Oikotie 4 10600 TAMMISAARI FINLAND
+358 40 840 76 79 info@saaritours.fi
5 day designtour to Southern Finland
Finland is famous for many reasons: Our cold climate, the Midnight Sun, Santa Claus, Saunas. And design. During this tour, which covers part of Southern Finland, we will introduce you to the finest design in glass, stainless steel, wood and other materials formed in small units and very large units, each of them a joy to your eyes.
The Fiskars Village, inhabited by more than 100 design artists, who all live, work, display and sell their products in the village. Since its foundation in 1649, there have been activities in Fiskars. Originally one of the very first ironworks in Finland, Fiskars is today famous for its scissors with the orange handle and many other useful utensils for household and garden. However, the production was moved away from the village, and the village was, like many other villages in industrial Europe, doomed to be another abandoned industrial village. But the Fiskars group, who owned the land and the buildings, decided to restore it as a centre for design artists. In 2007, Fiskars received the first Royal Award for Sustainable Tourism. raf.ew.eea.europa.eu The Fiskars village is part of the city of Raseborg, situated ca 100 kms west of Helsinki.
Tammisaari, today part of the city of Raseborg, was founded by the Swedish King Gustavus Wasa in 1546. It was to be an important centre for trade. However, it never reached that prestigious position. Tammisaari has always been the picturesque small town with all the cosy ingredients needed: Small wooden houses, dating back to the 18th century, apple tree gardens, narrow alleys and garden cafes. All this idyllic tranquillity situated by the sea, is also the port for great excursions out into the archipelago. 82% of the population in Tammisaari speak Swedish as their native language. Finland is a bilingual country where Finnish and Swedish are the official languages. 6% of the population speak Swedish, mainly along the coastal communities.
Tampere is the third biggest city in Finland, 203 190 inhabitants. Tampere is also the largest inland city in the Nordic countries. In Tampere there is an art museum, where you can see design from the Moomin World, for instance the Moomin House designed by the author of the Moomin stories, Ms. Tove Jansson and her friends. Näsinneula, the highest observation tower in the Nordic countries, 168 meters high stands by the shore of Lake Näsijärvi in the Särkänniemi Adventure Park. Besides the rich industrial heritage, there is a lot to see in Tampere: dozens of other museums, galleries churches and exhibitions, original Finnish architecture, breathtaking lake scenery, magnificent glacial ridges, beautiful parks and lush forests next to the city centre. The Tampere Hall is the biggest concert and congress centre in the Nordic Countries.
The population of Lahti amounts to 99 236, which makes Lahti the 7th largest city in Finland. The Lahti area was inhabited already more than 9000 years ago which makes Lahti to one of the oldest inhabited places in Finland. Lahti is best known for its annual World Cup winter games, the Lahti Ski Games (Salpausselän kisat). The Ski jumping events of Lahti Ski Games are part of the Nordic Tournament. Lahti hosts cultural ambitions, and in recent years the building of a large congress and concert center, the Sibelius hall has sparked much controversy amongst the population. Many feel that the money used for these purposes would be better spent on health care and education. Lahti has one of the best known symphony orchestra in Finland, Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonia Lahti). Their main repertoire is the works of the Finnish composer Jean Sibeius.
Helsinki is the capital of Finland and also the biggest city in the country. The architecture of Helsinki is characterized by the many jugendstyles buildings. In Helsinki there are several buildings designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, the most famous being the Finlandia Hall. During our tour we will introduce you to many attractions in Helsinki, one of them being, Suomenlinna, a sea fortress built on six islands. Suomenlinna is one of the Unesco World Heritage Sites. The Senate Square in Finnish Senaatintori, is dominated by Carl Ludvig Engel's architecture as a unique allegory of political, religious, scientific and commercial power right in the centre of Helsinki.
For prices and detailed program, contact leena.immonen@saaritours.fi
