Living in Tampere is a great opportunity for local travelling. Firstly, the city and the nearby areas themselves hide many interesting places and deserve to be explored. Secondly, Tampere is located in the middle of the country and the middle of everything, so it makes many places reachable fast. I want to tell you how you can travel around Finland and which places are worth to visit.
Transport options
The public transport system is very well developed in Finland and it’s not a problem to travel between most of the cities here. The most convenient way for a student is to use buses and trains to see other Finnish cities. Very often travelling by bus is cheaper, especially if you are buying tickets in advance.
The website Matkahuolto.fi is a place where you can see offers of different bus companies and choose the best option for you. In addition to a variety of options, they also have an online discount and student discount which significantly helps to treat your budget carefully :). Another bus option is the website of Onnibus.com – sometimes they have really, really good offers.
Just don’t forget to take a student card with you when starting your journey.
Besides buses, you can travel by train. It is much faster, and Finnish trains are very comfortable: nice chairs, plugs to charge devices and free Wi-Fi connection. Although it is more expensive than buses, trains are great for longer trips. You can get your ticket on the website vr.fi or in the ticket machines on the train stations. And again, buying tickets in advance helps to reduce expenses – as well as using your student discount! Just don’t forget to take a student card with you when starting your journey.
Where to go?
So as we figured out, buses and trains are nice student-friendly options to go somewhere. The next question is: where to go? I would suggest you start from the most obvious but at the same time exciting and beautiful places.
Helsinki
The capital of the country and the biggest city in Finland, Helsinki is the place to go when staying in Finland. Helsinki is a nice city to visit during any season, and every time it will show you a new side of itself. Fluffy and a little harsh in winter, the gentle awakening of the city in spring, hot and perky in summer or bright and cosy in autumn – you will not be disappointed. In addition, various exhibitions, concerts, festivals are often held here, which are also nice reasons to visit Helsinki. Just take care: Helsinki is located just next to the sea, which makes it a pretty windy place. So don’t forget your warm scarf and hat when going here in the cold season.
What to see: Suomenlinna island, the Oodi library, the White Church, the Market Square (Kauppatori), the Rock Church, an open-air museum Seurasaari, Sibelius Monument, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art.
Porvoo
When visiting Helsinki, it can be a good idea to take a look at Porvoo which is a small nice place next to the capital. Especially beautiful in the summertime, Porvoo is the second oldest city in Finland. In a sense, it is the cradle of Finnish culture: this town was home to many Finnish artists. I think it could be interesting for you to see how the creators were inspired! If you want to see Porvoo in all its glory, it’s better to choose the warm season.
What to see: The Old Town (amazing for making beautiful pictures!), Porvoo Cathedral, Holm House which holds seasonal exhibitions.
In a sense, Porvoo is the cradle of Finnish culture: this town was home to many Finnish artists.
Turku
This beautiful ancient city is located on the southwest coast of Finland. The third largest metropolitan area in the country, Turku is an important historical and cultural center of Finland. It was first marked on the map in 1229, and since then it has been a center of events: exhibitions, festivals and various other events are constantly held here. In 2011, Turku, together with Tallinn, was elected the European Capital of Culture. In Turku you will find cultural activities for every taste and it’s easy to just walk along the old streets that have seen the history and drink coffee with some awesomely delicious dessert in one of the many legendary coffee houses. And one more great thing: there are quite many cheap flights from Turku, for example, to Poland and Lithuania.
What to see: Turku Cathedral, Old Town, Turku archipelago, Turku Castle, Sibelius Museum, Forum Marinum center, museum ships.
In 2011, Turku, together with Tallinn, was elected the European Capital of Culture.
Lapland
Welcome to the real north! Lapland is one of the most popular touristic destinations in Finland because of the living attraction of the country – Santa Claus. His residence is located just next to Rovaniemi and open for visitors whole year round. However, Lapland is not just about near-Christmas Santa experience, but much more exciting. You can ride dog sledges, pet reindeer, enjoy local food, see the most beautiful northern lights in your life – and a thousand other unique things. And, of course, the amazing nature of the north, which is wonderful at any time of the year. You can go there yourself with friends, or you can join one of the tours provided by student organization ESN to make your trip easier and more comprehensive.
More ideas for local travelling
If you are a fan of medieval culture, you might be interested in seeing the castles of Finland. One of them is located very close to Tampere, in Hämeenlinna. Häme Castle was built in the XIII century, and it is one of the main castles in southern Finland. These walls have seen many wars in their 700 years of existence, and history fans will be curious to see it with their own eyes. Today, this fortress serves as a museum and a venue for events (for example, Christmas Market and Festive Lightning). One more famous fortress – Olavinlinna – is located in Savonlinna, Eastern Finland. This fortress is known as the most northern stone castle of the Middle Ages. The way there can be challenging, but it is definitely worth it. Built in the XV century, Olavinlinna amazes with her magnificent appearance.
Fauna lovers will appreciate Ähtäri Zoo. This is a home for a lot of animal species, but the coolest reason to go there is this panda. Yes, those same white and black bears!
However, these are just a few ideas where you can go to make your Finnish experience as full as possible and broaden your knowledge about Finland. Finland is full of interesting, fascinating and curious places. Don’t be afraid to explore it and enjoy your journey!
– Anastasia
