If you are wondering, what to visit in Helsinki, look no more. This is one of the most interesting libraries you’ll ever see. Also, it’s right in the center of the city and it’s easy to get there by public transport. Oodi is a breathtaking masterpiece of the Finnish architecture, featuring a few types of Finnish wood. The name of the library was chosen by the citizens through a voting process, in which the naming commission received 2,600 suggestions. The library was a present to Finland and its citizens as part of a 100 year independence celebration of Finland. Make sure to check out the gi ..read more

As I mentioned in my previous posts, Finnish life has certain cadence. Some holidays and celebrations are marked by special occasion baked goods. I already wrote about runeberg cake and tippaleippä. In this post you’ll learn all about a shrove bun. The bun itself was invented in Sweden. According to a legend, one baker gave his young apprentice a task of creating the most delicious bun ever. The baker threatened to punish him in case of failure and thus came the idea of a shrove bun. There is no concrete date of record available, but it goes back to around 1800.  Although the tradition i ..read more

As you might know Santa Claus character has some variations from country to country. Here you can learn more about the Finnish one called Joulupukki.  Joulupukki literally translates as “Christmas goat”. It goes back to the tradition of St. Knut’s day, where young men, dressed up in fur coats turned inside out, horns and masks, were going from house to house asking for Christmas leftover food and alcohol.  Source:city.fi Modern day Joulupukki thankfully is not into drinking  He is like the Santa Claus in Coca-Cola advertisement, whose image, by the way, was created by Michi ..read more

Finnish maternity package or baby box has been a subject of interest in foreign media (for example, articles by BBC and Business Insider).  Finnish maternity package is a cardbox full of clothes, hygiene and baby care productsfor the first year of baby’s life. It also contains a few items for new moms. Maternity package 2020 The box can also be used as a bassinet during the first few weeks or months. It has a mattress at the bottom and a set of fitting bedding.  Source: npr.org There is an option to choose a monetary payment of 150 euros instead of getting a box, but most women choos ..read more

As I already mentioned in the previous post, I plan to write notes about my experiences with Finnish study books. I already passed the YKI test, but I still pick up study books from time to time to brush up grammar. It’s tricky to be creative with choosing grammar books, but for this post I tried to think outside the box. While browsing Oodi library’s selection, I noticed books on Finnish language for upper comprehensive schools and gymnasiums. I decided to give it a try and see what comes out of it. Here are my observations. Let’s start with general ones. First, it was very disappoin ..read more

This summer we have been visiting many exciting places in the province of North Karelia and in nearby region of South Savonia. One of the places we went to in the beginning of our holiday was Punkaharju. In this post you’ll find a few tips for your trip, if you are planning to visit this place. If you want to see what’s more on offer, you can check out Punkaharju’s home page. It has lots of useful information. Hotel Punkaharju This is a must see on your trip to Punkaharju. The building was constructed under commission of Nikolai I in 1845 as a house for forest rangers. Travellers wer ..read more

If you are looking for a place to visit in Finland during summer, look no further. Hanko would be a perfect addition to your trip. It takes around the same time to get there from Helsinki as from Turku – around 1h 40min by car and 2h 30min by train. Despite its size, the city has rich history. Vikings were sailing through Hanko port. First mentioning of Hanko in official documents dates back to 1200. Hanko has been also a witness and a playground to the many sea battles. The city of Hanko has been founded in 1874. Alexander II granted the Imperial Charter for the city. In the 19th ce ..read more

There is much more to Finland than just Helsinki. If you are planning to visit Finland and you love nature, I recommend to explore the region of Northern Karelia. It has stunning lakes, green forests and amazing landscapes. One of a many places to visit in North Karelia is the Koli National Park. It’s a beautiful park offering various activities throughout different seasons. Skiing and walking in snow shoes in winter, hiking trails in summer, camping, picnicking, biking, horse riding, you name it. There are also different events like yoga retreats, photo and art exhibitions, lectures. You ..read more