These posts cover our slow trip through the Scandinavian/Nordic countries from August 4 to October 30, 2026. I will be posting one long post a week about each area where we stay. I like to write one post about a particular place so that I can revisit our travels in one spot on my blog, according to location. I can also refer others to the post if they plan to travel to the destination and want ideas. I welcome you to read the entire post, read parts of the posts that interest you, simply look at the pictures, or not to read it at all. All who would like to come along are welcome.
You can find our itinerary here: anticipation & preparation: a slow motion journey through scandinavia.
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Tuesday, August 25 – Sunday, August 30: This week we moved from Helsinki to Tampere, which is in the Lakeland area of Finland.
Finland is called “Land of a Thousand Lakes” but there are actually 188,000 of them. Of those, 187,888 are over 500 square meters. These lakes originate from the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago, when moving glaciers acted like sandpaper; they scraped and gouged the bedrock. This left behind a flat, impermeable landscape where meltwater pooled into depressions, valleys and basins.
The topography of Finland is very flat and about 200 meters above sea level. Because of this, water flows slowly, pools easily, and has almost no mechanism for escape,
The lakes define Finnish summers with people enjoying cottage life, swimming, fishing, and saunas by the water.
Helsinki to Tampere, Finland
We left our Helsinki apartment at around 10:15 on Tuesday morning and made our way to the Pasila train station, about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. We took the VR train to Tampere at 11:06 and arrived in Tampere at 12:53. We had bought our tickets ahead of time on the VR app. The train ride was comfortable and efficient and had free WiFi on board.
Our Airbnb apartment: Uittotunnelinkatu 7B 15, Tampere, Piirkanmaa, Finland
Our apartment, hosted by Sari, is referred to as a “Holiday home” and is located in Ala-Pispala near the shores of Lake Pyhäjärvi. The apartment is compact but cute and super well-organized. This may be the most efficient place we have stayed so far. We have a balcony, a sauna and a washing machine.
Pispala is a distinctive residential area and popular outdoor spot known for its narrow streets, colorful houses and gardens.
In order to check in, we were told to walk from the train station to a bus stop to catch one of many buses to Pispalantori. At the bus stop is a pizza restaurant called Koti Pizza; at that restaurant, I was to pick up an envelope with my name on it and a key inside. Then we walked downhill to the apartment, which is on the second floor of a yellow wooden building.
We had talked with Adam and Alex & family over the weekend, so we called our daughter Sarah and had a nice long chat with her. Then we took a stroll down by the lake. There was a swimming dock but it looked rocky underneath and didn’t look that inviting for a swim. Mike found out the water temperature in the lake was even colder than the temperature in the Helsinki harbor. Also, the boats all around the shore looked as if they hadn’t been used in quite some time.
Visiting markets and dining in
We checked out Tampere Market Hall our first day in Tampere, ate lunch there, and then returned at the end of the day to stock up on goodies. When we returned later we got fresh pike, veggies, cheese, berries, sliced smoked reindeer & blackberry jam.
Tampere Market Hall
Tampere Market Hall, opened in 1901, is in the heart of the city of Tampere. It is the largest market hall in the Nordic countries. Inside are 174 sales outlets, of which about 40% are cafes and restaurants. The most popular restaurant is 4 Vuodenaikaa (“Four Seasons”) which is a hit with both locals and tourists.
Dining in
We ate in a number of times; one night we had a delicious pike fish with fresh cheese bread and broccolini, but I forgot to take a picture of it. We also had leftover pizza one night, which wasn’t very exciting. We had grilled bread cheese on bread and shrimp spread on crackers and olives for snacks. Our last night, we had orecchiette with havarti cheese, cherry tomatoes and chopped olives (Mike’s concoction). Mike added sliced turkey to his.
Dining out in Tampere
Since we were only staying in Tampere for five nights, we didn’t eat out as much as on our 7-night stays.
Koti Pizza
Dinner #1: We’re a bit far out from the town, about a 12 minute bus ride, so on our day of travel we were too lazy to make a trek for dinner. We strolled uphill to the same Koti Pizza where we had picked up our keys and ordered a “Mexican Pizza” which had jalapeños and, for some strange reason, pineapple. It was good and easy for our first night, and we also had leftovers for another meal.
Inez Tapas Bar
Dinner #2: We enjoyed drinks and the vibe at Inez Tapas Bar after returning our rental car to Sixt on Friday night. We loved our tapas meal of meatballs in tomato sauce, shrimp in garlic butter, sweet & spicy halloumi and pomegranate, sliced beef, roasted beetroot & goat cheese. Yum! It was an all-around scrumptious and delightful experience.
Kahvila Aniitta
Lunch #1: We ate lunch at Kahvila Aniitta at Tampere Market Hall. For lunch, we had a salmon salad sandwich with dill pickles, Karelian pasty with egg salad stuffing, and toast with sliced hard-boiled eggs and fish (sardines or herring?).
4 Vuodenaikaa (“Four Seasons”) at Tampere Market Hall
Lunch #2: We returned for lunch on Saturday to Tampere Market Hall, where we ate lunch at 4 Vuodenaikaa (“Four Seasons”). We had pike, potato croquettes, broccolini and tomato sauce.
Kahvila Runo
We found a old-timey cafe, Kahvila Runo, on a street corner and popped in for some delicious sweet treats and a latte.
Activities and Sights in Tampere
Tampere is considered the most important urban, economic and cultural center in the whole of inland Finland. It is wedged between two lakes, Lake Näsijärvi and Lake Pyhäjärvi with an 18m (59 ft) difference in the water levels. The rapids that connect them, the Tammerkoski, has been an important source of power throughout the city’s history, most recently for generating electricity. The city is known as the “Manchester of the North” because of its past as a center for Finnish industry.
The city was long known for textiles and metals industries but those were replaced largely by information technology and telecommunications in the 1990s.
Tampereen Raatihuone (Tampere City Hall), Tampereen Teatteri (Tampere Theater), & Vanha kirkko (Tampere Old Church)
We started in the Central Square, the heart of Tampere, surrounded by the important buildings of the city:
Tampere City Hall (Tampereen Raatihuone) is a neo-Renaissance building; the original building was built in 1890. The palacial building has many halls and the City hosts many events here. During the Great Strike in 1905, the so-called “Red Manifest” was read from the balcony of the Tampere City Hall.
Tampereen Teatteri (Tampere Theater) is one of two main active theaters in Tampere, along with the Tampere Workers’ Theatre. The building was designed in the National Romantic architectural style and was started in 1904.
Vanha kirkko (Tampere Old Church) was built in 1824 and was the first church in the city of Tampere. The church was designed by the Italian-born Charles (Carlo) Bassi (1772-1840). The Old Church is one of the sixteen churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Parishes of Tampere. Its style is that of a Neoclassical cruciform church.
General city sights
Tirkkonen House is a three-story commercial building in Tampere that was completed in 1901 in the Art Nouveau style. It housed the owner’s fabric store and his mother’s yarn store; the family lived on the top floor.
We found a statue honoring Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872), a Finnish writer.
Finlayson Area
The Finlayson Area is a historic industrial setting in the Tammerkoski river area.
The city’s industrialization in the 19th century was greatly influenced by the Finlayson textile factory, founded in 1820. By 1850, the factory employed 2,000 people while the city’s population had grown to 4,000. Many more industries flourished here as well.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Tampere was a city of workers and women, with one-third of the population being workers and more than half of those women.
The textile industry was heavily focused on bilateral trade with the Soviet Union but, in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the industry lost most of its customers. The red brick Finlayson building has now been put to other uses such as museums, galleries and restaurants.
Finnish Labor Museum Werstas in the Finlayson factory building
The Finnish Labor Museum Werstas is a national museum of working life and social history situated in the heart of the old Finlayson factory area.
Kalle Kaihari’s life
We saw an exhibit about Kalle Kaihari (1899-1989) who came from a working class family and became a major influencer in many areas of life. He made his career as a successful merchant. Nationally, he was known as a versatile sportsman and one of President Urho Kekkonen’s closest friends. He has been described as a common-sense man with the ability to inspire confidence and create networks. He was particularly determined to advance projects in his home town of Tampere.
The businessman didn’t forget his humble beginnings. In an interview he reminded readers that “If you get rich in business, you have to give back, not pocket everything.”
He seemed like a moral and generous man who was utterly unlike the money-grubbing leaders of today such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk and so many more.
Finnish Labour Museum Werstas
We dipped into Finland’s largest free museum, where we learned stories of the working class and the labor movement in Finland.
The Industry Museum tells the 200-year-old story of Tampere’s industry. The exhibition describes how Tampere became the largest industrial city in the country, and thus became the center of the labor movement. Inspired by the general strike of 1905, the factory workers also became involved in the activities of the workers’ association and local trade unions. In the following years, the factory workers took radical industrial action, demanding wage increases and eight-hour workdays.
An exhibit called “Punished Without a Crime: How Finland Dealt with its Undesirables” tells the history of Finnish correctional labor facilities. Surrounded by barbed wire, the correctional labor facilities chastised and disciplined debtors, promiscuous girls and other undesirables from the 1920s to the 1980s. Freedom could be earned by collecting points, but many had to spend years in these institutions.
Tallipiha Stable Yards
Tallipiha Stable Yards is an old wooden district with artisan boutiques (mostly geared toward children), handcrafted chocolates and a cozy cafe. We were there on weekday where things seemed rather lackadaisical.
Vapriikki
Sitting along the Tammerkoski rapids is Vapriiki, now a diverse museum center with changing exhibitions which explore a wide variety of topics from history and technology to natural science. We walked into the building but were burned out on museums, so we didn’t explore the ones here.
We were surprised that there were no rapids; the river looked rather dry, maybe because of the time of year, at the end of summer.
A country drive north of Tampere: Ruovesi, Helventinjärvi National Park, and Virrat Harbor
We rented a Volkswagen T-Roc for two days so we could take some country drives around the Lakeland area of Finland.
Ruovesi
We drove north through magical pine and birch forests to the small town of Ruovesi.
Ruoveden kirkko ja hautausmaa (Ruovesi Church and Cemetery)
Ruovesi Church, officially known as Sofia Magdalena Church (Sofia Magdalenan kirkko), is a historic wooden cruciform church in the town of Ruovesi. Built between 1777 and 1778 by master builder Matti Åkerblom, the church was named in honor of Queen Sofia Magdalena of Sweden and opened on August 25, 1778. It seats approximately 1,100 people.
The adjacent cemetery contains graves dating back to the mid-19th century, a memorial for the victims of the steamship Kuru disaster, fallen soldiers from Finland’s wars, and a traditional church boat housed in a shed.
Unlike most nations during WWII, Finland’s military leadership mandated that fallen soldiers be evacuated from the front lines and returned to their home parishes for burial, regardless of rank. The graves of those lost from 1939-1945 are laid out in simple lines in a designated area.
During Finland’s 100 Centennial Celebration in 2017, young men were recruited to stand guard at graves of fallen soldiers, with each recruit matched to the age of the fallen soldier when they died. The visual impact of so many young men (mostly in their late teens and early 20s) brought a heartbreaking reality to the horrors of war.
Ruovesi marina & swimming beach
We enjoyed warm fried doughnuts at a cafe beside the Ruovesi marina and then strolled along the shore to look at the boats and the swimming beach.
Helventinjärvi National Park
We made a brief stop at Helventinjärvi National Park but I lost interest quickly in walking the 4km loop walk through forest to see a gorge that probably looks similar to Mather Gorge in Northern Virginia at Great Falls. We found a yurt sauna and pier to the lake, but I got eaten alive by mosquitoes, so we didn’t stay long.
Virrat Harbour
We continued north to Virrat Harbour, where we found a swimming beach and diving platform, plenty of boat moorings, and some gorgeous cloud reflections.
Virtain kirkko ja hautausmaa (Virtai Church and Cemetery)
Built between 1772 and 1774, Virtai Church and Cemetery is a historic wooden Ostrobothnian cruciform church featuring a unique renaissance-style bell tower (completed in 1776) that serves as the main entrance, linked via a narrow connecting corridor. The church is one of the most prominent masterworks of the famous self-taught Finnish church builder Antti Hakola.
The cemetery was first established in 1702. It features a large military cemetery (sankarihautausmaa) containing the graves of 336 fallen heroes from World War II, complete with a hero’s cross.
Red flowers at Finnish cemeteries are most used to decorate graves of soldiers who fell in Finland’s wars. Begonias, geraniums or roses symbolize sacrifice, honor and blood shed for the country’s independence during conflicts like the Winter War and the Continuation War.
Day trip to Hämeenlinna
With the rental car, we took another day trip southeast to Hämeenlinna to see Iittala Village and Häme Castle rising on the shores of Vanajavesi lake.
Iittala Village & Naivistit Iittalassa
Iittala Village is the center of Finnish glass-making and home to the only Finnish glass factory operating in Finland and the home of the Iittala brand. The first glass was blown in November of 1881.
In Iittala Village, we found a wonderful Naive Art Exhibition (Naivistit Iittalassa) that featured 50 naive artists and over 500 new works. This is an annual summer exhibition in the village.
Naive art depicts everyday life, celebrations and people with a gentle and often humorous touch. It is characterized by clear expression, bright colors and subjects drawn from daily life. Realism or accurate perspective are not main concerns. What matters is personal expression and an individual way of seeing the world.
The movement took place in Western Europe in the 20th century and arrived in Finland in the 1960s and 1970s and has since become a distinctive field of art.
Häme Castle & “Carnival – IT Art at the Castle”
Häme Castle was most likely built during the late 13th century to serve as a military base in the border zone between Sweden and Novgorod, the capital of the Novgorod Republic, a city-state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northwestern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east.
The castle got its current appearance in about 1520.
Hämeenlinna was declared a city in 1639. During the Great Northern War the castle fell under Russian rule (1713-1721) but returned to the Swedish crown later. In the 1770s, the castle was fortified with bastions and a moat by order of Gustav III of Sweden.
In 1837 the main fort was converted to a prison for women. The castle was opened to the public in 1979 after 20 years of restoration.
Today, the castle was setting up for a wedding. In addition, the second floor was hosting an art exhibit titled: “Carnival – IT Art at the Castle” which showcased contemporary visual folk art. The artists drew their material and themes from their own living environment and personal worldview.
The works in the exhibition were full of joy, the courage to try new things and the boldness to challenge the establishment. The laughter, mockery and criticism that are part of the carnivalesque tradition resonate particularly strongly at a time when freedom of speech and expression are being curtailed in many places.
Vanaja Church & Holy Cross Church
Vanaja Church is a 15th Century stone church with excellent acoustics, making it a popular venue for choirs. It is renowned for a rare outdoor pulpit, which we couldn’t find.
Holy Cross Church in Hattula was built at the end of the 15th century and is dedicated to the Holy Cross. It is built of a distinctive red brick, unusual as most churches built at that time were built of grey stone.
Sadly the church was closed and a construction crew was working on the exterior. The grounds were overgrown and unkempt.
The church is famous for its 200 historical paintings done in al secco technique: the pictures are painted on a dry surface with colors dissolved in lime-water. We were sorry not to be able to see these paintings.
Lepaa Manor
Lepaa Manor was established as early as the 13th century although parts of the current main building were built in the late 17th C. We could never identify which building was the Manor House. In addition to the stunning manor grounds, Lepaa also features a horticultural college, a garden museum, and a winery that produces wines from its own harvest.
Pyynikki neighborhood and its hill with a viewing tower
Pyynikki is a scenic ridge area just outside of the Tampere city center. At the Pyynikki Observation Tower, visitors can enjoy the famous freshly fried doughnuts and coffee while enjoying views.
The attraction has the cafe set up for success. In order to buy the ticket to the tower, one must stand in line at the cafe, where, heck, after standing in line you might as well buy the doughnuts with the tickets. Mike and I have been eating way too many Danish and pastries of various types on this trip, so we got one to share. It was of course delicious!
We took the creaky elevator to the top and enjoyed cloudy views of Tampere.
World’s only Moomin Museum
Tampere-talo (Tampere Hall) is the largest concert and congress center in the Nordic countries and hosts hundreds of events, concerts, meetings and other occasions every year. It is home to the Tampere Philharmonic and the Moomin Museum, among others.
The Moomin Museum showcases experimental art for Moomin fans and art lovers of all ages. The museum reveals how the Moomins came to life and what happened next. Although I have never read any of the Moomin books by author and artist Tove Jansson (1914-2001), we enjoyed diving into the adventures of the Moomins through the artist’s original illustrations.
Tove Jansson created the Moomins and their whimsical valley as an escape from the anxieties of war. Her art and stories celebrate diversity, empathy and togetherness. At the museum, one is able to follow the full Moomin story – from the great flood that first brought the Moomin family together to their mysterious disappearance one grey November.
A special exhibit at the museum introduced the 2.5m tall Moomin-house tableau built in 1979 by Tove Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä and Pentti Eistola. The house has dozens of different windows, carefully crafted miniature objects, and hidden secrets.
Tampere Cathedral
Tampere Cathedral (The Church of St. John) was built out of natural stone in the quarter of Kyttälä between 1902 and 1907 to meet a need for a church on the east side of the Tammerkoski rapids.It is one of the city’s most significant monuments in the National Romantic style in Finland. It is famous for its remarkable interior artworks, which hold a place in Finland’s cultural history.
Artists Hugo Simberg (1873-1917) and Magnus Enckell (1870-1925) carried out the decorative work of the cathedral. The altarpiece Resurrection, a fresco by Magnus Enckell, depicts the central theme of Christianity in a timeless, simple manner.
Simberg designed a sharp-thorn garland to surround the gallery edge. The Garland of Life is carried by 12 naked boys. The children represent the disciples of Jesus.
The Wounded Angel fresco’s factory chimneys reveal that the painting is set in Tampere. The Garden of Death portrays Death as a considerate figure, tenderly caring for his plants.
Biblical themes come to life in the stained glass windows as well.
When we arrived at the Cathedral, a wedding was in progress and we almost left before seeing the interior. But a man from the church had seen us peeking in the back window and came out to tell us the wedding would be over in 20 minutes and then the church would open to visitors. We waited and were richly rewarded by the stunning interior.
We figured that the turquoise car outside the church would be used for the bride and groom after the wedding.
Homebody stuff
Sauna culture
Tampere was officially declared as “Sauna Capital of the World” because it has the most public saunas in the world. We were going to go to a public sauna in Tampere but time got away from us and we ended up simply using the sauna in our apartment.
The public saunas in Tampere are many, including: Kuuma sauna (modern city-center sauna, open all year); Rauhaniemen Kansankylpylä (lakeside bathing facility dates from 1920s and heats up every day); Kaukajärven sauna has a long platform for dipping into the lake; and Kaupinojan sauna (open year round and has a kiosk to buy Finnish sausages to grill over an open fire).
Every morning, like clockwork, I continued to do my NY Times puzzles: Wordle, the Mini, Connections and Strands. In the evenings, we watched our regular shows: Sommerdahl, The New Adventures of Old Christine, AnotherSelf , Ted Lasso, Old Money, Trying, The Killing, and Furious. We started Ride or Die on the recommendation of my friend Mona Lisa. In Tampere, I finally finished reading The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (it was mediocre) and I continued reading Lucy by the Sea (Amgash #4) by Elizabeth Strout. Strout’s book is a hard one to read because it takes place during the pandemic and the political upheaval of January 6, 2021, when neo-Nazis and Trumpers attacked the U.S. Capitol.
I find I’m not making as much time as usual to read, as I usually spend most of my time editing photos, writing my blog, reading up on places we visit, plotting out our transport options, and keeping touch with the family at home. While in Tampere, we had a good long chat with our daughter Sarah and a Saturday chat with Alex and Allie.
Sunday, August 30: On Sunday, we made our way to Vaasa near Finland’s western coast.
~ wander.essence ~ 
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