THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Andy Symington, Fran Parnell

15/10/08OE

NAContents B3

Andy Symington

Front Maps

Finland 6

00-contents-fin6.dwg

Åland

Lapland

& KoillismaaOulu, Kainuu

p268

p243

Kareliap190

p216West Coast p190

Karelia

p161The Lakeland

HämeTampere &

p136

South CoastTurku & the

p82p117

Archipelago

p42Helsinki

Hydro

dest'nsOff mapSymbols

Title

Scale

NotesBookNthpt

Spot colours removed?

Masking in Illustrator done?

Inset/enlargement correct?

Hierarchy

Hierarchy

RoadAll key roads labelled?

File

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Date

Editor Cxns

MC Cxns

Author Cxns

Final Ed Cxns

Editor Check

Key

MC Check

MC/CC Signoff

Chapter

Author

Border

Basefile

New References

Initial Mapping DateBook

KEY FORMAT SETTINGS

Column Widths and Margins

Number of Rows (Lines)

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z ................. 338Transport ........................ 344Language ........................ 350Index ................................ 359Map Legend .................... 367

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

350

Finnish is a distinct national icon that sets Finland apart from its Scandinavian neigh-bours. It belongs to the exclusive Finno-Ugric language family, of which Estonian and Hun-garian are the only other members. There are around six million Finnish speakers in Fin-land, Sweden, Norway and Russian Karelia. In Finnish, Finland is known as Suomi and the language itself as suomi.

If you read our coloured pronunciation guides as if they were English, you shouldn’t have problems being understood. Note that a is pronounced as in ‘act’, ai as in ‘aisle’, eu as the ‘u’ in ‘nurse’, ew as the ‘ee’ in ‘see’ with rounded lips, oh as the ‘o’ in ‘note’, ow as in ‘how’, uh as the ‘u’ in ‘run’, and the r sound is rolled. The stressed syllables are indicated with italics in our pronunciation guides.

BASICSHello. Hei. hayn Goodbye. Näkemiin. na·ke·meen Yes. Kyllä. kewl·la No. Ei. ay Please. Ole hyvä. o·le hew·va Thank you Kiitos kee·tos (very much). (paljon). (puhl·yon)You’re welcome. Ole hyvä. o·le hew·va Excuse me. Anteeksi. uhn·tayk·si Sorry. Anteeksi. uhn·tayk·si

How are you? Mitä kuuluu? mi·ta koo·looFine. And you? Hyvää. Entä itsellesi? hew·va en·ta it·sel·le·si

What’s your name? Mikä sinun nimesi on? mi·ka si·nun ni·me·si onMy name is … Minun nimeni on … mi·nun ni·me·ni on …Do you speak English? Puhutko englantia? pu·hut·ko en·gluhn·ti·uhI don’t understand. En ymmärrä. en ewm·mar·ra

ACCOMMODATIONWhere’s a cheap/nearby hotel? Missä olisi halpa/ mis·sa o·li·si huhl·puh/lähin hotelli? la·hin ho·tel·liI’d like a single/double room. Haluaisin yhden/ huh·lu·ai·sin ewh·den/kahden hengen kuh·den hen·genhuoneen. hu·o·naynHow much is it per night/person? Paljonko se on puhl·yon·ko se on yöltä/hengeltä? ew·eul·ta/hen·gel·ta

I want a room Minä haluan mi·na huh·lu·uhnwith a … huoneen … hu·o·nayn … bathroom kylpy- kewl·pew· huoneella hu·o·nayl·luh window jossa on yos·suh on ikkuna ik·ku·nuh

DIRECTIONSWhere’s the …? Missä on …? mis·sa on … bank pankki puhnk·ki market kauppatori kowp·pa·to·ri post office postitoi- pos·ti·toy· misto mis·to

WANT MORE?For in-depth language information and handy phrases, check out Lonely Planet’s Scandinavian Phrasebook. You’ll find it at shop.lonelyplanet.com, or you can buy Lonely Planet’s iPhone phrasebooks at the Apple App Store.

Language

PAGE

40

PAGE

337

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s top recommendation

Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first

S A green or sustainable option F No payment

required

HELSINKI . . . . . . . . . . .42AROUND HELSINKI . . . . . . . 76Espoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Vantaa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Porvoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Tuusulan Rantatie . . . . . . . . 81

TURKU &THE SOUTH COAST . .82Turku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Naantali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93Askainen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Nousiainen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97Turku Archipelago . . . . . . . 98Kimito Island & Archipelago National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100SOUTH COAST . . . . . . . . . . 101West of Helsinki . . . . . . . . . 101East of Helsinki . . . . . . . . . . 110

ÅLAND ARCHIPELAGO . . . . . 117Mariehamn . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121MAINLAND ÅLAND & AROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Jomala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Finström . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Sund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128Vårdö . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Saltvik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Geta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Hammarland . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Eckerö . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Lemland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135Lumparland . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

TAMPERE & HÄME . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136Tampere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138Route 66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148Keuruu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Mänttä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151Tampere to Hämeenlinna . . . . . . . . . . . . 151HÄME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152Hämeenlinna . . . . . . . . . . . .152Lahti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156Around Lahti . . . . . . . . . . . .160

THE LAKELAND . . . . 161Savonlinna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163Around Savonlinna . . . . . . .168The Seal Lakes . . . . . . . . . . 171Sulkava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Mikkeli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174Around Mikkeli . . . . . . . . . . 175Varkaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Heinävesi & Around . . . . . . 176Valamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Lintula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Jyväskylä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Around Jyväskylä . . . . . . . .182Kuopio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

KARELIA . . . . . . . . . . 190SOUTH KARELIA . . . . . . . . 192Lappeenranta . . . . . . . . . . .192Around Lappeenranta . . . .196Imatra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197NORTH KARELIA . . . . . . . .200Joensuu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Ilomantsi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

Around Ilomantsi . . . . . . . 206Hattuvaara . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206LAKE PIELINEN REGION . .206Lieksa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207Patvinsuo National Park . . . . . . . . . . 208Ruunaa Recreation Area . . . . . . . . 209Nurmijärvi District . . . . . . . 211Vuonislahti. . . . . . . . . . . . . .212Koli National Park . . . . . . .213Paalasmaa Island . . . . . . . .214Nurmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214

WEST COAST . . . . . . . 216Uusikaupunki . . . . . . . . . . .218Rauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Around Rauma . . . . . . . . . 223Puurijärvi-Isosuo National Park . . . . . . . . . . 223Pori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Around Pori . . . . . . . . . . . . 226Kristinestad . . . . . . . . . . . . .227Kaskinen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228Närpes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Seinäjoki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Vaasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231Jakobstad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236Around Jakobstad . . . . . . 238Kokkola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239Kalajoki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

OULU, KAINUU & KOILLISMAA . . . . . . .243Oulu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244Around Oulu . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Kajaani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251Around Kajaani . . . . . . . . . 253Kuhmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Kuusamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256Ruka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261Karhunkierros Trek & Oulanka National Park . . 262River Routes Around Kuusamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266Juuma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267

LAPLAND . . . . . . . . . .268Rovaniemi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271Around Rovaniemi . . . . . . .276Ranua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277Kemi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277Tornio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279Ylläs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281Kittilä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282Levi (Sirkka) . . . . . . . . . . . 282Muonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287Enontekiö (Hetta) . . . . . . 287Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park . . . . . . . . . . 289Kilpisjärvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Kemijärvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291Pyhä-Luosto . . . . . . . . . . . 292Sodankylä . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293Saariselkä . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295Around Saariselkä . . . . . . .297Saariselkä Wilderness & Urho Kekkonen National Park . . . . . . . . . . 298Ivalo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300Nellim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301Inari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

Lemmenjoki National Park . . . . . . . . . . 305Kevo Strict Nature Reserve . . . . . . . . . 307Inari to Norway . . . . . . . . . 307

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OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Andy Symington Coordinating Author; Helsinki; Tampere & Häme; The Lakeland; Oulu, Kainuu & Koillismaa; Lapland Andy has covered Finland for Lonely Planet several times, having fi rst visited Helsinki many years ago more or less by accident. Walking on frozen lakes with the midday sun low in the sky made a quick and deep impres-sion on him, even as fi ngers froze in the -30°C temperatures. Since then they can’t keep him away from the country, fuelled by a love of the Kalevala, huskies,

saunas, Finnish mustard, moody Suomi rock and metal, but above all of Finnish people and their beautiful country.

Fran Parnell Turku & the South Coast; Åland Archipelago; Karelia; West Coast Fran’s passion for northern Europe began while studying for a masters degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, and any opportunity to visit the region is taken with glee. Particular highlights of this research trip were wandering the Bomarsund ruins eating wild strawberries; seeing bears in Karelia; rowing at midnight on Lake Pielinen; and coming across so much Finnish warmth and generosity while on

the road. Fran has worked on other Lonely Planet guides, including Scandinavian Europe, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Reykjavík.

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9837th edition – May 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 582 0© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in SingaporeAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

6

15 TOP EXPERIENCES

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1

National Park Hiking, Northern Finland

1 Finland’s great swaths of protected forests and fells make it one of Europe’s prime

hiking destinations. Head to the Karhunkierros (p262) near Kuusamo for a striking terrain of hills and sharp ravines, never prettier than in au-tumn. The Urho Kekkonen National Park (p 298 ) in Lapland is one of Europe’s great wildernesses; the spectacular gorge of the Kevo Strict Nature Reserve (p 307 ) and the fell scenery of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park (p 289 ) are other great northern options. A network of camping huts make itinerary planning easy and are good spots to meet Finns. Oulanka National Park

Design Shopping in Helsinki

2 Functional, elegant, outrageous or wacky: the choice is yours. The capital’s decidedly

nonmainstream chic is best explored by brows-ing the vast variety of design shops that spatter its centre. Whether examining iconic 20th-century Finnish forms in the fl agship emporia of brands like Iittala, Marimekko and Artek, or tracking down the cutting edge and just plain weird in the bohemian Punavuori district, you’re sure to fi nd something you didn’t know you needed but just can’t do without.

77A

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2

88

Sledding & Snowmobiling, Lapland

3 Fizzing over the snow behind a team of huskies under the low winter sun is tough

to beat. Short jaunts are great, but overnight safaris give you time to feed and bond with your lovable dogs and try out a wood-fi red sauna in the middle of the winter wilderness. It’s no fairy-tale ride though; expect to eat some snow before you learn to control your team. If you’re more of a cat person, you can enjoy similar trips on a snowmobile or behind reindeer. Gulf of Bothnia, near Kemi

Music Festivals

4 Are you a chamber-music afi cionado? Or do you like rock so raucous it makes your

ears bleed? Whatever your pleasure, Finland has a music festival to suit. Savonlinna’s fort-ress is the dramatic setting for a month-long opera festival; fi ddlers gather at Kaustinen for full-scale folk; Pori, Espoo and Tampere attract thousands of jazz fans; workaday Seinäjoki fl ashes sequins and high heels during its fi ve-day tango festival; temples to rock are raised in Seinäjoki, Tampere, Turku and Vantaa; and the Sibelius Festival ushers in autumn with classical grace. Savonlinna Opera Festival

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Bear-Watching, Eastern Finland

5 Old Honeypaws, the brown bear (Ursus arc-

tos), is the national animal of Finland. Around a thousand of these powerful creatures live in the northeast, coming and going with impunity across the Finnish–Russian border. Several operators run bear hides close to the frontier, where you can sit a silent night’s vigil as bruins snuffl e out elk carcasses and carefully hidden chunks of salmon. The best time to see them is between mid-April and August – with a slight gap in July when the bears have mating rather than meals in mind.

Summer Cottages

6 The symbol of the Finn-ish summer is a cosy

cottage perched on a placid blue lake, with a little rowing boat, a fi shing pier, and perhaps its own swimming beach. The simplest rustic cabins have outside loos and water drawn from a well, while the most modern de-signer bungalows have every creature comfort, from state-of-the-art coff ee machines to infrared saunas. Whether you’re looking for a wilder-ness escape or somewhere for a big family party, you’re bound to fi nd the perfect place from the thousands of rental cottages on off er.

Food Markets

7 Counters selling speciality cheeses, rough black rye

breads, handmade chocolates, Finnish sausages and smoked Baltic herring fi ll richly scented indoor market halls ( kaup-pahalli) throughout Finland, while fl eeting summer market squares ( kauppatori) burst with straight-from-the-garden vegetables. Around Midsum-mer, fi ll your bags with tiny new potatoes, nutty and sweet. In July, meander with a mouthful of juicy red strawberries, or sit on a sunny bench to pop peas fresh from the pod. Autumn’s approach is softened by tumbled piles of peppery chanterelles and glowing Lapland cloudberries, which appear through August like a magician’s trick.

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Sámi Culture, Inari

8 Finland’s indigenous northerners have used technology to ease the arduous side

of reindeer herding while maintaining an inti-mate knowledge of Lapland’s natural world. Their capital, Inari, and the nearby Lemmen-joki National Park (p 305 ) are the best places to begin to learn about Sámi culture and traditions, starting at the marvellous Siida mu-seum (p 302 ). Arrange wilderness excursions with Sámi guides, meet reindeer, and browse high-quality handicrafts and music, the sale of which benefi ts local communities.

Traditional Saunas

9 These days most Finns have saunas at home, but there are still a few of the old

public ones left. They smell of old pine, tar shampoo and long tradition, with birch whisks and no-nonsense scrubdowns available as extras. Weathered Finnish faces cool down on the street outside, loins wrapped in a towel and hand wrapped around a cold beer. Helsinki and Tampere are the best places for this, while Kuopio’s old-style smoke sauna (p 183 ) takes a day to prepare and off ers a more rural experience, with a lake to jump into right alongside.

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Watery Activities, Lakeland

10 This part of Finland seems to have more water than land, so it’d be a crime not to

get out on it. You can take three days to paddle the family-friendly Oravareitti (Squirrel Route; p 174 ) or head out into Kolovesi and Linnansaari national parks to meet freshwater seals (p 171 ). Tired arms? Historic lake boats still ply what were once important transport arteries; head out from any town on short cruises, or make a day of it and head from Savonlinna right up to Kuopio or across Finland’s largest lake, Saimaa, to Lappeenranta. Steamboat, Lake Saimaa

Finnish Barlife

11 Rumours about Finnish beer prices are a little exaggerated, and there’s a

big social drinking scene here that’s great to take part in. Finns lose that famous reserve after a tuoppi (glass) or three of beer and are keen to chat to foreigners; it’s the best way to meet local people. The main cities are full of original and off beat bars, and you’ll soon fi nd a favourite Suomi tipple, whether it’s the Finnish ciders, microbrewed beers, sweet-and-sour lonkero, or unusual shots such as salty liquo-rice vodka or cloudberry liqueur.

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Icy Accommodation, Lapland

12 Even reading the words ‘snow hotel’ can shoot a shiver up your spine, but

spending a night in one of these ethereally beautiful, extravagantly artistic icy buildings is a marvellous, though expensive, experience. There are several to choose from in Lapland (see p 16 ); heavy-duty sleeping bags ensure a relatively cosy slumber, and a morning sauna banishes any lingering chills. Even if you don’t fancy spending the night, you can visit the complexes, maybe pausing for a well-chilled vodka cocktail in the bar.

Day Trip to Tallinn

13 Estonia’s capital, once an important Hanseatic port, is a short ferry ride

across the Baltic from Helsinki and off ers an intriguing contrast. Its majestic World Heritage–listed Old Town (p59) is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval jewel boxes, but take your time to wander away from the tourist beat, too. Estonia has a vi-brant, up-and-coming energy that can be just as intoxicating as the cheap beer that draws the Finnish crowd.

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Cycling, Åland Archipelago

14 Charming Åland is best explored by bi-cycle: you’ll appreciate its understated

attractions all the more if you’ve used pedal-power to reach them. Bridges and ferries link many of its 6000 islands, and well-signposted routes take you off ‘main roads’ down winding lanes and forestry tracks. Set aside your bicy-cle whenever the mood takes you, to pick wild strawberries, wander castle ruins, sunbathe on a slab of red granite, visit a medieval church, quench your thirst at a cider orchard, or climb a lookout tower to gaze at the glittering sea.

Rauma Old Town

15 The largest wooden Old Town in the Nordic countries, Vanha Rauma

(p 220 ) deserves its Unesco World Heritage status. Its 600 houses might be museum pieces, but they also form a living centre: residents tend their fl ower boxes and chat to neighbours, while visitors meander in and out of the low-key cafes, shops, museums and artisans’ workshops. Rauman giäl, an old sail-ors’ lingo that mixes up a host of languages, is still spoken here, and the town’s medieval lacemaking heritage is celebrated during Pitsiviikko (Rauma Lace Week).

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