Medieval churches

Helsinki has a lot to offer visitors, but it does not have everything. If you are looking for older buildings, then you have to leave the centre and venture further afield. The oldest stone building is the Sederholm museum which is located on the Senate Square and dates from 1757. But if you are looking for older buildings I suggest that you visit one of the 83 preserved stone churches around Finland. Christianity came to Finland in the 11th century and the first churches were generally built of wood. As these wooden churches fell into dis-repair or were destroyed by fire, they were replaced by the stone churches which we can see today. Technically they are known as "field stone churches" and here in Finland the stone type would be granite, which could be easily found in the surrounding areas. Generally the stone churches are built of large granite rocks which would have been covered on the outside with lime, some experts believe that the outside could also have been painted with decorative paintings. During the Catholic times the inside of these churches would have been quite different from what we are used to today. It would have been quite dark inside as the windows were comparatively small. There would not have been benches to sit on and these early stone churches were not heated. The floors would have been either basic stone  or in many cases just soil. There would have been many alters inside the church and many of these alters portraying different saints can be seen found in the Finnish National Museum on Mannerheimintie. You could not just stand where you liked inside these churches, there was a strict placement system which had to be followed. Men would stand on the South side of the church, whilst the ladies would stand on the North side. The important people would stand at the front of the congregation and the less important would be towards the back. The service would have been in Swedish as Sweden ruled Finland during those times, although the priests were suppose to be able to speak Finnish as well, their ability to do so was not always successful. Later on wooden churches were built for the Finnish congregation. Religious paintings decorate the walls of the inside of the churches, depicting stories from the bible, along with devils and monsters, designed to reinforce the priest's sermons. In the flickering candle light, it may have seemed to the congregation that these pictures were moving. in the minds of the medieval congregation it may have seemed that, if they could see the pictures, the pictures could see them. Finland turned to Lutheranism during the middle of the 1500's and today 80% of Finns are Lutherans. During the reformation in the 1700's, most of these paintings were painted over with lime and it was in the 1930's that the lime was removed to reveal the medieval paintings perfectly preserved underneath.

Two examples of these stone churches can be found only half an hours drive from Helsinki and it is a joy for me to take visitors to see them. Here are some pictures of my favourite destinations.

Espoo Cathedral was built between 1485-1490, inside there are lots of wall paintings, including a unique painting of Judas Iscariot.

St Lawrence's church in Vantaa only 30 minutes drive from the centre of Helsinki built in the 1450's although recent archaeological evidence suggests that it could be older. I have guided here many times, it has a lovely old cemetery and the surrounding area is very beautiful with a nice tea room close by.

Suintio church is my favourite as it has close ties with my family, built between 1460-1489 on the site of an older wooden church, I feel that this church has the best examples of wall paintings in any church I have yet found.

An example of the wall paintings in Suintio church

For the best feeling of a typical Finnish stone church, I would suggest that you visit Sipoo old church, built between 1450 and 1454. Inside you will find wooden benches and the floor as far as I can tell is original, whereas other churches show signs of renovations during the ages. You can also see the "naughty chair" where petty criminals would have to sit during services. A good place to stop whilst on the way to the wooden town of Porvoo.

A view of the inside of the Sipoo old church

 There are many other stone churches to visit, if you are coming to Helsinki on one of the many cruises which include Finland you may be offered the chance to visit Porvoo where you will find Porvoo Cathedral. If you are interested in seeing these churches, Porvoo Cathedral the largest of the stone churches is a good example, so I strongly urge you to take the opportunity.

Porvoo Cathedral

A visit to the Forest, everyman's right in Finland

The birds are singing, the sun is out, a slight breeze keeps the temperature down but on the whole another warm (ish) spring morning. Thoughts are turning to outdoor activities, people are out walking their dogs, the bicyclists are putting their bikes into working condition again, others are tidying up the garden or just sitting in the sun. Generally any excuse to get out of the house, but one of the most popular destinations is the forest, whether it is just for an afternoon walk or to go camping. There is a lot of forest here to enjoy as almost 80% of the country is covered by trees, "green gold" as it is known as here. In Finland we have a unique possibility to enjoy the countryside to its full, which I shall attempt to explain to you here, its called "Every Man's Right".

"Every man's right" right is a legal concept which gives everyone the chance to enjoy outdoor pursuits, freedom of the forests and fells, and many lakes and rivers with few restrictions. But with these freedoms comes responsibilities and Every man's right is a guideline as to how to behave responsibly in the countryside. This basic right to walk freely in the countryside without needing to obtain permission from landowners or occupants has developed over the centuries from an unwritten code of practise to a fundamental legal right. Everyone can walk, cycle or ride in the countryside as long as they don't harm property or nature. As long as you do not cross farmer's fields in the summertime, go within 20 meters of peoples homes, disturbing the residents or into people's gardens, which are punishable offences, you will be following Every man's right. There are certain places that are restricted areas, during the bird nesting season or sensitive areas where rare plants grow. There are usually clear signs posted to show which areas are restricted and for what reason.

Camping in Finland is a very popular occupation, enjoyed by both Finn's and visitors, quite often during the summer after the long working days in the city, people tend to want to get back to nature for the weekend. So they set off to some of the many forests around the country. In Finland we have many National Parks, with marked trails and campsites for such visitors, where you can find a shelter, wood and a fireplace in many parts of the forest.

People go to the forest at different times of the year for many reasons, during the Autumn time is one of the most popular, to collect forest berries and mushrooms. Every man's right allows people only to pick berries and mushrooms or anything which can be found laying on the forest floor, such as cones, nuts and sticks. But it is not allowed to pull anything from the trees, flowers maybe picked but not if they are rare or protected. Before going to the forest it is recommended that you research which flowers can be picked and which should be left alone. If you are near a lake or a river, you can draw water for drinking purposes and you can go swimming as long as it does not disturb others, but if you want to fish you need a fishing licence which can be obtained from most post offices.

If you want to cook food or just enjoy the atmosphere of a campfire, there are very strict rules to follow. You should light campfires only at the official campsites and only if there is no fire warnings. During hot weather, regular fire warnings are informed via the weather reports either on TV or radio. It is not allowed to light fires during these times, if you start a forest fire you will be liable to pay thousands of euros of damage or even a spell in prison. If you are not camping in a National park, you have to get permission to light a campfire from the forest owner. When leaving these campsites you must remember to leave the campsite in a tidy condition for the next people to enjoy.

There are two National Parks quite close to Helsinki, the best known is the Nuuksio National park and the lesser known park is the Sippo National Park. Nuuksio can be accessed quite easily from Helsinki by both bus and train. During the summertime a regular bus service has just started which goes from the centre of Helsinki to the new nature centre in Nuuksio called Haltia.

If you want to visit the forest, it is advisable to tell someone where you are going and when you intend to return. Take a good map and a compass with you as well as anything you may need in the case of an emergency. Make sure you are wearing suitable clothes and good comfortable walking shoes. Better still if you are not used to walking in the forest alone, you could always hire a guide.

Visiting the forest

When visiting a National Park forest, you will find all the information needed at the beginning of the trail

In National Parks the trails are marked very clearly every 20 meters or so, but it is still important to have a map and compass with you

Signposts give you directions to different trails and destinations as well as telling how far you have come and how far there is left to go

Along the trail you can find different sorts of campsites for cooking, this one has a roof, wood can be found in the woodshed close by. 

Most campsites for cooking are like this, notice the fire bucket hanging in case of problems. In National Parks these campsites are often close to lakes or rivers

A view of a forest lake close to one of the campsites

A visit to the forest just got a lot easier in 2012 with the opening of the Haltia nature centre in the Nuuksio National Park

Some happy visitors heading to the Haltia Nature Centre and then on to one of the forest trails designed for wheelchairs

Your Guide working hard to keep everyone safe and happy

Come and see Helsinki

Senate Square in the heart of Helsinki

 As a kid I always remember January and February as being the time when we would book "THE HOLIDAY". Just after the New Year the brochures wold arrive through the door and the next couple of weeks would be spent trying to choose the place to go. Somewhere different, somewhere exciting, somewhere the beighbours have not been! In those days of the middle to late seventies it was mostly seaside resorts, which is how I came to fall in love with Scarborugh. nowadays people are travelling much further afield, but I bet Finland is not the first place that springs to mind when planning one of the most important times of the year.

Finland sitting between Sweden and Russia, seems to be one of those places where people always would like to see, but never get around to it. I have now been a Helsinki guide for four years over which time I must have met thousands of visitors and I hear a repeated explaination as to why they chose Finland. "When I was younger I worked here for a time", "I visited during my studies", "My neighbour came here a few years ago and highly reccomended it" etc, etc, etc.It is true a lot of people come here with no-expectations, mostly either from Stockholm Sweden and on their way to St Petersburg or the other way and Helsinki is just a part of the tour.Yet time and time again Helsinki suprises, and often people wish they had a longer time to visit. It's clean, very little graffite, uncrowded, everyone speaks English, its feels easy and relaxed. People come to see thedifferent types of architecture, the many park lands or just to wander around enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.Perhaps visiting one of the markets situated in the center, where you can buy fresh Finnish fruit and vegtables as well as Finnish handicrafts. It is quite easy to walk around Helsinki, which is rather a compact little city and can be achieved easily in three hours. If you do not want to walk, you could take a tram, which goes around the city with an hourly ticket. You may wish to take the PUB tram, which serves beer etc, and you could sit drinking your pint while the city passes around you. If it is shopping that you are after, you could visit the design district with its many little streets overflowing with small design shops, or visit the Stockmann's department store. Some want to explore further in-land and visit the wooden town of Porvoo situated about an hours drive down the motorway, or spend some time walking around the Nuuksio National Park which is only half an hours drive from Helsinki and learn about natural Finland in the recently opened Nature centre.

Helsinki Market place

One thinks of Finland and visions of cold wet summers spring to mind, but this is not true, long hot summer days have become the norm, in fact last year we had our hottest day since records began +38 degrees! In the winter we get good snowfalls, unfortunately this year excepted as I look from my office window, during one of the mildest winters on record. But it is not just Helsinki that is worth a visit, Turku the old capital of Finland during the Swedish times, is only a three hour train ride away and if you want to go further, Lapland is well reccomended. Oulu, Tampere and Vaasa are also well worth a look at.

Finns love their sports and so the Olympic Stadium might be right up your street, compleated for the 1940 Olympic games which was cancelled because of the war, the stadium was actually used for the 1952 Olympic games. You can take a lift to the top of the 72 meter tall tower and get a birds eye veiw of the entire city, but if heights are not your strong point, the sports museum is also a worthwhile visit while the rest of the family enjoy the thrill.

The 72 meter Olympic Staduim tower

The Olympic Stadium

If music is your thing, there are many concert halls to visit around the city, one of the most popular attractions for music lovers is the Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland's most famous composer. This monument is visited my millions every year and in the summer time you can usually find students from the world famous Sibelius' accademy playing Sibelius' most famous work "Finlandia" from morning to evening.The monument itself is made from 600 stainless steel tubes and situated in wonderful park land, which is a great favorite for singing Nightingales around mid-summertime.

The Sibelius Monument

So next time you are thinking where to go for "THE HOLIDAY" think of Finland, perhaps we shall meet and I will be able to guide you around this lovely city.

Guiding in my Finland an introduction

I am a professional Helsinki tourist guide and have been living in Finland for over 27 years. I have seen many changes over the years and have experienced many things, mostly positive during my time here. A few years ago I felt that I wanted to show Finland to the rest of the world. So I left my mundane job and decided to become a guide. Being interested in nature, my first thought was to become a nature guide. I enrolled in a three year course at a school for urban studies which was situated a few kilometres from Helsinki. After successfully graduating I found that it would be a bonus if I could guide in Helsinki as well, so I also became a Helsinki guide, able to guide in both town and countryside.

Over the years I have completed hundreds of tours, meeting people from all over the world, mostly I guide in English, but when needed in an emergency, I have completed some tours in Finnish. The busy period is during the summer from May to the beginning of September, but even here in Finland people require tours during the wintertime as well. Mostly winter tours are for companies who have visitors and would like to show their guests the surrounding areas. Groups can be from 1 or 2 people, right up to 50 people, the largest number of customers I have experienced was 60 people, a full bus. The tours can last from 3 hours up until a couple of days and every tour is different.

I am always finding new experiences during guiding and looking for new ways to improve myself. It is amazing how one can pass a certain building or statue and notice something that one has never noticed before. Only the other day I found Helsinki's smallest statue, a little bronze mouse which I had past on many occasions without noticing. Many of the buildings have stories attached to them, many well known but there are always little treasures wanting to be found. Despite the many thousands of people that visit Helsinki during the year and the around 600.000 people who live in Helsinki itself, it still retains that "big little village" feeling that visitors and locals alike would never want to lose.

Over the years I have heard many complements about Helsinki and Finland as a whole from my many customers. Friendly, clean, un-rushed, beautiful, peaceful, safe, positively surprising, interesting, easy to communicate (everyone speaks English) and something for everybody are often terms that visitors describe their first impressions when visiting here. 

During the next few months I intend to show people my Finland on this blog, my experiences and places which might interest the visitor. Finland is not just Helsinki, I have visited many towns over the years and met many people. Finland is open for business so why not come and have a look, perhaps one day I will be your guide and make your visit here a time to remember.

But now lets look at some pictures;

The Finnish National Museum

This is one of my favorite destinations in Helsinki. The Finnish National Museum in Helsinki, with centuries of Finnish history inside, including the remains of the World's oldest fishing net as well as artifacts dating right back to the stone age. You can walk through the centuries discovering Finland's history.

Helsinki Cathedral on the Senate Square

No tour of Helsinki is compleate without a visit to the Senate Square, it can be said that to miss it would be like going to the zoo and not seeing the animals. If you come into Helsinki by boat from Sweden or Estonia, it is the first part of the city you will see as you approach Finland.

The Havis Amanda

During your tour of Helsinki, you will find a statue at almost every turn, the Havis Amanda is one of Helsinki's favorite statues. Representing Helsinki as the jewel rising from the Baltic, there are many stories behind her smile.

The Rock Church

The Rock Church is one of Helsinki's most visited attractions, it does not look much from the outside, does it?

The Rock Curch from within

But wait until you get inside, cut into the solid granite rock, the Rock Church has been wowing visitors since 1969.

The Sebelius Monument

If music is your thing, you could visit the many music halls around the City. Or visit the very popular Sibelius monument dedicated to Finland's most famous composer Jean Sibelius. The monument itself is made up of 600 stainless steel tubes.

But it is not just Helsinki

Porvoo

 

Only an hours drive down the motorway you will find the wooden town of Porvoo, Finland's second oldest town, full of little gift shops.

Hameenlinna

 

Perhaps Hameenlinna is more to your taste with its castle and prison, or Turku the old capitol of Finland during the Swedish times. Perhaps Vaasa or Oulu or even a trip up to Lapland, Finland has so much to offer.

Come and visit one day.