Of the coast of Helsinki, on the island of Kuivasaari (“Dry Island”), the Kuivasaari Coastal Artillery Fortress stands. Until not to long ago, Kuivasaari was a working coastal artillery fortress guarding the approaches to the capital city of Finland but the guns have now been removed from active service and … Continue reading
Pekka Halonen was a painter of Finnish landscapes and people who would go on to become one of the more notable painters in the world of Finnish Art. This Post provides what’s probably the most detailed information you’ll find on Pekka Halonen in English (there’s not much….) as well as … Continue reading
Valaam Monastery. Valamo Monastery. The heart of the Orthodox Church in Karelia and an outpost of Russia within the lands of the Finns. Mount Athos of the North – so was called this ancient monastic dwelling, which was founded a thousand years ago in the dawn of Christianity in Russia … Continue reading
The Valamo Monastery is an Orthodox monastery in what used to be Finnish Karelia but is now part of Russia, located on Valamo, the largest island and part of an island archipelago of the same name in Lake Laatoka (Ladoga), itself the largest lake in Europe. The archipelago consists of … Continue reading
Martta Wendelin (23 November 1893 – 1 March 1986) was a Finnish artist whose work was widely used to illustrate fairy tales and children’s books, postcards, school educational books as well as magazine and book covers. She was well known for her illustrations on magazine covers and for books and also … Continue reading
In the Forestry Museum of Lapland you will find the “Sandberg” Locomotive – which is actually a steam-powered Phoenix Log Hauler imported from Wisconsin. In 1913, the first of two of the log haulers was delivered to Finland via the harbor at Hankko (the second arrived in 1914). They were imported from the … Continue reading
The Forestry Museum of Lapland (Lapin Metsämuseo) saves, researches, maintains and presents the cultural heritage of Lapland’s forestry history – and funnily enough, it’s the only museum in the world that concentrates on fostering the history of forest work in Finnish Lapland. It’s an outdoor museum located in the Pöykkölä part … Continue reading
Christmas in Helsinki begins when the lights are turned on along the street Aleksanterinkatu on the 24th of November, a traditional start to the Christmas Season and to serious Christmas shopping for those so inclined….24 November 2013 was the 64th year in a row for these lights. Shopkeepers along Aleksanterinkatu … Continue reading
Katinen Manor House Hotel & Restaurant is in Hämeenlinna (Southern Finland), only 3 kms from the Hämeenlinna city centre and surrounded by 850 hectares of land and forest belonging to the Manor. The Manor is only an hour’s drive from Helsinki or from Tampere and is a great place for a … Continue reading
Historic and attractive old Manor Houses are scattered across Finland, mostly in the southern regions. Quite a few of these are now operating as museums, restaurants or hotels. There are quite a number of Finnish Manor House Hotels, although for the non-Finn they can be a little hard to track down. … Continue reading
Formerly a landed estate, today Söderkulla Manor Restaurant welcomes its guests by offering them Finnish and international delicacies. Söderkulla’s kitchen specialises in meals made of fresh Finnish ingredients of good quality and served with carefully selected wines. The emphasis is on traditional Finnish food with an international influence. The Manor features a … Continue reading
If you’re aiming to visit Bengtskär, Hanko or the southern archipelago, it’s well worth checking to see if you can visit Örö – an island coastal artillery fortress in the archipelago that offers up some unique scenery and wildlife as well as the interesting military and cultural history. Örö is still … Continue reading
