To give you an impression of Finland I´ve written a short report about my vacation there and also added a few pictures. For me it was the first visit in that country and it was just wonderful there. We also were quite lucky with the weather which was very well disposed towards us during the whole week. I was especially delighted with the fantastic and still quite unspoilt nature. As far as the eye can reach you can see forests and lakes which was just great, because in Germany nearly every little piece of land is cultivated and every blade of grass has to stand at attention. So it was a real relaxation for the eyes and the soul there.



On the day of our arrival we already set out for Savonlinna. This city was founded in 1639 in the Saimaa lake area and the main attraction is Olavinlinna Castle which was founded in 1475 by Erik Axelsson Tott to secure the Swedisch - Russian border. Today it is the stage for the annual Opera Festivals. The castle was build on a small island and it is not only quite impressive from the outside, but also the interior is quite nice to see. It reminds of dark medieval times and especially the dark, steep stone staircases I already mentioned in the concert report were quite adventurous. But as soon as you arrived on top of the towers you were rewarded by an fantastic view over the lakes.




In the morning of the concert day we spent time at the harbour of Savonlinna and did a boat cruise through the lakes, which was very nice.



Thanks to our rent car we were also able to explore the further area around Savonlinna and we visited the largest wooden church of the world in Kerinäki, which was build in the middle of the 19th century.



On our way back to Helsinki we also passed by Kuusankoski. And to give you a little impression of the town and the area I´ve made a few pictures there.




Another main destination besides Savonlinna was the capital Helsinki, of which I was very surprised in a positive way. Actually I´m not such a big fan of big cities, but I liked Helsinki very much with it´s harbour, the white cathedral and the esplanades. Especially the harbour exerted a magical appeal to me (as almost everything that is connected with water and the sea). That´s why one of the absolute highlights for me was definitely the boat cruise around the harbour. And the seagulls, of course. Since I was a little child I´m not able to pass by a seagull, dove, etc without cramming them with bread (and this time also with whitefish :P) and so I gathered all seagulls of Helsinki´s harbour around me :D What I also really was surprised of was the vibrant life in Finland´s capital, which reminded me more of a city of the South and not one of Northern Europe.

The harbour of Helsinki:




The seagulls and me :D



Der white cathedral and the Uspenski cathedral:



We also visited the second oldest town of Finland, Porvoo, which was founded by the Swedisch king Magnus Erikkson. Porvoo is famous for its colourful wooden houses and the picturesque old town.



On the last day of our vacation we visited the most southern town of Finland, Hanko, where you have a wonderful view of the coast from the top of the water tower.



It really has been an unforgettable journey in a wonderful country with a stunning nature and very friendly people and I guess Finland will see me again very soon ;)

Melanie