Things to see and do Southern Finland Province

It's raining or cold and you don't know how to keep your toddlers occupied? Welcome to children's paradise! On the programme: bouncy castles, trampolines, slides and rides galore, a ball pool, a haunted cellar, a climbing wall and even an area reserved for the little ones. The perfect plan to let your children have fun while they're exercising! They also organize events such as the Lego show. And if the children want to sit down for a couple of minutes or swallow a cake to leave full of energy, a cafeteria is available.

If you want to visit the surroundings of Helsinki and especially the national parks, BioGeo - Traveller is for you. You can choose between several excursions, for example towards Nuuksio to discover both the Finnish forest and a national park with many lakes. In winter, the atmosphere is enchanting with its mist, the water starting to freeze, the snow starting to cover the ground... Alternatively, why not visit the city of Porvoo, accompanied by your guide to learn about the history and secrets of the place. Great experience!

Beautiful old house of the Russian founder of the Koff brewery, a popular beer in Finland. Art lovers, Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff collected European paintings (Flemish and Italian in particular) from the 17th^{and 18th} centuries. Since then, the collection has been enriched by donations of art from the 14th^{to the} 19th^centuries . The Sinebrychoff Museum is the only museum in the country with a collection of works by European masters from the ^14th to the early ^19th century. The collection includes Swedish, Italian and Flemish paintings (including a Rembrandt), as well as furniture, silverware, porcelain and a collection of over 400 miniatures. The museum's origins lie in the donation by Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff of their private collection to the Finnish state in 1921. It can be visited in the rooms of their former residence. This collection has been supplemented by antique works of foreign origin from the Ateneum Museum. The Sinebrychoff Museum regularly presents temporary exhibitions that seek to combine European tradition with extra-European cultural expressions. But the most interesting feature is undoubtedly the succession of rooms furnished in styles spanning the centuries...

Also worth a visit: the Sinebrychoff park, a popular picnic spot in season, but also popular with sledging enthusiasts in winter (a hill with a perfect descent on laiskianen day, Finnish Mardi Gras) and the adjacent Café Fanny.

Formerly a slaughterhouse in the Kalasatama industrial zone, originally built in 1933 and turned into a wholesale market in the 1990s, this red-brick building has now become an urban space managed by its residents, with a number of events organized by ordinary citizens in the courtyard throughout the year. There's now a brewery, a coffee roaster, restaurants of all kinds... In short, an alternative and popular place, symbolic of this city of Helsinki that never ceases to change and evolve with the times!

Created in 1989, it extends over 5,000 ha, largely marine - 90% of the surface area -, there are no less than 600 islands and islets. Ornithologists and the simply curious will appreciate it. In addition to a wide variety of birds, deer and, if you are lucky, moose can be seen here. You can hike or go boating or canoeing. Campfires are available for grilling sausages, marshmallows or bivouacking.

Raseborg Castle was built in the 1370s. At that time it was built as the administrative centre of western Uusimaa to supervise navigation and trade in the Gulf of Finland. The heyday of Raseborg dates back to 1450-1460. The castle was abandoned in 1558 and remained deserted for more than 300 years until the first restoration began in the 1880s. Today it is the most important remains of the late 14th century. It is even the only Finnish example of an entirely medieval castle.

The narrow passage (at the pretty nickname of pike boyau) between the Tullisaari islands and Koppen was used as a shelter in the th century. It was a large natural port, where the vessels were coming to shelter during the storms and were harvesting drinking water. Sailors gravèrent their names on the rocks with their knives and even small stories: there are more than 640.

The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas (1799-1801) is the oldest building in the town of Kotka. It was built according to the plans of one of the architects of St. Petersburg, Jacob Perrin, in a beautiful park and of neoclassical inspiration. It has cream tones on the outside and beautiful icons on the inside, including that of Archbishop Nicholas of Myre made at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. See also the icon dedicated to Alexander Nevski.

This beautifully painted church was founded in the early 14th century. A few medieval wooden sculptures have survived through the ages, such as that of the patron saint of the town of Saint-Laurent (15th century). Note the copper candelabra from the 17th and 18th centuries. The mortuary chapel near the belfry dates from 1824. Beautiful exterior facades in exposed stone. Inside, beautiful limewash paintings dating from the time of Bishop Arvid Kurki (1510-1522).

Hamina was born in the place of the old village. However, the victory of Russia in 1743 led to the annexation of the region. In turn, the Russians seek to defend their borders. Hamina is a stronghold of the first order. Sweden's final defeat in the 1808-1809 conflict led to Russia's annexation of the whole of Finland. Russia's independence in 1917 ushered in a new era for the town. The quality of preservation of the ramparts (4.5 km accessible on foot) deserves a walk.

In this typical garrison house, you'll discover a preserved interior, an exhibition of weapons paintings and model ships. It's a small, short visit, but one that offers an unusual, period view of a relatively little-known side of Suomenlinna. There are also some fine ship parts on display. The building, however, is charming, as are the surroundings. A welcome break after a long day's sightseeing.

The painter's house-workshop, which he designed himself and which dates from 1913, is set in a park plunging towards the sea. An old red pine with tortured branches leans protectively over the roof of the sloping, wood-tiled house, backed by a white turret. A few steps across the road, on this little knoll in the forest, a charming white house with an openwork veranda houses a café and summer restaurant. The only false note is the freeway below, hidden by the forest but audible in the background. Regular temporary exhibitions.

Just a hundred meters from the Design Museum, the Museum of Finnish Architecture houses an extensive collection of archives and documents. Photographs, articles, books, models and films introduce visitors to the achievements of architects of the past (Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren) as well as those of more contemporary architects such as Alvar Aalto and Reima Pietilä. Plus: a play area for children.

Located behind the Lutheran cathedral, the small Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity is also Engel's work (like the palace of the Council of State, the library and the main building of the university...). More intimate and secret than Uspenski, the church is a real little jewel with its beautiful old icons and its typical gilding. In this small space, the masses take place in a magical atmosphere, probably due to the smoke of incense.

The museum collects the memories of Marshal Mannerheim, a true national hero. The Generalissimo was elected Regent of Finland in 1918 after the victory over the Bolsheviks. He will also lead the heroic resistance of the Finns against the Russians. Part of the furniture and exhibits came from his Warsaw home. Memories also of travels, many portraits of ancestors... Reconstructions of the St. Petersburg and Warsaw salons, made up of precious objects and rare pieces, complete the picture.

Owned by the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the museum is located in the former home of its donors, in Kuusisaari, west of Helsinki. A successful banker and renowned art collector, Ane Gyllenberg (1891-1977) collected works by leading Finnish artists. The museum was renovated in spring 2013 and regularly transforms itself into a choice classical concert venue. Once a year, a temporary exhibition takes place here. A bucolic, pastoral visit as much as a real trip back in time!

Built in 1826 according to Carl Ludvig Engel's plans, this white wooden church has all the characteristics of the Engelian style: Doric pillars, high windows and a central cupola. Renowned for the quality of its organs still in use, especially during spiritual concerts, it remains one of the favourite places of worship for newlyweds. A plaque on its portal recalls that in 1710 two thirds of Helsinki's population died of the plague.

Built in 1763 for the merchant and magistrate Gustav Johan Bock, this is the oldest house in the district, and was restored to Engel's design in the early ^19th century. The building housed the town hall, was for a time the official residence of the Governor General (representative of Tsarist Russia), then a court of justice and a prison. Today, it houses the town's offices and ceremonial halls, as well as a number of small craft stores.

This art museum presents works from the "People of Helsinki" collection, as well as temporary exhibitions of exceptional quality. The permanent collection features a large number of paintings, while the temporary exhibitions are an integral part of the Biennial, highlighting major names on the contemporary art scene. The scenography is modern and inventive, and some of the HAM's 9,000 works can be found in the city of Helsinki. It's a great way to learn in the fresh air. A must-see!

The museum presents the history of the country's main industries (metal, chemistry, wood, construction, mining), but also communications, information technology and electrical energy. Ideal to understand the real passion of the Finns for technology. It is the only general technology museum in the country. It is located next to the small falls of the Vantaa River, since it is in an old hydraulic factory dating back more than 150 years.

The official residence of Urho Kekkonen, Finnish president from 1956 to 1981, was known as the center of Finland's political and governmental life. Tamminiemi remains furnished as it was in Kekkonen's time, and the museum houses a collection of Finnish art and gifts received from foreign visitors. It's a most interesting visit, offering a new insight into an often overlooked aspect of political and diplomatic life. Interesting temporary exhibitions are also organized.

An interactive and entertaining museum that is particularly entertaining for children, with its "children's city"! The "Children's City" (Lasten Kaupunki) is a museum created to raise children's awareness of art and culture in a fun way. This site reviews the history of Helsinki during the 18th century: children can discover the period streets by entering reconstructed shops and workshops, they can measure their strength by loading the cargo on a merchant ship, disguise themselves with period clothing, write on a board... Upstairs, there is a primary school dating back to 1930 with Mormon discipline and a house from the 1970s with games that will inevitably bring back memories for parents. But this museum is also highly appreciated by adults thanks to its very lively and surprising scenography that takes us back in time in the city. On the fourth floor, an astonishing installation invites visitors to discover an olfactory Helsinki, lying on cushions. Feel free to venture into the museum's extensions, at Villa Hakasalmi (Mannerheimintie 13 B), Burgher House, the city's oldest wooden house dating from 1818 decorated in the style of a middle-class home of the 1860s (Kristianinkatu 12), the Workers' Housing Museum (Kirstinkuja 4), giving an idea of social housing from the early 20th century, and the tram museum (Töölönkatu 51 A).

The national park is halfway between Forssa (22 km) and Karkkila (24 km). Pine forests beside omnipresent lakes.

Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905 in Porvoo) had this small workshop built in 1883: it was there that he produced his most important paintings. Open to the public since 1951, the studio exhibits drawings, paintings, photos and objects that once belonged to the painter. Albert Edelfelt learned painting at the Beaux-Arts in Paris. He will meet artists such as Zola, Daudet and a colorist, Jules Bastien-Lepage. His love for Paris and his success inspired other Finnish artists to come and settle there later.

The family of the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg settled in this Empire style house. When the poet died, the Finnish State bought the house: the furniture remained intact and evokes the daily life of the poet and his contemporaries at the beginning of the 19th century. The beautiful Fredrika garden (his wife's first name) adjoining is flowered in summer with roses in particular. Today Runeberg is celebrated on February 5 in the country, the occasion for everyone to taste the famous Runerberg cakes that his wife prepared for him: a real delight!

It is the home of Jean Sibelius, the famous Finnish composer who settled there with his family at the beginning of the century and remained there until his death in 1957. This pretty residence, a stone's throw from Lake Tuusula, designed by the great Finnish architect Lars Sonck, has become a place of pilgrimage for many music lovers. A very special atmosphere. The furnishings and furniture have remained unchanged since the composer's death, which allows us to enter his intimacy.

Close to the town centre. Ideal place to rest your legs and offer a breath of fresh air on nearly 300 km of hiking trails.

You can learn all or almost everything about the history of the railways in Finland in this museum, which opened in 1898. Situated in an authentic railway station and depot area - the Hyvinkää - Hanko - it allows a total immersion in the history of this means of transport. On site, unique pieces such as the Tsar's locomotive and no less than 150,000 photographs illustrate the fascinating world of the train. The plus: in summer, there is a small café and an outdoor model train.

The residence of the composer Joonas Kokkonen (1921-1996), it is one of the few private buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. It is sometimes compared to "a well-tuned music box". A visit by the current enthusiasts and residents, pianist Elina Viitaila and opera singer Antti A. Pesonen, who will be delighted to finish the visit with a small private concert to demonstrate the perfect acoustics of the place. Joonas Kokkonen was influenced by Sibelius and then by Bartok. His works are varied: from symphonic music to opera music.

The museum tells the story of the Lotta Svärd organisation, the largest national defence organisation created in 1918 after Finland's independence and composed of women who voluntarily joined the national army. It illustrates the history of women in Finland through the exhibition of part of the collection of 6,000 objects and 12,000 photos. There are permanent, temporary and even one outdoor exhibition on the ambulance trains. Possibility of guided tours. On site: a café and a souvenir shop.

In 2013, this museum celebrated the 150th anniversary of the artists of Tuusula Lake, Venny Soldan-Brofeld (1863-1945) and Eero Järnefelt (1863-1937), two key painters of the golden age of Finnish painting in the era of romantic nationalism. Eero Järnefelt studied at the Beaux-Arts in Finland, in Saint-Petersburg, in Paris... The permanent collection is dedicated to them, between the magnificent portraits of Brofelt, wife of the writer Juhani Aho and the landscapes of an ideal Finland. Also temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

A marvellous chalet-studio by the painter Pekka Halonen (1865-1933), built in the romantic style on the shores of Lake Tuusula. There are also temporary exhibitions of paintings by Halonen's great contemporary artists, who were champions of national Romanticism. Pekka Halonen is a representative of the National Romantic style as well as Karelianism (a cultural movement of the late 19th century, which describes the political movement in the Grand Duchy of Finland aimed at spreading a Romantic vision of the Karelian region)

Housed in a former tramway repair workshop, this "cultural factory" offers several exhibition spaces, concert/theater halls and a bookshop. These yellow buildings in the middle of a quiet neighborhood are home to one of Scandinavia's largest cultural spaces. You can also simply enjoy the trendy bar and listen to the latest summer DJs, or work in its public workspace, "le troisième espace". Beware, there's a lot of work going on in the area!

Torronsuo Mire National Park is one of the largest and most impressive marshes in Southern Finland, covering an area of 30 km². It is an ideal destination for a multitude of outdoor activities (short hiking trails, or trails ranging from 5 to 15 kilometres, marked cross-country ski trails). With its tracks built on the marshes, this park is a good place to observe migratory birds, several species of which stop to rest on the mud, such as cranes and geese.

Helsinki Cityride offers you to discover the city in a thousand ways, especially by Nordic walking. For those who are not familiar with it, it is a dynamic walk with specially designed poles. Through several tours, it is a good way to combine sport and culture, as the guide accompanying you will introduce you to the city as well as the Finnish way of life. It is possible to do the tours in English. Other possibilities for excursions by sailing boat or even hot-air balloon!

The museum presents the history of the region, with traditional objects related to history, war traditions, religious art, folklore and a section of modern art. An interesting miniature of the town of Viipuri (Vyborg) from 1939, before its annexation by the USSR, is on display. Before the Second World War, Finland included the town of Viipuri and a large part of Lake Ladoga. Viipuri was the country's second-largest city, with 86,000 inhabitants.

Built in the ^18th century, the building overlooks the town and Lake Saimaa. The fortress housed a prison camp after the civil war. Nearly 3,000 Red Guards were imprisoned here, 500 of whom were executed. Magical in winter, with its old houses, cobbled streets, light mist, the cold that grips you and the beauty of the surrounding parks. In summer, the brightness of the colors gives the place an even different face. The fortress houses three museums (South Karelia Museum, Fine Arts Museum and Cavalry Museum), stores and cafés.

A few steps from the centre of Lahti, at the sports complex, is this strange museum. The ski museum describes Finnish winter sports: from ice hockey to ice skating and skiing. You can discover amazing activities all on ice or snow. All this, with an interactive part and the projection of a film on the history of Nordic skiing in Lahti since the 1920s. A lift takes you to the top of the ski jump. Impressive! Seen from here, you realize the magnitude and height of the ski jump!

The last one made by Alvar Aalto in 1978: powerful and brilliant simplicity with its white and bare interior. High windows let a light flood in, barely subdued by the light foliage of the surrounding birch trees. The large organs built into the right wall are superb. The church hosts the annual organ festival in August. A few steps away is the market square with its covered market and the town hall in Art Nouveau style.

The church of Hattula is dedicated to the Holy Cross and is famous all the way to the Kingdom of Denmark. Built in brick according to a process used in central Russia and the Baltic States. For the anecdote, the western gable bears a brick mask intended to frighten away evil spirits. The interior is decorated with murals, the oldest of which date from 1450 and, like those in the church in Lohja, belong to the great era of Finnish medieval art. The guided tour is exciting.

From the dream of the former owner emerged Aulanko with its exotic trees, swans, observation tower (superb view) and small houses. Scattered amidst the greenery are arbors, two graceful pavilions, lookouts, tennis courts, playgrounds, saunas, a pleasant beach, paths and trails lined with benches from afar. A 9-hole golf course. A large part of the park since 1930 is protected by the state.

The house where the composer Sibelius was born has been transformed into a small, refined museum where one can discover the piano, the violin, the scores and the memories of the composer's family. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was one of the masters of Finnish music and his entire oeuvre was awarded the Nordic Council Prize, the highest literary distinction in northern Europe. His best-known work, Finlandia, is a true hymn to Finnish patriotism.

Designed in 1842 by order of tsar Nicholas I, the park offers a beautiful view over the rapids and Rantasipi Valtionhotelli. Very pleasant walk.

Imatra was famous for the wild beauty of the Imatrankoski Falls, the "Finnish Niagara", once the largest in Europe. This grandiose scenery was the reason for the construction of the Imatran Valtionhotelli Hotel, now restored. In 1928, the rapids were tamed to supply the industrial installations. The sluice gates are now open in the summer evenings, and for 20 minutes the falls return to their former foaming impetuosity. Ideal to observe from Crown Park, which offers a beautiful panorama.

Ideal to start the visit of Parikkala and its surroundings. You will find brochures (in English) about activities, accommodation and restaurants. There is information on the different species of birds to admire; the park has more than 300 different species. Siikalahti is the country's premier bird wetland. Lakes Simpelejärvi, Pien-Rautjärvi and Suur-Rautjärvi are all part of these important bird areas.

For four generations, the house belonged to the Wolkoff family, a wealthy Russian trading family, from 1870 to 1986. In that year, Johannes Wolkoff donated it to the city as a museum. It is one of the oldest wooden houses in the city. The house is steeped in the Orthodox religious tradition of this Russian family. Namely: it is nicely decorated for Easter and Christmas according to the Orthodox traditions, ideal to discover a little more about this culture. Souvenir shop and Wolkoff restaurant right next door.

Built in 2008, the Vellamo centre is entirely dedicated to the sea. You won't be able to miss it: this ultra-modern building is shaped like a giant wave. The design speaks for itself! This important educational structure contains the National Maritime Museum, temporary exhibition rooms, a documentation centre, a cafeteria... And this is where you should collect your ticket for the icebreaker visit in summer (5 €/adult). Good plan: the museum and the visit of the icebreaker are free for all on Wednesdays from 5 pm.

Beach east of Helsinki, in Vuosaari. Very pleasant for swimming or a picnic.

The Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden is one of the most popular tourist attractions. After extensive restoration work, the greenhouses will bring nature lovers a tropical breeze away from city life. In the Palm House, visitors can see an impressive collection of orchids. The outdoor garden invites you to discover the world of plants. In summer, the most attractive part of the grounds is the central garden, with ponds and flowers, bordered by rose bushes.