{"id":126650,"date":"2026-06-25T12:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rendahls.se\/?p=126650"},"modified":"2026-09-06T14:47:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T12:47:57","slug":"along-the-finnish-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rendahls.se\/en\/blog\/2026\/06\/25\/langs-den-finlandska-kusten\/","title":{"rendered":"Along the Finnish coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some reason one rarely hears about Finland as a travel destination, this land of a thousand lakes which after all is situated so close. We decided to travel there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always when planning a trip, it is hard to know which roads to take, which places should you visit? With the benefit of hindsight, it is possible that we chose the wrong route. Or is there really a right or wrong way when you are on an expedition to experience a country you have never visited before?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First stop in Turku<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We began by taking the ferry from Kapellsk\u00e4r to Turku to start our trip in this beautiful city. Turku is Finland's oldest city and its former capital. It is also the second-largest city after Helsinki. This was truly a city we liked, furthermore in full summer bloom with all the green spaces full of life. However, we made a slight mistake in coming here over the Midsummer weekend when most things were closed, otherwise Turku is known for its many museums and good pubs. Now we had to content ourselves with strolling around the streets and squares, and making a plan to visit the city again on another occasion. Because isn't it often the case at the beginning of a journey that you can hardly wait to move on and see what is around the next corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A museum I heard about just before we went to Turku is Ett Hem, a turn-of-the-century bourgeois home furnished in the style of the period from a wealthy family's own collections. Ett Hem is centrally located in Turku in a beautiful old yellow wooden building and is open almost daily during the summer, except during the Midsummer weekend when unfortunately\u2026 While you're in the neighbourhood, you can also pop into the cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The most famous building in Turku is probably the castle, or rather the fortress dating back to the 13th century. Over the centuries, the castle has served as a residence for, among others, Gustav Vasa's son, John III, but primarily for the kingdom's soldiers. During harder times, the castle has also been a grain store, a prison and a court of law. Quite a rich history, then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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