Destination of the Month: The renewing City of Hyvinkää and the fascinating Finnish Railway Museum
Hyvinkää is a city that has been in the process of renewing its services for the local inhabitants as well as for the tourists. It is located approx. 55 km from Helsinki city center, and it is easy to travel there either by car, by train or by bus.
We as a LikeFinland team visited multiple destinations in Hyvinkää that included museums such as The Finnish Railway Museum, a shopping center called Willa, and an entertainment center called Sveitsi, including a renovated Hotel Sveitsi. Sveitsi is also a traditional and beautiful hiking and outdoor activity area!
All in all, Hyvinkää is a city worth visiting all year round.
For many decades Hyvinkää was known for its wool mill that was closed down in the 1990s. In this building there is now a little museum Valvilla that is about the mill and its 100-year-old history. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Hyvinkää is a perfect place especially for a mini-vacation because it literally has every fun indoor and outdoor activity you could wish for as well as a spacious and remodeled hotel.
We noticed that you don’t have to go that far away from Helsinki to find the peacefulness of nature and fun things to do!
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Sveitsi – a nature filled area with all kinds of all-year-round activities and services! (www)
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
First on the list was Hotel Sveitsi. We followed the road to the middle of the forest by car and we were surprised by the massive size of the entertaiment center and the hotel next to it. The parking lot was packed with cars!
As a newly renovated Hotel Sveitsi, in the woods of Hyvinkää, the hotel opened its doors in October 2017 by a new owner and is now a popular place to hold meetings and other business occasions or the stay in as a regular tourist.
Every decorative detail is thought through! The pine cone as a decorative feature throughout the hotel is a quite cute one!
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
We enjoyed lunch at the restaurant TILA in hotel Sveitsi. The huge windows in the main dining room offered a beautiful view of the forest.
There are no other houses nearby and it feels like you are much farther away from Helsinki city center than only about 60 km away! The wooden blocks form a big artistic number nine on the ceiling. This art piece is an original one from the 1970s when the hotel building was built.
Read more about Hotel Sveitsi here.
Hotel Manager Sari Repo walked us through the hotel. Everything is newly renovated! There were business events hold that day inside and outside in the many rooms of the hotel. Photos: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
These photos include just a few of the many activities you can participate in at the entertainment center right next to Hotel Sveitsi! Maija Virtanen (in photo) is one of the instructors in SuperPark. Photos: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Next to Hotel Sveitsi in Hyvinkää there is located a new entertainment center which includes the movie theater BioRex, the cafe Kulma Deli, an indoor activity park called SuperPark for children, public indoor and outdoor Sveitsi Swimming Pools, and much more! Hotel Sveitsi is connected to the entertainment center by an indoor tunnel which must be nice especially during the winter.
That is not all there is to it! The surrounding forest area is also filled with many activities to choose from.
Photos: LikeFinland.com
Photo: LikeFinland.com
In the spring 2016 an adventure park called SeikkailuSveitsi was opened for business in the forests of Hyvinkää (www). There are also many a golf courses available (www).
The many hiking trails are marked by bright blue information boards so you cannot get lost while enjoying the Finnish nature! Take a long hike by starting at the Helsinki central park and walk all the way to Hyvinkää following the hiking trails or go for a shorter walk just by enjoying the nature in the area of Sveitsi.
In the wintertime there are lighted and maintained ski trails in the Sveitsinpuisto park area!
VisitHyvinkää’s website describes the Usmi forests as a little Lapland. When we saw the amazing view from the big windows of Hotel Sveitsi, we can totally agree on that! It really feels like you’re in Lapland.
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The Finnish Railway Museum – the exhibition includes historical artifacts such as Russian royal carriages! (EN: www, RU: www)
Museum director Taina Rantala (on the right) and her colleague Inka Alén welcomed us to the museum and we got to know the history of Finnish railways both inside the exhibition halls and in the historical garden area. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
After visiting Hotel Sveitsi and the Sveitsi area we entered the Finnish Railway Museum closer to Hyvinkää city center. Most of the museum buildings are from the 1870s and some are newer.
The exhibition which we were guided through by museum educator Inka Alén was very interesting! The amount of railway related historical artifacts was remarkable because there were many kinds of railway engines and carriages from the 1860s to the late 1900s on display in the museum.
On the left the blue Russian royal carriage and on the right the exhibition hall. A few railway engines are still usable! Photos: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
One of the most interesting historical items that we saw in the museum was the Russian royal carriages, which were used by the Emperors of Russia in the late 1800s whenever they decided to visit Finland with his family members and servants.
Inka Alén told us that these carriages were the only Russian royal ones in the whole world that survived from the time of Russian dominion in Finland!
Jaakko Tuominen (on the right) and Tomi as the driver of the miniature park train. Kuva: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
The miniature park railway goes around the garden where is also situated the old station building from the 1870s. Photos: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
We took a fun ride on the miniature park train that goes around the garden next to the museum building! In one of the red barracks in the garden there is a little display of different kinds of smaller historical artifacts such as railway related posters, signs, and a miniature railway engine. During the summer there is also a cafe.
There is also an old station building from 1873 still standing next to the railway which is not anymore in use by the passenger trains. The railway used to take passengers from all classes of the society to Hanko which is the most southern place in Finland.
The Finnish Railway Museum is an interesting but also a fun museum for the whole family to visit because there are many things also for the kids to participate in! There is also a playroom.
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Willa – One of the biggest shopping centers in Finland! (www)
Johanna Niemelä and Tomi Kristian Ruhanen from the shopping center Willa. The bright blue color of VisitHyvinkää can also be found on the hiking trails’ information boards! Photos: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
We also visited the shopping center Willa and the info desk of VisitHyvinkää to ask some questions!
The shopping center called Willa is one of the biggest shopping centers in Southern Finland. Actually, it is the 8th biggest shopping center in Finland! With many shops, restaurants, and other services (about 100 in total) this shopping center has everything you need for a perfect shopping trip. It is located right next to the railway station, eastside of the rails. Visit easily by train from Helsinki!
VisitHyvinkää has listed different kinds of services including cafes, restaurants, and shops in Hyvinkää on VisitHyvinkaa.fi's website. (www)
Willa is a quite new shopping center and it was built in 2012. Because of that the architectural style is very modern and fresh. Johanna Niemelä and Tomi Kristian Ruhanen, guides at the info desk told us more about Willa. They confirmed us that Willa has all the services a regular customer can possibly need. According to Johanna and Tomi, Willa has been visited by tourists all the way from America and also from other countries such as the UK this year alone.
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
VisitHyvinkää contact information
Website (www)
Phone: 0400 269 831
Email: visit@hyvinkää.fi
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One of our Star Destinations, Hyvinkää, is a city located in Southern Finland about 60 km from Helsinki city center and about 50 km from Helsinki Airport.
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The Finnish Railway Museum tickets
Adults 9 €
Children (7– 17-year-old): 4 €
Children (under 7-year-old): free
Students/seniors/unemployed: 6 €
Family ticket: 18 €
The museum accepts Museum Card
*Guided tours for all age groups can be booked at the museum or call +358 4086 25241.
The Finnish Railway Museum opening times
1st of June – 31st of August: Everyday 10 AM – 5 PM
1st of September – 31st of May: Tue-Fri 12 PM – 3 PM, Sat-Sun 12 PM – 5 PM
Check the special opening times on The Finnish Railway Museum’s website. (www)
The Finnish Railway Museum’s contact information
Hyvinkäänkatu 9
05800 HYVINKÄÄ
Phone: +358 40 862 5241
E-mail: info@rautatiemuseo.fi
Events (www)
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One of our Star Destinations, The Finnish Railway Museum, is located in Hyvinkää 55– 60 km from Helsinki city center and 50 km from Helsinki airport.
For contacting and for more information visit The Finnish Railway Museum’s website. (www)
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Text: Johanna Hurtig
We have chosen Hyvinkää and The Finnish Railway Museum as the Destination of the Month of June 2018. VisitHyvinkää and The Finnish Railway Museum are our Star Destinations and media customers.
LikeFinland.com is a nationwide leisure time media and search service of Finnish destinations. You can like us on Facebook (@LikeFinland) or follow us on Twitter (@LikeFinland) and on Instagram (@likefinland_kivaatekemista).
Our website in Finnish is KivaaTekemista.fi.
We as a LikeFinland team visited Restaurant Kuninkaan Lohet by the river of Vantaa near Helsinki Airport this spring 2018! There are two historical buildings that are used for providing lunch at restaurant and party services as well as space for corporate occasions such as meetings and team building days in this gorgeous area.
Also foreign tourists are welcome to explore Finnish specialities such as nature experiences, authentic Finnish food, and sauna!
In May 2018 it was once again a busy day at the old factory building called Vanha Viilatehdas (Old File Factory) and at the old yellow wooden manor called Kuninkaan Kartano (King’s Manor). That day there were held many business meetings and the lunch was enjoyed by a lot of Finnish people and also by international guests. We explored the surroundings and got to know the area!
The River Vantaa. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
The birds were singing and the springlike nature was at its finest as we walked along the clear forest path that left us amazed by the beauty of the Finnish nature. Mika Turunen, who started as a CEO of Kuninkaan Lohet a year ago in 2017, spoke highly of the area. Mika said that this Kuninkaan Lohet destination combines all the different features of the Finnish nature and countryside – the fields, country roads, shores, cliffs, and the list goes on.
A fun fact is that in the Stone Age the waterline of the sea was in this area but as of now the landscape is amazingly diverse! From the river you are able to even catch salmon by fishing.
The path through the forest was perfect in length because it took us only about 20–30 minutes to get back to Old File Factory. But if you really want to, you can follow the country roads all the way to the central park of Helsinki city – by hiking or by mountain bike for example!
Old File Factory by the River Vantaa. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
The starting point of the popularity of the area goes a long way back to the Middle Age. The manufacturing was active back then because of the possibilities the rapid water was able to offer.
– Because of the manufacturing, this area was the entertainment center back in the day, Mika Turunen said.
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Photo: LikeFinland.com
Mika Turunen tells us that the factory building was left without any use after the 1950s, and because of that, it was turning into a ruin. Only 18 years ago the potential of the building and of the whole area was noticed again. Kuninkaan Lohet team decided to renovate the Old File Factory by replacing most of its walls and other features.
Not all of the walls were torn down but left in place to function as decorative features. Now the white Old File Factory as well as the wooden building King’s Manor are great places to hold business meetings, corporate events or even to throw different kinds of parties from weddings and graduation parties to birthdays and bachelor parties – or feel the Finnish peace and happiness for the foreigners.
– The terrace is for certain the most gorgeous one in Vantaa, Sales Manager Mervi Repo said about Old File Factory’s terrace next to the rapid water. And for sure it is!
The File Factory summer lunch is served Monday to Friday between June 4th – August 10th 2018.
King's Manor. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Mika Turunen (on left) and Mervi Repo. Photo: LikeFinland.com
The yellow wooden manor is a little bit younger in age than the old file factory building. Originally King's Manor was a school from the early 1900s to 1970s. From the year 2006 the building has been used as a restaurant. There is also a sauna area in the second floor both in the King's Manor and the Old File Factory!
King's Manor. Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
After the tour we enjoyed lunch at King's Manor. During the summer months the lunch is served in Old File Factory. You can enjoy the river view from the terrace at lunchtime! For 15 € anyone can enjoy a full lunch which includes a salad buffet, the soup of the day, a main course buffet, a dessert, and a selection of breads.
Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Take your staff or your clients to enjoy the outdoor activities! Groups of at least 5–6 people can participate activities such as canoeing, fishing, arts and crafts, and cooking courses. The newest activity in the summer of 2018 is SUP Boarding in the River Vantaa! SUP boarding is suitable for everybody, and Kuninkaan Lohet offers you an instructor along with a board and a paddle.
– The SUP boarding experience is one of a kind in Southern Finland, Mika Turunen says.
Read more about all the activities here.
Helsinki Airport is only 15 minutes away! Photo: Johanna Hurtig/LikeFinland.com
Helsinki Airport is closer than you might think! The Jumbo Shopping Center is only 10 minutes away and there are plenty of accommodations nearby.
To sum up, Restaurant Kuninkaan Lohet and the surrounding area is the place to visit if you want to experience the diversity of the Finnish nature all at once in 20–30 minutes, eat great food, take part in the activities, and do all this in good company that may consist of your friends, colleagues, or business partners near Helsinki Airport and Helsinki city center!
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One of our Star Destinations, Restaurant Kuninkaan Lohet, is located in Vantaa by the River Vantaa about 15 minutes from Helsinki Airport and 40 minutes from Helsinki city center. Restaurant Kuninkaan Lohet offers services for arranging different kinds of events for groups of 2–500 people, provides different kinds of activities for groups, and serves lunch from Monday to Friday most of the year in Kuninkaan Kartano (King’s Manor) and during the summer months in Vanha Viilatehdas (Old File Factory).
For contacting and for more information visit Kuninkaan Lohet's website here.
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Text: Johanna Hurtig
Restaurant Kuninkaan Lohet is one of our Star Destinations and media customers.
LikeFinland.com is a nationwide leisure time media and search service of Finnish destinations. You can like us in Facebook or follow in Twitter and Instagram.
Our main website in Finnish is KivaaTekemista.fi.
Destination of the Month: Luxurious Pescator Villas and historically significant Lake Tuusula
Did you know that Lake Tuusula which is located about 30 km from Helsinki city center once gathered together some of the most well-known Finnish artists, poets, authors, and composers?
We in LikeFinland.fi team started exploring Lake Tuusula by visiting a new accommodation place called Pescator Villas. These unique, luxury rental villas are situated by a lake called Tuusulanjärvi (Lake Tuusula in English) – only 30 minutes from Helsinki city center. These apartments are architecturally incredible!
Entrance to one of the Pescator Villas. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
We entered into a high ceiling room with massive windows and saw the beautiful clear view to the lake from one of the Villas. The decorative details are perfect for the different spaces in the house, and the view of the lake looks like a painting.
Manager Krista Lahti (on left) and her colleague Krista-Mari Katajisto. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
The modern kitchen, dining room, second floor lounge area, and the outside fireplace. Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
We were warmly welcomed in by the Manager Krista Lahti (on left) of Pescator Villas and her colleague Krista-Mari Katajisto who both were excited about the possibilities these villas could offer for different kinds of customer groups. There are historical places to visit and sporty activities to do by Lake Tuusula.
These apartments have everything you could possibly want and need while visiting and staying in Finland! There are beds for 11–13 people in each Villa. Each Villa has been named in Finnish after different fish species.
Krista Lahti told us that people are usually stunned by the villas and the unique atmosphere they have. She mentioned one example where one customer even came and hugged her because she was so happy that they had found this amazing accommodation!
On Booking.com this accommodation has received 9,6/10 points in customer reviews.
One of the bedrooms. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
First floor sauna, hot tub, TV with built-in speakers in the TV stand, and the laundry room. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
These spacious apartments would be absolutely perfect for a friend or family gathering: the houses include modern luxuries such as a hot tub, saunas, washer, dryer, and TV with amazing sound and also a modern kitchen with all the appliances you can possibly need.
We were told that customers can also use the catering services or order a basket full of delicacies from a nearby bakery if they don't want to cook by themselves!
The beautiful view of the lake in April. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Ground floor. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Even though you most likely would enjoy your time just by having fun inside these beautiful houses and by enjoying the view, you should also get to know the surrounding area. Lake Tuusula area is full of activities to do and historical sites to see! We did!
Near Pescator Villas the charming Finnish nature is also there to enjoy. All of this is closer than you might think from Helsinki Airport! The road going around the lake is about 20 km in length.
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Take a free bike at the Villas, ride around the lake and visit interesting locations! There are a lot of sporty activities to choose from. You can rent SUP boards and play tennis at Hotel Gustavelund (www), play golf or minigolf at Tuusula’s Golf Club (www) or rent a roaring boat to explore the lake! There are also multiple restaurants surrounding Lake Tuusula.
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The touring is now made very easy thanks to Visit Lake Tuusula Hop-On Hop-Off Bus that takes you from Järvenpää city center to Lake Tuusula just for 5 € a day. Children under the age 16 and Museum Card holders are able to come for free.
The bus ride is available from 15th of May to the 31st of August 2018 from Tuesday to Sunday. To Järvenpää you can come by train from Helsinki city center.
Read more here.
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We went and visited numerous places and learned a lot about the Finnish history. We listed some of the historical places we think are worth visiting:
Artist Pekka Halonen's home (www) and poet J. H. Erkko's home (www)
Artist Pekka Halonen's home and atelier (”Halosenniemi”). LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Top left corner: View to the lake from Kallio-Kuninkala. Bottom left corner: Artist Pekka Halonen’s home. Top right corner: Poet J. H. Erkko’s home. Bottom right corner: View from Tuusula to the lake. Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Lake Tuusula is known for the inspiration many well-known Finnish artists especially in the late 1800s and early 1900s were able to get from the beautiful views and the peaceful nature. Visit these historical places and museums that really take you back in time. All of these sites are quite close to each other so you can just walk or ride a bike from place to another.
Artist Pekka Halonen (1865–1933) was specifically interested in painting the Finnish winter views. Poet J. H. Erkko’s (1849–1906) home which is located a few kilometres from Halonen’s home was designed by Pekka Halonen.
From Pekka Halonen’s home and atelier we were able to see the city silhouette of Järvenpää on the other side of the lake. Near Halonen's home there's a possibility to rent a boat. The first hour of renting costs only 7,50 €! Pekka Halonen’s home and J. H. Erkko’s home are now museums.
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Ahola (www)
The exhibition tells about the life of author Juhani Aho, artist Venny Soldan-Brodfeldt, and their family. Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Juhani Aho (1861–1921) was a Finnish author and journalist. He was known also in Europe and was nominated 12 times for the Nobel prize in literature.
We were guided through Aho's home by guides Maria Tukia and Topias Ahola who told us that Aho and his wife, artist Venny Soldan-Brodfeldt, met in Kuopio when she was painting a portrait of a well-known Finnish women's rights activist Minna Canth.
It kind of seems like everyone during that time knew each other!
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Kallio-Kuninkala (www)
Photos: LikeFinland.com
At the historic Kallio-Kuninkala area there are multiple buildings and beautiful surrounding Finnish countryside views. In the summer there can also be found a cafe!
Pekka Laitinen’s (in photo) said that his mother worked as a cook for artists such as Sibelius who also lived near the lake. As a young boy Laitinen had the opportunity to help Jean Sibelius’ wife Aino Sibelius who lived at home near Lake Tuusula until the day she died.
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Ainola (www)
The green fireplaces in Jean Sibelius' home are very unique! Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Now the home of the well-known Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) and his family is a museum that is open during the summer months.
We explored inside the very unique house and the garden. There is also a modern cafe in the same lot. We noticed that the home of the world-famous composer is a popular tourist attraction already at the beginning of May.
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Lotta Svärd's museum (EN: www) (RU: www)
Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
There were women called lottas who for their part helped Finnish people to get by during the World War 2. This museum is dedicated for the amazing work these women of all ages did for Finland. There is also lunch served and the views are once again very beautiful to the lake from the massive blue museum building!
We visited the exhibition which was full of details. We were guided through the exhibition by the Lotta Museum's guide Pauliina Pajala. It was nice to see that the exhibition texts were available also in English.
There are interesting places to visit also on the other side of the lake! We had to go and explore there too.
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Pytingin Puoti (Handicraft Store) (www)
Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
In Pytingin Puoti you can buy all kinds of handmade things made with different techniques. Pirkko Korpela (in photo) who enjoys making crafts herself told us that according to international tourists the prices are surprisingly low!
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Vanhankylä's manor (www)
The view to the lake from Vanhankylä’s manor. The handicraft store is located in the same lot. Photos: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
The pink Vanhankylä’s manor can be found next to the handicraft store. Even though the manor is built in the 1800s the re-opened cafe restaurant is only 3 years old this year! Entrepreneur Lauri Ollari (in photo) and his team have made it also possible to come and stay the night in a camping trailer and visit the manor.
Enjoy a cup of coffee while looking at the lake and go through your mind all the things you learnt that day about the Finnish cultural history!
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One of our Star Destinations, Pescator Villas (Villa Kuha, Villa Karppi and Villa Lohi), is located in Tuusula (30 minutes from Helsinki city center, 15-20 minutes from Helsinki Airport). All apartments are spacious (280 m2) and best suitable for groups of 6-11 people (one apartment/group). In an apartment there are 4-5 bedrooms, living room, dining room, 1 entertainment room, 2 bath rooms, hot tub, 2 saunas, 2 terraces, and 1 private balcony.
Free Wifi is available. Parking is free.
For contacting and for more information visit: https://www.pescatorvillas.com/en/
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Text: Johanna Hurtig
We have chosen Pescator Villas and cultural Lake Tuusula as the Destination of the Month in May 2018. Pescator Villas and VisitTuusulanjärvi are our Star Destinations and media customers.
LikeFinland.com is a nationwide leisure time media and search service of Finnish destinations. You can like us in Facebook or follow in Twitter and Instagram.
Our main website in Finnish is KivaaTekemista.fi.
Restaurant Backas – A charming 200-year-old manor offers Arctic flavors and beautiful views
We visited in April 2018 this magnificent manor in Vantaa, Southern Finland that has opened its doors again to the public as Restaurant Backas. We explored the beautiful surrounding garden area and the other buildings that can be found near the main building.
The main entrance of Restaurant Backas. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Restaurant Backas and the surrounding area is full of history: the main 200-year-old building's interior design style is absolutely beautiful in its historical references from the floors and colors to shape of the fork and knife.
The lunch appetizers for the day. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Appetizers. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
In addition the lunch served at the main 200-year-old building is phenomenal. The food selection is very Finnish and full of Arctic flavors and decorative details. For example the coffee is served from a traditional northern Scandinavish wooden mug called "kuksa" in Finnish or guksi in English. The selection is mainly quarry (forest animal) and fish oriented but there is also a possibility to eat vegetarian there.
For main course whitefish from Inari, Finnish Lapland. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
For dessert was served coffee in a guksi and pannacotta with berries. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
We enjoyed a delicious three course meal from the appetizers and the main course to the dessert. The view from the multiple windows is a beautiful sight to look at while enjoying the diverse dishes from different locations in Finland.
Old buildings surround the manor. Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
There are big plans for the area and the other buildings also for the international tourists. The plans to lure international and 'stop-over' guests to visit this beautiful place include opening a spot in one of the old barns where the tourists can enjoy all things Finnish.
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
In spring 2018 a cafe called Backas' "Olohuone" (living room) is opened for business in an old style barn.
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
There is also a newly renovated and decorated sauna building!
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
This area in Vantaa, Southern Finland, is a must-visit. It feels like your in the countryside. Hard to believe by looking at these amazing views that the Helsinki-Vantaa airport and Helsinki City Center are literally right around the corner!
Photo: LikeFinland.com/Johanna Hurtig
Read more about the services Restaurant Backas has to offer on their website: https://ravintolabackas.fi/en/
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Text: Johanna Hurtig
Restaurant Backas is one of our Star Destinations.
LikeFinland.com is a nationwide leisure time media and search service of Finnish destinations. You can like us in Facebook or follow in Twitter and Instagram.
Our main website in Finnish is KivaaTekemista.fi.
Haltia - Beautiful Finnish nature, modern architecture, and nature related exhibitions combined
We visited one of our Star Destinations called Haltia in March. This architechically outstanding exhibition and event center surrounded by beautiful Finnish nature is located in Southern Finland in a city called Espoo.
Photo: LikeFinland.com
Even though you are not that far away from the city center you can enjoy the freshness and calmness the Finnish nature has to offer along with great exhibitions and food. It really feels like you’re in Lapland! There are hiking paths, beautiful views of Nuuksio and Lake Nuuksio Pitkäjärvi, and Nuuksio National park to enjoy.
Haltia’s customer advisor Mari Valtonen showed us Jussi TwoSeven’s work through which we entered Luonto 2.17 -exhibition. Photo: LikeFinland
It is not just about the spectacular nature outside. Haltia offers a wide range of indoor multimedia exhibitions all year round. Nature related exhibitions range from to the more permanent such as the Main Exhibition and Green Belt exhibition to alternating exhibitions. There are also theme days which include for example lectures.
At the Main Exhibition we were able to listen the sounds of air, water, soil, and also wind. This art piece was designed by a Finnish artist Kirsi Ihalainen.
Photo: LikeFinland.com
There are also art the kids can enjoy. For example there is no age limit for crawling into a bear’s nest. Don’t worry, the bear is not real! Just a teddy. But it really does resemble the real one.
We also enjoyed the food in Haltia Restaurant. The buffet included seasonal foods and foods straight from the Finnish nature such as wild herbs. There is always a possibility to eat vegetarian.
Photo: LikeFinland.com
Haltia’s marketing manager, Katja Määttä, praises Haltia by saying that Haltia’s main goal is to make people more interested in nature by offering alternating exhibitions and art.
Triic and Liahh came all the way from Viet Nam to study information technology at a Finnish university called Aalto. They often enjoy taking hikes, cycling, and fishing in Nuuksio. Photo: LikeFinland.com
OPENING HOURS
Winter opening hours, October 1–April 30
10 AM–5 PM, Tue–Sat (Closed on Mondays)
Summer opening hours, May 1–September 30
10 AM–6 PM, Daily
TICKETS TO EXHIBITIONS IN HALTIA 2018
Free entrance to the lobby, nature shop and to the restaurant.
Adults 13 € (incl. all exhibitions and audio guide)
Discount ticket 8 € (pensioners, students, military servicemen, non-military servicemen, unemployed. Ticket includes audio guide)
Children (7–17-years-old) 6 € + 2 € audio guide
Children under 7 years of age No entrance fee
Family ticket 25 € + 5 € audio guides (incl. 1–2 adults + 1–4 children)
Annual ticket 25 € (personal)
Group ticket (min. 10 persons) 9 € / person (on reservation)
Guided tours (max. 25 persons/group) 95 € / h
Free entrance with:
ICOM card
PRESS card
Opas-GUIDE card
Museum card
Kaiku card
HelsinkiCard
Teachers together with daycare and school groups
Personal assistance
Text: Johanna Hurtig, Henri Elo
Haltia is one of our Star Destinations.
LikeFinland.com is a nationwide leisure time media and search service of Finnish destinations. You can like us in Facebook or follow in Twitter and Instagram.
Our main website in Finnish is www.KivaaTekemista.fi.