For our next activity, we decided to go for a walk/hike in nature together. We chose the area near the Rauhaniemi park because there are several trails leading through the forest, some even reaching the KAUPPI campus.
During the walk, we talked about typical things we usually discuss when hiking back home.
I noticed that Finland has many national parks, and they are often very well equipped — with cabins, fireplaces, dry toilets, and shelters. It’s very common here to go camping, pick berries or mushrooms, or grill sausages over a campfire.
From my perspective as a German, hiking is also an important part of our culture. We have many forests, nature reserves, and well-marked trails, especially in regions like Bavaria, the Black Forest, or the Harz mountains. Mushroom and berry picking is quite normal in Germany as well, and usually allowed. However, wild camping and open campfires are generally forbidden, so you usually have to stay in designated camping areas or huts.
We also talked about certain traditions connected to walking or hiking in Germany. One example is “Vatertag,” which falls on Ascension Day. On this day, many groups — traditionally men, but nowadays also mixed groups — go on long walks while pulling a Bollerwagen, a small handcart filled with drinks. It’s a well-known tradition where people enjoy nature, socialize, and often make a whole day trip out of it.
My Dutch friend explained that the situation is very different in the Netherlands. Parks there are much less facilitated, and wild camping as well as open fires are strictly forbidden. There are even rules about picking berries for personal use, and in some areas it’s not allowed at all, depending on the landowner or the type of nature reserve. It was interesting to compare this to Finland and Germany, where foraging is more accepted and part of outdoor culture.
Valeria also shared her experience: she grew up in a mountainous region and was very active with hiking and mountain biking. For her, being in the mountains every week — even together with her grandmother — was completely normal and part of her routine.
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