TRAVEL

HOT SPOT MUNKKI A mobile AROUND sauna by Delicious a frozen lake doughnuts

a pair) and ice-skating on the frozen pond. Then you can relax around a fire in the warmth of a Finnish teepee, have a snowy picnic and listen to live music from the Philharmonic Orchestra. The city boasts a vibrant nightlife with great restaurants, cafés, pubs and breweries to explore. Kajo, a modern yet cosy Finnish restaurant, serves delicious New Nordic-style cuisine, while Finnish and international gourmet food is superb at the cellar restaurant Tiiliholvi – a favourite of . Exploring Tampere on foot is easy and I loved my city tour visiting the indoor and outdoor markets. In Market Hall, the largest covered market in Scandinavia, I tried the local delicacy of verilettu or blood pancakes. Like black pudding, you either love or hate them. RATHER A visit to beautiful little island FULL STEAM from Harbour, a short ferry-ride Tampere is from the mainland, is a must. THAN LATER known as the No trip to is complete without sauna capital a forest walk. A short taxi-ride from my hotel – of the world the Lapland (laplandhotels.com) – I met my forest meditation guide, Karoliina Laitinen. Her company (villipihlaja.fi)specialises in Finland dominates the World Finland is the happiest place on earth, followed by ice swimming in stunning Lake wellbeing and nature experiences. We walked Happiness Report and ranked among the countries with the highest Näsijärvi is a popular weekend pastime. All slowly through trails in the frosty forest, taking Jane Oddy quality of life. The Finnish people are the saunas by the lake have ice holes with the in the atmosphere with all our senses. sees why. She sampled saunas, most content in the world, according to water temperature kept at 10C for hardy bathers. Evergreens – pine, cedar, spruce and conifers beautiful forest walks, icy dips the World Happiness Report. And their Sauna is definitely addictive and it’s easy HELSINKING – are the largest producers of phytoncides, magical land really comes into its own in to see why. It’s a warm, quiet space without Ice holes are volatile plant chemicals thought to boost and even blood pancakes in the the deep midwinter. any distractions coming from the outside. perfect for a wellbeing. I felt great after only 20 minutes magical land of the Finland’s third-largest city Tampere (180km Its many benefits include cleansing the skin, refreshing dip – de-stressed for my journey back to the UK north of ) is frequently voted the best relaxing muscles and relieving stress. post-sauna – and inspired to return soon. place to live. It’s the perfect spot to get close to nature while still enjoying the city. Surrounded Anyone who has ever read the much-loved by lush forest and two large lakes (there are children’s books by Tove Jansson will be more than 200 in the region), it also plays host enchanted by the , which to music concerts, festivals and literary events. opened in two years ago. The Snow is guaranteed in winter and visitors Moomins have a central place in Finnish can enjoy skating, skiing, ice fishing and culture and this exhibition, containing 2,000 curling on the frozen lakes. Nordic walking works donated by Jansson, offers free guided (using poles) is popular, followed by coffee and tours in English every Saturday and Sunday. Finnish doughnuts known as munkki. Tracks in Sorsapuisto Park, next to Tampere Hall, the forest are illuminated until late at night for hosts a Moomin Museum Midwinter event with snowshoeing, skiing or even a husky-dog safari. activities such as snowshoeing (you can hire Tampere is known as the sauna capital of the world, with 33 public baths, and there’s no THE FINNISH PARLIAMENT PHOTO FINNISH experience more Finnish than this. It’s seen as Picturesque a bonding experience and a place for physical EVEN HAS ITS OWN houses near and mental cleansing. The Finnish parliament SAUNA CHAMBER IN a Tampere lake even has its own sauna chamber in which MPs

can debate. A trip to Rauhaniemi public sauna VISIT TAMPERE/LAURA VANZO WHICH MPS CAN DEBATE

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