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?