caponiers at Hamina kaponeeri
Hamina Fortress was key in the fight between empires
Category: Curiosities
Visiting the impressive Rotomänty pine tree in Suomusjärvi, Salo
Rotomänty is an easy to visit nature sight in Suomusjärvi in Salo, close to highway 1. It’s an old pine tree that stands as a testament to resilience and strength. Someone might wonder if a…
Death and punishment in Finnish nature
You may be surprised to learn how ingrained nature and specific sites outdoors are to judicial corporal punishments that were given to offenders in Finland. Gruesome as it is, it's important to be aware of…
Military history trail at Vanttajankangas is a part of a long defense line
Some nature destinations are planned, some you happen upon by sheer accident. We were driving in Kuusamo with friends when we saw a marker for Vanttajankangas. The mark further indicated that it was a part…
Sacrificial cup-marked stones of Hartola
My co-author Jenni has seen and written plenty of cup-marked stones so this autumn I made up my mind to see them, too. As I was passing by Hartola, I decided to check out the…
Hossa National Park is a national treasure
One of the most spectacular places to experience a connection with our human history is at Hossa National Park in Suomussalmi. We had decided to hike the popular yet moderately demanding 8km (4.9mi) long Värikallion…
Fascinating Rekottila Bronze Age ruins and rock paintings
Nestled in the countryside of Paimio, Southwest Finland, lies a site steeped in history and mystery: Rekottila. It is home to ancient rock paintings, the remnants of a possible castle, and burial cairns dating back…
The sacred Suojanperä seida rock guards Nitsijärvi lake
We were driving along Sevettijärventie road in the very top of Finland. Having noticed a small mention of a sacred Sámi site at Nitsijärvi lake, we decided to stop by to check it out. We…
Parikkala sculpture park is weird, wonderful, and surprisingly thought provoking
Not all places we write about are about the solitude of nature. No, definitely not. One important aspect of being out in the nature is to see how nature is incorporated into our society. Well,…
Piiskoomänty whipping pine is a remnant of historical punishments
Standing next to an old building is a large pine tree which looks deceptively benign to the uninformed visitor. I was visiting Kuortane in the Southern Ostrobothnia region and had read of an old whipping…