Hello,
I am planning on visiting Finland in January. I love the fact that Finland is the most forested country in Europe (according to what I%26#39;ve read), and was wondering if anybody could suggest a good place to stay for those who love to be around forestry. Or is every place equally great to stay, since most of the country is forested?
Responses are greatly appreciated :)
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Well, there isn%26#39;t a whole lot of forest in the city centres of Helsinki or the other main cities, but if you like trees, you%26#39;re in the right country. You could easily take a short bus ride to Nuuksio or Kuusijärvi outside Helsinki and be as good as out in the wilds. Kuusijärvi also offers sauna and ice swimming in January.
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It depends - do you want to %26quot;get away from it all%26quot; or stay in a town, with a possibility to do a day trip into a forest?
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JohnTheFinn: Thank you for the suggestions, I will look them up online.
Nettle: I suppose I want to %26quot;get away from it all,%26quot; though either option would be fine with me.
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Finland%26#39;s forests are generally snow-clad in January. It%26#39;s not really the best time of year to be out in the woods, most people find.
We could be more helpful if you tell us more about what you%26#39;re looking for.
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I understand. I would have preferred to visit in the spring or summer when visiting forests is easier, but it%26#39;s much more expensive and I don%26#39;t know if I%26#39;ll have any time off in the spring/summer to go there.
I%26#39;d just like to be somewhere where I can walk through a forest if the mood strikes and enjoy the nature, if that is possible. I haven%26#39;t seen many forests since I moved from my former country (Ukraine), and it%26#39;s really not worth going back there just for the forests. ;) The other conditions of the trip (location, accommodation, etc.) can be adjusted wherever necessary.
By the way, thank you for your suggestions and for taking time out to help me :)
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I see. Well, for a simple stroll in the woods, Kuusijärvi is most accessible. There%26#39;s a log cabin café where you can have a beer, coffee or simple meal before or after a walk around the lake, and several saunas with a possibility for ice swimming. Kuusijärvi is popular in summer with our Slav immigrants, who probably find it reminds them of lakeside beaches at home.
Take bus 730 from Rautatientori, the larger of two squares next to the train station. It takes about 20 minutes.
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You might consider Tampere as well - there are two forested recreational areas within the city - Pyynikki and Kauppi.
If you%26#39;d stay eg. at Hotel Rosendahl, Pyynikki would be at your doorstep (some wintery photos here: http://palvelut.tampere.fi/kuvapankki/kategoria.php?kategoria_id=7). Hotel Kauppi would then be close to - you guessed it - Kauppi. Of the two, Pyynikki would be the more scenic as it is also a national park. Kauppi is more geared towards sports activities.
If you want more of a wilderness experience, there%26#39;s Seitseminen National Park within striking distance:
http://www.luontoon.fi/page.asp?Section=5327
www.luontoon.fi/page.asp…
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One option in Helsinki is Central Park, www.hel2.fi/keskuspuisto/eng/1centralpark/ there you have trails to use.
Out in the wilderness in Jan you need either skis or snow shoes.
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Thank you very much, all of you. This was really helpful. :) Sorry for the delay in response.
polarbearfin: Thank you for your suggestion. Would combat boots be acceptable to use as snow shoes?
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That depends on how deep the snow is and how strong a crust has formed on it. You should be OK in boots in any area that gets a reasonable number of walkers unless there%26#39;s been recent heavy snow. Please DO NOT walk on ski tracks as this is considered very impolite (I suppose it%26#39;s the same in Ukraine).
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