The best museums Western Finland Province

This museum, located in the former maritime school that marked the city by training generations of sailors, is worth seeing! On the first floor: permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, the museum shop but also the navigation simulator Jenny II. The permanent exhibition highlights the importance of the sea in the construction and history of Rauma with many period photos of the port, life on the ships, objects... As for the second floor and the tower, there are temporary and art exhibitions.

This museum was the splendid residence of a rich shipowner of the last century, whose sons squandered their fortune travelling. Furnished in the style of the period (large tiled stoves for heating and beautiful furniture), it gives a slightly better understanding of the life of the Nordic bourgeoisie at the beginning of the 20th century. The office and dining room are particularly eloquent. One discovers many paintings of the commercial fleet on all the walls. The Russian flag was in use at a time when Finland was dependent on the Tsar.

Housed in a beautiful late 18th century mansion, the temporary exhibitions change every month and are varied with for example: Anna Eriksson, Kirsi Kuusisto, local or national artists... Every two years, the Baltic Biennial exhibits contemporary art from all the countries around the Baltic Sea, including Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. On the website you will find a list of upcoming exhibitions and events.

In an old warehouse on the Eteläranta, converted into a museum in 1981, it is located in the centre of the town on the Kokemäki River. Most of the works come from a collection of the Mayor Gullichsen Foundation. This museum of modern art is known for its exhibitions of international contemporary art. Since the beginning of the 1990s, the museum has also been developing art education based on contemporary art. Beautiful temporary exhibitions as well.

The Satakunta Museum presents a panorama of Finnish history and culture in the city and region from prehistoric times to the present day. The second floor features an interesting miniature reconstruction of old Pori. The on-site archives include no fewer than 300,000 photographs, maps and architectural drawings, and the collections include over 80,000 objects and items. This is an interesting and inspiring museum for young and old alike. There's also a gift store.

Built below the large 1861 Samppalinna windmill (one of Turku's most typical sights) and surrounded by greenery. A modern white stone building presenting a panorama of various trends in contemporary painting and architecture. The national figure of sculptor Aaltonen (1894-1966) dominates the ensemble. In particular, he celebrated in stone the patriots and heroes of the young, independent Finland (see the statue of the national sportsman, Paavo Nurmi, in Helsinki or The Wooden Floaters in Tampere).

The Taideomuseo, the museum of fine arts, offers temporary exhibitions only. They change every two months. They focus mainly on the exhibition of contemporary art, printmaking and Central Finnish art. On the first floor, the main Taika room is used for various workshops and public courses. For information about the various workshops and other events, please visit their website.

This open-air museum reconstructs a traditional village with its various wooden houses (granary, mills, grocery store) and exhibits old-fashioned crafts. You will discover and learn about the rural life of Virrant between the 19th and 20th centuries, but also about the life of the loggers and other forestry work in the 1950s and 1960s. You can then shop in the small souvenir shop or/and have a lunch break in the restaurant.

In a brand-new building, entitled Alto², visitors will be able to contemplate the site's two permanent exhibitions: the first, entitled "Exploring central Finland", and the second, "AALTO, work and life", obviously dedicated to Alvar Aalto. Numerous temporary exhibitions are already planned for the coming years, promising a cultural and artistic revival worthy of the genius of this unique Finnish architect. Not to be missed if you're in the area, and to be combined with the museum of the same name (near Helsinki).

The museum presents the living conditions of the workers in the 1880s. You can visit more than thirty dwellings such as the cooperative, the paper mill, the bakery, the shoemaker's workshop, the wood shed and the traditional sauna. After the visit, you can have a drink in the café of the Amurin Helmi Museum (open even in winter) or in the Amurin café where it is possible to have lunch. Guided tours are also available.

A combination of exhibitions, workshops and expertise are on display in the Museum of Crafts and Clothing. Three permanent exhibitions are installed and explore the techniques and skills of Finnish craftsmen between tradition and modernity. Festive costumes from the past are also on display, especially those from the 18th and 19th centuries. These objects are often successful, especially in terms of designwhere, once again, the country shows real talent.

The Finnish Air Force has taken over the place. Opened in 1979, it officially became the Finnish Air Force Museum in 1987. On the spot, enthusiasts of old cuckoo clocks and newer fighter aircraft will be served. The evolution of air armament since the country's independence also speaks of the economic take-off in Finland in a century. The plus: the possibility of flying on a simulator. Cafeteria and shop on site. Events are regularly organised, more information on the website.

Gallery Becker houses temporary collections of modern art that are renewed every three weeks. For lovers of Finnish art (in photography as well as in painting or sculpture...), works are for sale or to rent for the time of your stay if you are not decided to buy! Don't hesitate to take a tour if you pass by, it's always interesting and it's the opportunity to discover small local, national and sometimes even international artists. And if you are one yourself, why not rent a place?

The open-air museum of Brage (Bragegarden) was founded in 1933, in the middle of nature, a few kilometres from the city centre of Vaasa. A dozen houses illustrate the farming traditions and rural settlement in the Swedish-speaking regions of the 19th century. The main building includes a richly decorated Ostrobothnian bridal chamber. There is also a seal hunting museum and a former smoke sauna. On the beach, the Virgin's Round is a stone maze, a faithful replica of the one in the Kvarken archipelago.

A relatively small but charming museum of modern art, the Tampere Museum of Modern Art is housed in a magnificent brick building (the oldest of its kind in the city). On the program: numerous temporary exhibitions featuring national and Scandinavian artists who have won prizes in competitions. Although the works are sometimes a little difficult to grasp, they are well contextualized. There's also a well-stocked store. A worthwhile visit if you're in the area.