Explore the nature of Finland
As we are writing this blog post, the world is struggling with a pandemic caused by COVID-19. The currently worst affected place in Finland is the Uusimaa region in the south: it is probable that Uusimaa will be cut off at least for a while and travel to/from restricted. So, what to do when kids are out of kindergarten or school, you are stuck with bored teens, and you...
The humongous Hanikka glacial erratic stands, as it has for the past 12 000 years, firmly in place among some pine trees. As we approached, a young couple stood next to the gray boulder, one third of the height of the hardened giant. They looked determined.
This massive rapakivi-granite boulder is one of the largest...
Duckboards are wooden walkways that help you to walk in bogs or over muddy areas along nature trails. There are about 500 kilometers of duckboards in public nature trails in Finland. Duckboards can be exciting walkways for children, and they are also a great way to develop your balance at any age. Some of them are narrow and consists of only one plank. In some...
Hevonlinna is a peaceful little outdoor sports center in Koski Tl municipality in the Southwest Finland. It is located about 60 kilometers from Turku near route 10, which is going from Turku to Hämeenlinna. The nature around the area consists of many hills as this esker was created by the ice age. Hevonlinna is known for its disc golf and skiing tracks, but it is also...
Mustikkamaa, the land of blueberries. One of the most popular recreational areas in the Finnish capital area is right at the heart of Helsinki. Jogging and skiing tracks with lights, beaches and playgrounds, seascapes and heath forests - they are all at Mustikkamaa for your leisure. There are even tennis courts free of charge for those who enjoy the...
Myllykoski rapids and Koskikara nature trail in the Nurmijärvi municipality are the perfect day trip destination near Finland's capital area especially if you are into birdwatching. The Myllykoski rapids in Vantaajoki river are impressive even in the middle of the winter. And koskikara, white-throated dipper in English, is such a common bird in this area that even the...
All I knew about Valkmusa National Park before parking my car at the start of a circular route on a late autumn afternoon was that it was in southeastern Finland. That's it. By chance, I noticed that my route elsewhere would take me past Valkmusa so it was the perfect excuse for me to get out and stretch my legs. As soon as I got out of my car, I noticed how quiet it...
The Sipoonkorpi National Park in Helsinki, Vantaa and Sipoo municipalities is a protected forest area only about 25 kilometers from the centre of Helsinki. We visited the Sipoonkorpi on a cloudy and misty day in December, but we could see that these forests would be excellent terrain for picking mushrooms and berries in summer months. We had both been extremely busy at...
Kaitalampi in Espoo is the perfect forest area to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital area in Finland. Only about 35 minutes from Helsinki, Kaitalampi lake in Luukki recreation area provides nice trails and cooking shelters for spending a day outdoors. Instead of just marked trails of Luukki, I wanted to explore and walk around Kaitalampi lake.
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If you have already checked out the largest and most impressive rapids at Imatrankoski, another great nature place to visit at Imatra is Malonsaari island. Popular among the locals, the peaceful and small 1km-long Malonsaari is one of the many islands located just outside of Imatra. I visited it on a Sunday afternoon, and I gave myself a lot of time to enjoy the...