Kuopio as a local

In Finland, there is no season more beautiful than another. They all have their own magic. In Autumn the trees turn red, orange and yellow. Landscapes change to almost unreal paintings. Finns call this period of the year "Ruska" (vivid Autumn colors). With a friend from France, we decided to go for a weekend to the city of Kuopio, in the lakeland region. Why Kuopio? Because the Autumn colors were not yet arrived in the Southern parts of the country (mid-September) and they were almost gone in Lapland. Kuopio is ideally located in the middle of the country. The other aims of the trip were to experient a long-distance trip by bus and to enjoy a city as a local. I've already visited that city more than once but always by my own, always going to the same places. For my firend it was a new experience. It was time to ask for help from the tourist office of Kuopio.

Design walk in Helsinki

This is probably one of my favorite neighborhoods in Finland's capital: Arabianranta. As a design enthusiast, I love to chill in the factory, in the parks chasing the statues and other pieces of art or just visit the exhibition in the design museum. This is a peaceful area, perfect to unleach your imagination and recharge your batteries or simply to impress your friends!

Habitare - the largest design fair in Finland

The largest design fair opens its doors every mid-September in the Helsinki Fair Center (Messukeskus) in Pasila showing all the new trends in home and office furniture, interior decoration and design. Under the roof of this large building are combined the ValoLight, HiFiExpo, ArtHelsinki and Antiikki fairs. In this 2015 edition, find the TalentShop where young designers are presenting their pieces of art that may change your life in the furture.

The Solar System at human size

Sometimes you have to expect the unexpeted! During an evening walk I've found out a small scale planet under a picnic shelter in the bird national park of Laajalahti in Espoo. What was Uranus doing there? In 1992, the 1:1000 milion scale was created between Helsinki and Espoo by the Ursa Astrnomical Association. How about discovering the solar system at human size?

A little paradise in the heart of the city

The Töölönlahti bay in Helsinki is one of the locals' favorite spots for chilling out, birds spotting, running and exercising between the railway tracks and the Mannerheimintie. The bay is surrounded by trees and three very famous monuments: the Finlandia Hall, the Opera and the Aleksis Kivi house. But other landmarks are visible such as the National Museum, the Olympic Tower and the amusement park Linnanmäki. There are also a small sauna, a restaurant and a café around the path. The "Blue Café" offers one of the best views over the city.

A rhino in Lapland

During a road trip it is not unusual to find some extraordinary places, buildings or pieces of art. But when you see a rhino in Lapland, you definitively have to take a look. What is this animal doing in that far North region?

Never take a "no" as a definitive refusal

Photo: Pinterest

It is not rare that Finns answer "no" to the questions foreigners ask in English. I faced it in different places such as in shops, at the bank and at KELA (social insurance institution). During the past years I have understood that behind this 2-letters-word there is a hidden message. It is easier for them to say "no" that to look for the answer when they don't know or are not sure to understand what you really want. The language is very often an issue. But the culture also plays a role. Finns are honest people. No doubt about it. And lying is not in their habits.

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.

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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.