In the last post I said that now I have an opportunity to know Finland more closer. More closer because it's not my first time visiting Finland, I've already been to some cities (or should I said towns?). Finland was the first foreign country I visited in my life and it's no surprise it was Finland, because St. Petersburg is close to the Russian-Finnish border. My first visit was during the winter and after that Finland became our usual place for spending winter holidays. The most popular cities with Russians are Imatra and Lappeenranta, because they are the closest to the border and there are all the facilities for happy holidays - hotels with SPA, shops and places for doing active kind of sports.
But Imatra and Lappeenranta are not the only towns I've been to. They are small and placed far away enough from Turku, so in this post I will tell about other cities I've visited that I liked and which I recommend to visit while you're here in Turku or if you wonder what to visit in Finland.
And we begin with... Of course, Helsinki! Banality? Maybe, but what a beautiful one!
You should visit this city at least because it's a capital of Finland. I should confess that when I was in Helsinki for the first time I didn't like it much, but that was long-long time ago. When I visited it last time, I changed my mind completely. It's a nice city, not so big and very comfortable for walks. Moreover, there are some fine places to make great photos like Helsinki Cathedral (the calling card of the city), Esplanade park, Old Market Hall and Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral. For me, a person who is used to noisy cities (especially when they are capitals) Helsinki was really peaceful and quiet, but not in a bad way. It's a real pleasure to walk the streets and just watch around. Try it, if you haven't yet :)
Next stop - Kotka!
This city is truly can be named as a park-city, because there are a lot of parks here. When I said "a lot" I mean really a lot, around 10, if I'm not mistaken. In this picture you can see only one of them, it's called Sapokka Water Garden. It's so amazing, isn't it? I can tell you more about this city and its green areas, but why? I think you are already interested in visiting it, so here is the link where you can find all the information.
Savonlinna, feel Middle Ages vibes!
There are 3 castles in Finland and one of them is in Savonlinna. It dates back to the 15 century. If you want to become a knight or a lady-in-waiting for several hours, it's your chance. The castle was built to protect the strategically important Savo region from attacks of Grand Duchy of Moscow, which recently had occupied the Novgorod Republic. Inside the castle you will find different attributes of those times which were found in the castle or related to it.
The last but not least - Tampere!
Tampere is the second largest city in Finland. And also it's the city where famous Nokia was established, did you know? :) Moreover, results of the public-opinion poll says that the Finns consider Tampere the best city in Finland. But it's not only citizen-friendly city, it also has something to admire. Tampere Cathedral, Pyynikki observation tower, magic Moomin Museum, Sarkanniemi Theme Park - all of these and other places wait for you to explore and enjoy them. Don't waste your time, plan your trip right now!
I hope you liked my list of places in Finland and I would be glad if my post was useful to you! As you see, there are a lot of interesting spots, so try to visit as more as you can. Maybe now it's the only chance to do it!