HAMEENLINNA, FINLAND: Exploring one of Finland’s oldest cities & walking around the beautiful lakes & castles situated on the edge of Europe’s largest lake district - Finnish Lakeland.
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Visiting Hameenlinna is a straightforward and relatively cheap train ride from either Helsinki or Tampere. I came from the latter with plans to see as much as I could in one well executed day trip. My aim was to spend most of the day in the city and then perhaps a few hours down by the lakes and forests of Aulanko Nature Reserve - enjoying the tranquillity that the great outdoors can bring.
After arriving at one of Finland’s oldest railway stations I headed down to the lake and picked up a well maintained trail that led me through the trees, across the wetland and past several abandoned buildings. There were some wonderful view points as I followed the lakes shoreline, several looking out across to the brick built Hameenlinna Castle and others equipped with tables and seating to just watch the vast waterline of the lake. There were plenty of birds chirping and leaves falling - even an express train or two passing.
After an hour or so I arrived at a magnificent granite castle that served as the entrance to the Aulanko Nature Reserve & Historical Site. The sign listed more castles, swan lakes, hiking trails, bird watching areas, play zones, caves and swimming places so I headed inside. I weaved across a few trails until I got lost in the woods, and just when I was about to re-examine the map I stumbled upon a spectacular lookout tower and viewpoint looking out over the lakes and forest below. It has to be seen to be believed! I was really enjoying my trip to Hameenlinna.
Having spent a few more hours than I planned at Aulanko I walked back towards the city, this time I crossed a fairly modern-looking railway bridge and followed a trail on the other side of the lake back to Häme Castle. I spent an hour exploring the brick structure and learning about its history before continuing on towards the city centre of Hameenlinna.
There I enjoyed walking by a number of old wooden houses and a much more contemporary church (Hämeenlinnan kirkko) that dominated the main square. I also caught up with the statue of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and gazed upon his childhood home that still stands in the heart of the city.
📖 CHAPTERS:
📖 00:00 Intro & Hameenlinna Railway Station
📖 01:19 Lakeside Trail
📖 02:31 Aulanko Historical Park & Nature Reserve
📖 09:39 Another Lakeside Trail
📖 10:50 Häme Castle
📖 14:33 Hameenlinna City Centre
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30 июн 2024
