki railway station. It is the biggest free festival of Finland. All kinds of organizations from Red Cross to Green Peace, international or national are presenting their program to the public. But the festival is a great place to meet people and culture from everywhere. Delicious food is available a bit everywhere: Thai, Mexican, Somalian, Chinese, Italian. A full program of aminations keeps the stage busy: music, speeches, demonstartions. Some handicrafts and second hand items can be purchased.

Finland from above (Part 1): Panoramic towers

It's definitively not easy to see Finland from above as it is a relatively flat country, almost without skyscrapers. Luckily, there are a couple of observation towers that offer stunning views. Some towers are well known such as the Olympic stadium tower in Helsinki and others are much less. Also, some are free of charge and other cost a couple of euros. Does the view worth the money? Find out in the following list. Do you know other towers? Feel free to give your tips in the comment box at the end of the article or on the Facebook page of AmazingFinland. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

First ever liquorice festival in Finland!

Flickr.com/Judy** (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

During the Antiquity, the roots of liquorice which grow in Southern Europe and in Asia were used for treating the voice. It is still used in many cough syrups.

Salmiakki ice cream

Nowadays the liquorice can be basically found in everything, especially in Finland: tea, chocolate, yogurts, cookies, cakes, ice cream, liqueur, and of course as a candy. The candies are also used for creating jewellery and clothes! Finns simply love it. There is also a salty version that sharply divide people: the salmiakki. You rather love it or hate it. But give it a try! The down side of liquorice is that it increases the blood pressure.

The latest cooking book dedicated to liquorice (Elisabeth Johansson, 28.90€)

After a huge success in Sweden, the liquorice festival is for the first time organized in Helsinki on May 10th, 2014 in Wanha Satama (near the Viking Line terminal in Katajanokka). Many funny workshops and competitions will entertain children and gourmets.

Opening hours: 10-18
Ticket: 10€ (free for children under 10)

Website of the liquorice festival (only in Finnish and Swedish)

Three cute lions cubs are born in Korkeasaari

Spring is the season where many animals give birth. Last month on AmazingFinland, there was an article about the farm of Fallkulla where baby goats, chicken, rabbits and sheeps could be admired. On the other hand seeing baby wild animals is not easy. At the zoo of Helsinki, each birth is an event. This year on March 27th, three lions cubs were born. The adorable cats will be out next month for the joy of the visitors. In the video under, the three lions are watched by the staff of Korkeasaari.

A design break in an Aalto chair

Blueberry tea and mango mousse: absolutely divine!

The Finlandia hall design by the famous architect Alvar Aalto is one of the most photographed monuments of Finland's capital Helsinki and one of the most iconic work from Aalto. The building is the venue of many national and international concerts and seminars. It is located next to the beautiful Töölö bay, a "lake" filled by the sea and surrounded by trees.

New landmark in Helsinki: the Finnair Sky Wheel

The Sky Wheel will offer a great view over the harbor

  

[Updated on June 3rd] It was planned for Vappu 2013, then for Vappu 2014, then postponed of two weeks and to a few additional weeks because of delays in the construction, finally the Sky Wheel in Helsinki will open on June 3rd at 7pm. For a very long time, everybody was wondering what will come to the platform of the former Nordic Jet Line in Katajanokka. The Wheel is perfect located next to the southern harbor and can't be missed by the tourists and cruise passengers.

A farm in the middle of Finland's capital

Just about 10km from the city center of Helsinki is located the farm of Fallkulla which has a free entry. Visitors can get familiar with all the domestic farm animals in the parks or in the barn: horses, pigs, rabbits, hens, goats, cattles, sheeps and ducks. In spring, many babies were born and are the main attraction for children. The little café is cosy and the prices are very reasonable.

What you should know about Finnish Easter desserts

On Sunday most of the Finns will end their Easter meals with a sweet touch. Some will eat mämmi, a kind of pudding made from flour and rye malt. And some lucky ones will receive a Fazer Mignon Egg, the second oldest product of the confectionary (1896). Every year, about 2 millions eggs are sold. Of course, other sweet are eaten such as the Orthodox Pasha and other chocolate eggs (e.g Kinder Surprise, Moomin or Angry Birds).

Mämmi

Photo: Flickr.com/Martin Terber

Let's be honest. Mämmi looks horrible. With its dark brown color and grainy texture, many people associate the appearence to cow shit. Finns themselves are sharply divided. You love it or you hate it. But don't give up at first sight! Here are a few tips for eating mämmi.

New tram in Helsinki: energy efficent, silent and more light

Since the beginning of winter, a new tram built by Artic is travelling in the streets of Helsinki. In a recent article published in the Finnish newspaper HelsinkiTimes, the new tram accomplished over 6000km without any problem. Passengers told that they appreciate the new tram that has a low floor. It is easy to access and there are no stairs in the middle of the car like for the oldest models still running.

Cosy and unique café in the heart of Kuopio

Unique and cosy

In a world that is more and more globalized and standadized, it is very refreshing to find places that are unique. Kahvila Kaneli is a tiny café located in the city center for Kuopio, a few meters from the market hall. It is a mix between an antique boutique, handicrafts shop, museum and café. Inside, you forget immediatelly that we are in the 21st century. It is quiet and cosy. The place is well known from locals and can be quite busy around lunch time.

Coffee and laundry, please!

It is always a good idea to take different way while going somewhere. Sometimes, around a corner, in a hidden street with little traffic, you might find a gem.

Climbing the mountain in Helsinki

Click on the image to enlarge

Mountain. What comes to your mind when you hear this word? For me, as a Swiss, I see the Alps, high mountains with snow all year round. But I've noticed that for some Finns, the meaning is different. The highest mountain in Finland is the mount Halti (1324m above the sea level) in Northern Finland. Very often, they call "mountain" a simple hill, like the hill in Kaivopuisto in Helsinki.

Sonata Arctica's new album is back to the roots

Concert in Tavastia (Helsinki 25.09.2012)

The metal band from Kemi will release on Friday March 28th (April 1st in North America) its 8th album named Pariah's Child which includes 10 songs. According to the keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, the album is hearkening towards Sonata Arctica's earlier days. The wolf-theme is back as a metaphor for the fear. The track 6 What did you do in the war, dad? is the saddest song ever written by Tony Kakko, the singer.

What to do while transiting at Helsinki airport

It can be quite long and boring to transit at an airport. Often passengers just hang around, visit the shops (Moomins, Stockmann and Marimekko, of course, plus Angry Birds if you travel outside the Schengen area) and restaurants while waiting. Very few dare to go outside. Helsinki airport has been voted 5th best airport for its comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service by sleepinginairport.net travelers. Here is a little guide to make your wait more interesting and relaxing.

Movies at affordable prices

Sello Rex is dead! Now it's Finnkino Sello (Leppävaara, Espoo)! In order to celebrate the event some movie tickets are sold for 1, 3 or 6€ for a week (until March 20th). Buy your tickets quite soon as they might be sold out very quickly. You must have a Finnkino account in order to purchase your tickets online.

About the event (only in Finnish)
Find movies (English or Finnish)

Shopping tips of the week

This week I've spotted 2 places where you can take advantage of important price reductions.

1. Expressions Accessories

Expressions is a small shop located in Forum in Helsinki which sells all kinds of jewelery and accessories for women. The quality is average like for Glitter. This week if you buy at least 4 items, you get 50% on the total price. This works as well on the items which are already on sale. You can have a discount of up to 80%.

Expressions website

2. UFF

UFF is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation founded in 1987 which has second hand shops in the whole country. This week they are selling all the clothes, shoes, bags, belts and fabrics for a daily unique price: Thursday-Friday 2€ and Saturday 1€. It's a great place to do your shopping. You can find treasures! If you have a theme party, they have plenty of cocktail dresses, suits, traditional costums (especially from Tirol) and wedding dresses. Expect the unexpected!

Where to find the shops

Watch Oscar nominee short movie for free!

Nominated to the Oscars in the short film live action category but din't unfortunately get the trophy, the Finnish movie "Pitääkö mun kaikki hoitaa?" (Do I have to take care of everything?) can be watched for free on Yle Areena until Sunday March 16th: Click here (duration: 6 minutes)

It is in Finnish without subtitles but the story is very easy to understand. It shows Finnish humor in an almost everyday family life situation. It also shows that in Finland women are deciding for everything and men are often following, without saying anything and don't take initiatives.

Great place for a morning coffee and a trendy place to spend Saturdays nights

Mbar is perfectly located at Lasipalatsi between Kamppi and the central railway station in Helsinki. It is a café and salad place during the day where young urban people are working on their laptop, thanks to the free Wi-Fi connection. They also serve the soup of the day for 8€. As written on the pannel under, the take away coffee only costs 1€ until 12pm! It is one of the cheapest places where you can get this beverage.

A taste of Japan in the heart of Helsinki

In the Helsingin Sanomat of Friday March 8th 2014, there was an article about the sushi restaurants in Helsinki city center. Did you know that there are over 40 of them in a square kilometer? After the burgers, kebabs and Nepalese restaurants, sushi is definitively the new fast-food in Finland's capital. I've already wrote a blog about the delicious sushi buffet at Tokyo55 and in this post I will not only write about sushi but about a place that is worth visiting in order to experience the Japanese cuisine.

Dining room of restaurant Koto

How to photograph the Northern Lights?

Northern Lights are undoubtedly the most amazing natural phenomenon that is observable in Finland and probably on the whole planet. But how can one's show to others the beauty of these lights? As the saying tells: a picture is worth a thousand words. How often people get disappointed as their images are not translating what they saw? The explanation might be that taking a picture of a Northern Light is not as easy as pressing the shutter release in automatic mode. In this article I will try to give you the best tips to get the best possible result even without being a pro in photography.

Ruka 01.12.2013 1:35am, ISO1250, F/5.6, 30s, 24mm (Canon 5D Mark II) 

Kuopio in your pocket

This is the first blog of the series "In your pocket" in which I will tell you about 10 interesting places to visit in Finnish cities. It is easier, in my opinion, to look at one article that summarizes all main ideas when you are on the road. It is dedicated to Kuopio, the 8th biggest Finnish city, that I've visited seven times between 2005 and 2013.

Located at almost 400km North from Helsinki in the Savo region (or Savonia) in the middle of the Lakeland, the city of 106.000 inhabitants is a gem. Once there, it feels like visiting a village surrounded by the Kallavesi Lake, thousands of islands and small hills. The center counts a lot of old wooden houses, nice bars and friendly inhabitants. In Kuopio, you feel like at home!

Ice meets art festival

During the whole weekend, 30 top ice sculptors from 10 different countries are competing in the zoo of Helsinki on the island of Korkeasaari. They all have the same time to create the most amazing sculpture according to the theme. Visitors are encourage to vote for their favorite piece of art. The best sculpture will get a price. Some of them are really impressive! But not only professionals can play with ice. Everybody can participation to a common piece of art: decorating an ice wall.

The parks are full of snow (well not really this year) and most of the animals are outside. Even the lions! It is quite different to visit the zoo in winter than in summer time. It is very quiet and relaxing. As there are not too many visitors, people are whispering like at church.

Cheese cake with plum jam and hot chocolate for 6.80€

If you feel cold or are hungry, you can go to the restaurant in the wooden house in the middle of the zoo. The other snack bars are unfortunately closed. It is often pack there and you will probably have to share your table with others. The food is affordable and quite good. In general the dessert of the day is a big temptation. When the night comes, the statues are illuminated by colorful led spots.

When is the next tram coming? Geo-located it!

The public transportation of Helsinki offers a real-time geo-localisation map (see link at the bottom of the article) of its commuter trains, subways and on demand busses (called Kutusplus). It is quite interesting to have an overall view on the network which is, in my opinion, very well developed.

In the honor of the Sàmi people

Traditional costum from Inari and reindeer leather tambourine

On February 6th, Finland celebrates the Northern people, the Sàmi or Saami in Finnish. This date wasn't randomly chosen. It reminds when the first Sàmi concil meeting was held in Trondheim (Norway) in 1917. Different theories suggest that the origin of the Sámi goes back 4,000 years or more. About 163,000 Sàmis are currently living in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia in an area of 388,350km2. In Lapland, it is more frequent to see reindeers than humans! Locals speak about ten different dialects, and do not necessary understand each other. Traditionally, they were living of fishing, hunting, fur trapping and sheep herding. This day is important to remember these people with their different culture, languages, traditions and way of living.

It's Runeberg Day!

Runeberg statue on the Esplanade in Helsinki

Every 5th of February, Finland celebrates the anniversary of Johan Ludvig Runeberg by raising the flags and eating a delicious... Runeberg torte. Runeberg, Runeberg,... his name probably rings a bell if you have been to Helsinki. Like many people, you have probably photographed his statue in the middle of the Esplanade, always with a seagull on his head. But Runeberg wasn't a baker or a politician as some people might think. He was the national poet who wrote a lot about the rural life during the 19th century in Swedish language. But his most famous piece is undoubtably the poem "Vårt land" (Our Land Maamme in Finnish) which became the lyrics of the Finnish national anthem.

The Runeberg torte or Runebergin torttu in Finnish, is a cylindric pastry flavored with almonds and decorated with raspberry jam in a white or pink sugar ring. The pastry got its name as the poet was used to have them for breakfast. They are only available in Finland and during the months of January and February. Of course, you can always bake them at home anytime. Check the recipe: here

Homemade Runeberg tortes in Porvoo