Helsinki lies no 200 km of drive of Bremen ..... if one takes a ferry from Travemünde. In summer, 2006 the shipping company of Finnlines carried out her 36-hour crossings to Finland still with the 'old' cargo ferries which took max. 114 passengers in 31 cabins. Our ship was the "Transeuropa".
The cars become in the so-called garage off the normal cargo accommodated. The Scots are closed during the crossing. Our caravan stood exactly in the front turning point.
The cabin offers a lot of place with 20 m ² surface as well as bathroom unit with shower / WC.
Entrance to Helsinki in the morning around shortly after 6 o'clock.
The Russian-orthodox church in Helsinki is worth a visit.
The cathedral church lies centrally close to harbour, centre and government quarter.
With the tram line 6 one drives a recumbent 8 and can make, besides, a sightseeing tour by Helsinki. A hold station is the rock church.
About 50 km to the east of Helsinki there lies the city of Porvoo with nice boat houses and her old city centre. Unfortunately, the old church (box in the background) had become severely damaged by an arson.
Mikkeli is removed about 150 km from Helsinki in northeast direction and lies with one of many Finish crossroad points. Knowledge into Swedish language here is not any more useful - there is not also a double sign-posting into Finish / Swedish like in Helsinki here any more. Welcome to Finland!
In Savonlinna lies the worth seeing castle Olavinlinna. Guidances are offered into all possible languages. In summer operas are performed in the castle inner courtyard. Under the tent roof up to 2,000 visitors find place. Only with luck one can still get hold of one or other ticket (50 - 300¤). Many performances are sold off long in advance.
The extensive campingplace on the edge from Savonlinna is divided into tent and caravan areas.
On the way to Kuopio we hit on a well-known "Lidl" market. With it the grill season was also opened for us.
The Puijo is an elevation to the north of Kuopio. From the observation tower one has a wonderful round view.
Left picture: Look after the south via Kuopio.
Right picture: Look in northwest direction.
Fortunately, mosquitoes were hardly to be found. The tourist information was very helpful in the translation for "leaden ribbon" (for weighting of the mosquito-restraining curtain in our caravan door).
The camping place of Sotkamo/Vukatti was small and comfortable. Of course he lay directly with a lake.
In the play of colour of the dusk (here Sotkamo/Vukatti) one could not simply agree enough.
Already lots of kilometres before Kuusamo one met on the first reindeers. The reindeer's breeders let the animals in summer freely walk around in the area. It is usual to warn the oncoming traffic about animals on the roadway. About hundred metres farther in the right picture another reindeer stands directly in the roadway (click on the picture).
With Juuma, about 30 km to the north of Kuusamo, about 10 km away from the Russian border, in a rough, but very attractive area, the nature can be soaked up formally. Canoe driving, Water-Rafting, well signposted hut wanderings with backpack are offered etc. The approx. 12 km long "small bear's path" läd to a (strenuous) however exceedingly attractive wandering one. Besides, all together 4 suspension bridges are to be crossed.
Rapids, waterfall and quiet river segments alternate.
The well labelled footpath leads sometimes at river level, sometimes several metres higher about adjoining hill chains.
One third of the round way leads by a high moor area. Besides, an increase with 200 stairway steps is to be mastered.
Between Kuusamo and Juuma a winter sports area lies in Ruka. An armchair lift is in use for the summer toboggan run generally.
From the summit one has a wonderful view about the scenery.
In Finland one can follow different holiday routes. Our trip leant upon "Via Karelia" which led through the eastern regions of the country.
Then in later visits we also want to explore the middle and the west of Finland.
"Lappi" is the Finish name for Lapland.
Also the Finnish elk's warnings differ somewhat of the Swedish and Norwegian ones.
... and over and over again one strikes abruptly on reindeers on the left and on the right (and also in the middle) of the street.
In Rovaniemi there are 2 camping places: One in the middle of the town and one in the street to Posio. Both places lie on the river.
Here two photos which were shot at the end of July in the distance of 12 hours. On the left at 12:00 o'clock (at noon), on the right at 12:00 o'clock (midnight).
Rovaniemi lies with the polar circle. From here Moscow (1,350 km) is closer in it than, e.g. Hamburg (1,650 km)
The polar circle is also the home of Santa Claus.
Something to the west of the frontier town Happaranda there lies the island Seskarö accessible about a bridge. The matching camping place lies directly with the water.
To the north of Piteå the camping place Borgarudden lies on a land tongue. The place will maintain from the local sports association and - as far as we have seen - in an honourary capacity pursued. The profits flow into the club funds.
The Swedish name "Smultronställe" for a special place Borgarudden has earned really.
To the south of Skellefeteå something in the inland lies the small place Burträsk. The camping place lies near the church with the lake and disposes of boat moorings and a bath place. Shadow places are rare, but we had luck and remained longer than original planned.
From the camping place one reaches about a suspension bridge a narrow land tongue in the middle right into the lake.
Between Örnsköldsvik in the north and Härnosand in the south lies "Höga Kusten", the high coast. In the last ice age the glaciers several lay here hundreds metres high. After the glazes the country was relieved thus of the ice pressure that it also lifts even today 6 mm per year. Many small protected bays have thereby developed. From Bönhamn (picture) there is a ferry line to Högbonden. In the island's lighthouse there is a youth hostel.
Norrfjällsviken also lies very idyllic in a bay. Only the expensive camping place located on the peninsula could not do justice to our expectations. A dubious export hit from the region and the special kind is "Syrströmming": Crossly inlaid Baltic herring in the tin. The contents are very odour-intensive!
The high coast is concluded after the south by the "Högakustbron".
Sundown in Härnösand.
The play of colour is indescribably nice.
At midday temperatures which lay meanwhile considerably more than 30°C to the west of Härnösand we visited the "Västanåfallet", according to prospectus the second-highest waterfall of Sweden.
Far outside, to the east of Hudiksvall, there lies Hullik camping on a land tongue. He lies on the edge of a nature reserve and not far from a sea bath place with sandy beach.
