HAMEENLINNA, FINLAND | Gateway to EUROPE'S LARGEST Lake District (Finnish Lakeland)

Рет қаралды 29,085

Күн бұрын

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.
🇫🇮 See more of my travel vlogs from Finland here → bit.ly/mwt_finland
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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🇫🇮 See more of my travel vlogs from Finland here → bit.ly/mwt_finland
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🎙️ Feel free to ask any questions! All FEEDBACK and COMMENTS welcome!!
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🎵 Unbroken Spirit by Sunfish Grove
🎵 Falling Up by Medité
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Пікірлер: 224

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

THANKS FOR WATCHING!! 👍 If you enjoyed the video please consider LIKING & SUBSCRIBING - they really help me out! 👍 🇫🇮 See more of my travel vlogs from Finland here → bit.ly/mwt_finland | Subscribe for free here → bit.ly/2RyPwto

@kalleheinonen6308 2 жыл бұрын

I live here In Hämeenlinna and its truly amazing to see someone make a video here. And i've been to all these places multiple times but it looks so much beter on video 😂😂

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, Kalle. Really enjoyed my day in Hämeenlinna - some wonderful scenery and nature! Good to know I did it some justice in the video! 😀

@maleeshahettige9332 2 жыл бұрын

Are there part time jobs for international students ?

@kalleheinonen6308 2 жыл бұрын

@@maleeshahettige9332 im pretty sure there are, not 100% sure tho 😅.

@Cikeb 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed your little Hämeenlinna adventure, but I have to inform you about that "Granite castle" you found in the Aulanko nature reserve. It was never a real military installation, or even a functioning castle. It was built in the late 19th century as a sort of romantic decoration of the park area. The Häme castle on the other hand, is the real thing of course. There is also a third "castle" in the area. A large manor building called Vanajanlinna, built in the 1920's. It houses a hotel and restaurant nowadays.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the details, Crispy. Interesting to hear about the granite castle, what an entrance! Shame it didn't have a few information signs around it, or perhaps it did and I missed them. I didn't realise there is a third castle, looking at a map it's quite a way from the centre, wouldn't have been a long walk if I'm looking at the correct site. A very enjoyable day!

@TheRawrnstuff 2 жыл бұрын

The Granite Castle was built 1887, and the stage that you see is used for plays by the Hämeenlinna youth theatre - a tradition that begun in the 1950's.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting, thanks for the information. What a great setting for a show!

@WITYTRAVELS 2 жыл бұрын

Finland looks so beautiful! Love the trees and lakes and the wooden houses. The well area was very interesting. Super cool double decker train!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Love the place, hope to go again at some point and visit some of the more northern areas! Train was awesome, pretty empty too!

@pame8115 2 жыл бұрын

Welcome to Finland 😃 i recommend summertime to visit. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bJmlo9Z-ms61gZs.html

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

What a spectacular video! I need to spend more time in Finland.

@ScenesBySevy 2 жыл бұрын

Once again, really well made and great information. That must've been a good walking exercise ;) Great to not only see the Castle and City but also the lakes and forests nearby.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Sevy, glad you enjoyed it! I've got to admit that part of me was glad to get on that train at the end and relax for a bit, it was a pretty intense day with quite a few miles covered! Enjoyed it though, could have spent the whole day walking those trails and seeing more of those lakes - lovely place!

@agilitas8859 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for visiting my hometown, feel always welcome to come back! ❤

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Agilitas, I'm sure I'll return one day. Loved my visit!

@EiraAimo 2 жыл бұрын

The cathedral is inspired by Pantheon in Rome. Built in 1798 but as usual, modified couple times during the years.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes I see! I thought it might have been connected to the Helsinki Cathedral when I first saw it. Interesting to know the history, thanks for letting me know.

@mariamm9460 17 күн бұрын

Every each of Finland cities have Lakes around , how beautiful Hameenlinna is ❤You doing great to share videos Matt, gives Love and safetyness to see own country is so lovely and peaceful, thank you 🇬🇧❤🇫🇮

@MattWhitingsEurope 17 күн бұрын

Glad you like them! I did a lot of walking on this day but thoroughly enjoyed seeing so much of Hameenlinna!

@mariamm9460 17 күн бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Matt❤Love your videos not only like 😄look I wrote Hameenlinna 🤣🤣hame is ladys skirt in finnish , correct is Hämeenlinna ...lol .I laugh here oh . Enjoying your walks , today I was thinking how many kilometers you been driving in Finland ..40.000? .my quess ..😄❤

@MattWhitingsEurope 17 күн бұрын

On this trip it wasn't all that many, I didn't hire a car and just relied on the trails to get me around! Haha I like the Hameenlinna comment!

@mariamm9460 17 күн бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope 🤣nice you like my comment hameenlinna 🤣🤗is that "skirtcastle" in english 🤣🤣oh my ..❤🤗

@MattWhitingsEurope 17 күн бұрын

😂😂

@tiistai9696 11 ай бұрын

Cant wait for you to continue doing videos of Finlands not so touristy places. There are numerous videos about Helsinki, but not so much about less known places like Hämeenlinna or Pori.

@MattWhitingsEurope 11 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'll be posting more from Finland on my channel next year, I won't say where yet but it's an area that's mostly off the tourist route. Glad you're enjoying the videos, thanks for watching.

@tiistai9696 11 ай бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Great to hear.

@jutsco 2 жыл бұрын

That drone footage from Aulanko was absolutely stunning. It's nice to see that country where I live surprises me at times with its beauty.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Jutsco. Really enjoyed my walk through Aulanko! It was good to get the drone up.

@ennipeltoniemi 2 жыл бұрын

As someone who lives in Hämeenlinna, this was beautifully made! Thank you❤️!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Enni. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

@chrishubbard4754 2 жыл бұрын

Just came a cross this Great video, I’ve lived here for 16yrs, thanks for giving Hämeenlinna and Finland such a positive outlook. Have a great day😊

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Chris, it was my pleasure. Thoroughly enjoyed my day in Hämeenlinna - can't wait to return to Finland!

@KATHYSLUITER 2 жыл бұрын

Love to hike those trails, so beautiful. Thanks for exploring such a beautiful region.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome Kathy, it was a very enjoyable day! I'm really pleased I followed that lakeside trail at the beginning of my day otherwise I would have missed so much!

@tiistai9696 11 ай бұрын

Lakeland region is at its best during summer, but great video anyway

@1HarryH 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent drone scenery from Hämeenlinna. Great video. I wish you a happy 2022⭐️✨

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, glad you like it! A really interesting city. All the best for 2022!!

@Travelmomentsbydh 2 жыл бұрын

Wow...amazing sceneries... ❤❤

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Dulkith - definitely a cool place!

@Whatshisname346 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. Hämenlinna, like a lot of Finnish cities is very underrated. The Finnish tourism authorities tend to undersell the charm of these places. I’ve often remarked that if they were in Ireland or the UK they’d be jammed with day trippers simply be being there. Other local sights worth visiting (if you’ve a car) include Visavuoren museo, studio of the sculptor of Helsinki stations lantern carriers and if you really want to get up close to military equipment, the Tank museum. There’s also some brilliant trail runs held in Aulanko if you’re into that sort of thing. Thanks for the video!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information, Michael. I agree that the city has a lot to offer and is perfect for a day trip, maybe even a few days if you have the time. I loved the trails along by the lake and into Aulanko - beautiful place. Thanks for watching the video!! 👍

@oh2mp 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for these videos about my home country, Finland. I just found your channel and watched some of the videos and now I'm going to watch them all. You have done your "homework" well with the history etc. I like a lot of this kind of videos that foreign tourists make about Finland because you have somehow different point of view than us locals. Because it looks that you like history and castles, I strongly recommend to visit Savonlinna town in the Eastern Finland. There's medieval Olavinlinna (St. Olavs castle) that is my favorite of Finnish old castles. Also, if you're more interested about Jean Sibelius, his later home, Ainola, is a museum today and it's located quite near to Helsinki. You can get there in a half hour by a local train. Please notice that it's open only in summertime.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for your comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I did some reading before I travelled as I like to know the history of where I visit - always find it interesting! Thank you for your tips on Savonlinna and St. Olavs castle, I have made a note of them on my map as I would very much like to visit the east of Finland at some point in the future. Hämeenlinna is beautiful, so glad I visited the parks and forests just outside of the city centre - what a wonderful area! Thanks for watching.

@elmeris9907 2 жыл бұрын

i have never been so excited to watch a video about my home town even tho I know everything about it

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Haha I hope I did it justice! 😀

@juri_xiii9977 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for showing my hometown,Welcome..!!!!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Thanks for your comment.

@CuisineandCooking 2 жыл бұрын

wonderful, like it very much, thanks my dear friend for sharing the nice video, stay connected, looking forward to more updates.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I will

@juusojuuso9214 Жыл бұрын

Aulanko is my favorite place in the world, especially the outlook plateau. I rarely visit the tower as the height makes me queasy, but the view is amazing.

@MattWhitingsEurope Жыл бұрын

To this day I'm still disappointed the tower was closed, would have loved a visit to the top to admire the views. Thanks for watching!

@domeoriginal 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video for my hometown, Cheers!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tomi, a really enjoyable day. You live in a beautiful area!!

@finchaplin 2 жыл бұрын

I was born there, what a beautiful city that is, esp. in summer its perfect.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

I'd love to see it in the summer, I bet things look quite different. Lovely place!

@eavxphilgrlifeinhongkong 2 жыл бұрын

I love ur vedios very amazing the place the countries u visit and sharing the beautiful and wonderful place it mke inspired to all of us .Finland amazing .tkcare and god bless...thank u Matt

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, it was a wonderful trip full of surprises. Thanks for watching! 😀

@icehockeyfan3626 2 жыл бұрын

I dont know if you knew but I do live in Hämeenlinna and in Sibelius park, if you sit on bench, it starts to play muisc by Sibelius

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Someone else mentioned that the other day but I had no idea when I visited - if I had of known I would definitely have sat down and enjoyed the show! It's a wonderful touch when you think about it. Thanks for letting me know, much appreciated. 👍

@pkk2122 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video about my home town 😊❤️

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Päivi. Hope I did it justice! 😀

@pkk2122 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Yes, you did justice 🥰

@Musafir_Vlogs 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Matt, I Loved the video. enjoyed it. New subscriber looking forward to more.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Musafir, glad you enjoyed it. Always good to connect with other like-minded people here on YT.

@InnerPeaceAtlanta 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely Great share! Beautiful Finland! thank you!! Leaving full support my 💖 friend. Have a Lovely Day Greetings!⭐🎬like66

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, it is much appreciated. Looking forward to seeing more from your channel over the next few days.

@thankyou991 2 жыл бұрын

Thank You

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@theunknown3410 2 жыл бұрын

My hometown❤

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@hifi119 2 жыл бұрын

Loved the video :)

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, that's really nice of you to say!

@hifi119 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope We're a Finn-Brit couple from Helsinki and watched a few of your videos. There's a lot of info and history which is really interesting to us both :>

@Salmar80 2 жыл бұрын

I truly appreciate your dedication to your craft, and all that hard work. That was a whole lotta walking! Hämeenlinna has many small wonders to it. To be honest, it's not competing for world titles. Instead, it's a wonderland for kids and adults who have an imagination. It has 3 castles. 2 of which are kinda fake but still fun. It has a city park with best sledding between trees and onto the ice. It has an actual swan lake. In the summer, so much swimming anywhere.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! Yes I did quite a few steps on that day - enjoyed it a lot though! I think your description is spot on, I'd love to have seen it in the snow - a proper winter wonderland I'd bet! Thanks for watching the video.

@isabelasensioandres 8 ай бұрын

Thank You 🇫🇮 for the green views before the snow. I wonder.. how it is possible in January? Maybe I lost the information about the season or month.

@MattWhitingsEurope 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching Isabel. It was filmed in November about a week before the snow blew in. I'd love to go back some day to see it in white!

@Christine.corneille 2 ай бұрын

Interesting video

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 ай бұрын

Glad you think so! 👍

@pekieeken8361 2 жыл бұрын

Hämeenlinna, kiitos.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Olet erittäin tervetullut! Ihana paikka.

@AS-vb2ci 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, thanks! With the medieval castle of Häme there are also many hill forts dated back to the Iron and Viking Age around here in Hämeenlinna. Or should I better say in the valley of Vanaja (the lake), ancient place to live for tribes of Häme. I live next to one of the hill forts and enjoy hiking there wondering how it was when men of Häme had to defend their livelihood on the hill forts against marauding Novgorodians, Karelians or Vikings. Actually You visited one of the hill forts! The observation tower of Aulanko is build on one. It was not for fight, but served as a refuge fort for women, minors and cattle due to its remote location far a way from the center of villages and Varikonniemi.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for the information, I didn't realise the tower was built on one! Really interesting to learn more about the area's history. It always amazes me to think about what those days would have been like, and how much they achieved all those hundreds of years ago. Thanks again for taking the time to give me those details - fascinating to read. 👍 Glad you enjoyed the video.

@benjespina 2 жыл бұрын

Attended a wedding out in Vanajanlinna two weeks ago. Truly beautiful!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds lovely, that's just over the lake from where I was? I think someone else might have mentioned Vanajanlinna - isn't it an old castle or manor building?

@benjespina 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope yes it is an old manor with the best golf course in the country. :)

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ha I’ll keep that in mind. Sounds very nice though!

@MS940 2 жыл бұрын

Nice to bring out my home country 👍 In my view Finland have only 3 main castles. That makes every one them very significant in their own ways. Your channel should have much more views!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your support and kind words. Where would you say the three main castles are? I heard in another comment on this video about St. Olavs castle and so that's one I'd like to visit in the future. Loved my trip to Finland, looking forward to more visits in the future. Thanks for watching.

@MS940 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Thanks commenting. Greater medieval castles are, Hämeen linna, Olavinlinna and Turun linna. Both Turun linna and Hämeen linna have suffered bit using them as prisons during long history. I used finish names because they don't translate very nicely.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I'll definitely look those up. Thanks for the information, very helpful indeed.

@RagnellSir 2 жыл бұрын

You should also check out (the history of) Raseborg (swe) castle or Raaseporin linna (fin) in my hometown of Raasepori, southern Finland. It's a bit difficult to get to, i.e no public transport, but definently worth a visit, if one is in the region. It's a short drive south of Karjaa, the city halfway on the Turku-Helsinki railwayline.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion, Niklas. I'll definitely make a note of it - the castle looks pretty old from the photos I've seen!

@WhenAdventureKnox 2 жыл бұрын

10 euros for a 45 minute train doesn't sound too bad given that Finland is meant to be very expensive. The 1st lakeside trail was lovely. Is it possible to rent the boats or were they privately owned ones? The nature reserve also looked lovely, but wouldn't have been a fan of the mud! Couldn't agree more about the beautiful cobbled streets and the wooden houses there are so cute too! Great video and lovely again to see a country I'm yet to make it to!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

I forgot to add that the 10 Euros was a return ticket, so 90 minutes of travelling! I thought it was a great deal. I'm not entirely sure about the boats, I wondered the same thing but couldn't see any details once there or online afterwards. No signs, rental information or cabins so I guess they are privately owned. When I was in the city I saw a sign for cruises that went from Hameenlinna all the way to Tampere, I had no idea you could do that but when I looked at a map later on I realised that it is possible! I'm sure you'll make it to Finland in the not too distant future but in the meantime I'm glad I could whet your appetite.

@velttovee2052 2 жыл бұрын

I think there is boat rentals in Aulanko Hotel, I dont use them myself but live in Hämeenlinna. Also near Railwaystation is place where they rent cajaks

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information. Veltto. Taking one of those boats out onto the lake sounds like a fun day, especially in the summertime!

@karvakorva22 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope There are 10 free to use row boats during summertime, sadly the info on citys website is in finnish only.

@arja.h4800 2 жыл бұрын

thanks a lot, well told about the city in english Thank you

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Arja, glad you liked it.

@arja.h4800 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope this is my city, I liked the way you present the city

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Arja, it was a fun day!

@theboysidk6347 2 жыл бұрын

I live on Hämeenlinna and i was like this when i saw this video😳

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Haha cool place, enjoyed my day! 😃. Thanks for watching!

@Siphaeon 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video! Aulanko park is pretty much on my backyard lol (at 3:02 your finger hovers over my house) Btw, in the first half of that "Lakeside Trail" part you're walking in Varikonniemi, area that has history dating back to iron/bronze age so Hämeenlinna is quite an old establishment and has tons of interesting locations and little secrets all around. The ruins you walk on at 1:50 used to be old military barracks and just a stone's throw away from it was the archeological dig site from which they found stuff like spearheads, pieces of ceramics etc between 1986-1994. From the area has also been found 3000 year old poles that were used in fishing and in 1895 they found a silver treasure.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

That's amazing, thanks for the information Kai. I wondered what that concrete structure near the 1:50 mark was - I suspected it might be an old train station or something like that. Good to get some more info on it. Thanks for commenting, as you can see I had a thoroughly enjoyable day in your wonderful city!

@mikkoolavijarvinen3653 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope There used to be a steam powered sawmill in the area, but I think that structure is from the Cold War era, when there was an army depot. (It might have indeed been some kind of a train loading platform, they had also railroad tracks there).

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mikko, I did see lots of old abandoned buildings in the woods near that concrete platform so an old military base would make sense. Part of me wishes I’d explored that area a bit more thoroughly, sounds like there’s lots of interesting finds to be had! Thanks for the information. 👍

@Siphaeon 2 жыл бұрын

@@mikkoolavijarvinen3653 There was indeed some tracks and even two abandoned handcars (me and my friends lifted one on them tracks and rode it around as kids in late 80's I think). There was also a loading docks etc. but everything was already pretty run down back then. Back then most of the barracks were still standing though (not much but walls, floor and roof) but they burned down one by one and IIRC the last one burned around mid/late 90's. We lived on the other side of train tracks not too far away so the whole area was often our playground.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Fascinating! Sounds like you have some great childhood memories. Thanks for sharing some of that history with me, really interesting.

@aatos5621 2 жыл бұрын

Oh! I'm from hämeenlinna!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful area, enjoyed my trip there!

@SirHietsu70 2 жыл бұрын

You have to go Bears Lay, few hundred steps down

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Markku, I didn't realise it was there! Thanks for the information, it was a beautiful area!

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

Most Finns do know english, but we are mainly shy talkers to strangers.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah I see. Thanks for the information, everyone that I did speak to were friendly and helpful. 😀

@fameuzko6000 2 жыл бұрын

I want just say one thing and it is that small castle in Aulanko, Hämeenlinna was not place where sodiers were defending. It is only a monument what which looks wery cool.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Fameuzko, thanks for the information. A few other people have mentioned that, it's all very interesting! Thanks for the comment.

@pame8115 2 жыл бұрын

Hey mates in England. 😊 Welcome to Finland. I was few years ago in England with my brother. Gatwick---> to near Liverpool i dont remember place name but nice green countryside just same landscapes than in TV serie "Emmerdal" 😃👍 so awesome.. But anyway in Finland you have lot of to see if you like nature 👍

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the warm welcome, Pame. Sounds like you visited the Yorkshire Dales, definitely a beautiful area of England and one that I have yet to make it to! This is my second trip to Finland, you sure do live in a beautiful country!

@pame8115 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Thank you! You and all others very warm welcome just want it to say. I live in Turku. Today morning was winterstorm here 😂 snow everywhere.. even in my nose when i go out with my dogs 🤷🏻‍♂️😂 they dont like it.. it was quick visit outside..

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds crazy, I would love my next visit to be in the snow but I know it's not to be messed with in Finland - can get brutally cold! Love the look of it though. Visited Turku on my last trip, enjoyed my stay. They were renovating the market square so I bet that looks different now. Cool city!

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

I think you should listen to your dogs and stay inside haha 😂

@pame8115 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Yeah 😂

@sampohonkala4195 2 жыл бұрын

My old home town. The first castle you found is a folly, built by colonel Standertskjöld who was so rich he couldn't figure out where to put all his money - so he built the park, the castle, the tower and made the ponds and trails around them in the forest. It is still an impressive place but not as glorious as it was during the colonel's time. Even though the first castle was a folly, you also walked into a real fort in the park without noticing it. (Nobody does.) The hill where the tower is, is an ancient hill fort, but during the centuries the stones of the low walls were pushed down the cliff, because that made an amusing noise, crashing through the trees and bouncing from the cliff. Hill forts are typical of the area, and most often there is one side that is really steep, and stone and log walls were built along the other sides so that the site was easy to defend. Hämeenlinna is a quiet town, but has a nice location and surroundings, also very easy to reach from Helsinki or Tampere. It is at the edge of the Finnish Lakeland in a broad sense, Lakeland stretches to the northeast from here - to the west of Hämeenlinna there are hardly any lakes and they are considerably smaller. Hämeenlinna used to be an important garrison town but no longer is, that is the reason for the military museum.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

That's incredible, thanks so much for taking the time to write all of that down - I find the history fascinating! This Colonel Standertskjöld sounds like a real character, he must have had an obscene amount of money for his time. I was sad to see the observation tower closed, I'm sure there would have been some wonderful views from the top. Any idea as to why it's closed? Thanks again for all the information, really interesting to read it all.

@fl4shi238 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope the red/yellow tape says it's a construction site. I guess they are renovating it.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

@sampohonkala4195 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope The tower is closed for repairs, I am quite sure they will open it again, hopefully soon. Standertskjöld was a CEO and then owner of an arms and ammunition factory in Tula, Russia. He made a deal of supplying bullets for the Russian army, based on a fixed price of metals at the time of the deal, taking the risk of price hikes. He warned the government that a fixed price might not be ideal for the government - probably because he was not so willing to take the risk himself - but a long term, fixed price deal was made. Right after that, new lead reserves were found and the world market prices of metals plummeted. Another family that the Tula factory had made rich already in the 1700's was the Russian Demidov family, considered the richest in Russia right after the Romanovs.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

@@sampohonkala4195 What a crazy story, it's rotten luck that a new lead reserves were found but that's always going to be a danger with deals like that! Thanks again for the information, always interesting to read about the places I've visited and get some insider information.

@hurri7720 2 жыл бұрын

As Jean Sibelius was mentioned, Finlandia is no doubt his most known music. Two good performances here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fJuqmsKSy5_GaJc.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nKtghcWB2KmdpXk.html

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Hurri, very useful. I will take a listen! 👍

@Treis-- 2 жыл бұрын

I live in Hämeenlinna and quite near of the train station

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

That's great Treis, I must have walked close to your home. Lovely area, got lucky with the weather - it was so bright and beautiful. Thanks for watching the video!

@larsramensperger9697 2 жыл бұрын

MMMMMhhhhh meine 2. Heimat, ich LIEBE Hämeenlinna

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Wunderbarer Ort, habe meinen Besuch wirklich genossen! Danke, dass Sie sich das Video angesehen haben.

@jalsinghchahal6933 11 ай бұрын

👌👍💯

@MattWhitingsEurope 11 ай бұрын

☺️

@krazyflipy5801 2 жыл бұрын

Ancient Star City. The best preserved one in Finland is Hamina/Fredrikshamn. So beautiful. Check it out. ;)

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Krazy, where is Fredrikshamn? When I searched the map I could only find one in Denmark! Thanks for the tip.

@krazyflipy5801 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Look to the East, 145 km from Helsinki along the coast (which is pretty much riddled with ancient Star Fort remnants). Search using the Finnish name of the town, Hamina. Many Finnish towns still bear traces of the original Star layout, including my little West Coast town. Hamina/Fredrikshamn the by far best preserved one.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes I see it now. Thanks for the information, I have made a note of it on my map.

@pirjomyllymaki8812 2 жыл бұрын

Kaunis kaupunki.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Täysin samaa mieltä! Todella nauttinut vierailusta - kiitos katsomisesta.

@SamiPartanen. 2 жыл бұрын

Too bad You didn't go see the bears at the Aulanko park. Just the few steps down from the view point next to the tower.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah I must have missed them. I take it you're talking about statues?

@SamiPartanen. 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Yeah, the statues waaaaaay down below. Also just under the view point are some frescos from 1934. And if You are around here again, try to visit these places: Vanajanlinna with interesting past including in example Willy Daugs. The Parola Armour museum and Iittala glass village/factory etc.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

It's a shame I didn't have time to walk down to the lake's edge, the whole area looked so pretty. Thanks again for the suggestions, there's clearly lots to see in the area!

@gordo4559 4 ай бұрын

I may have missed it but please say what month it is when your visiting a place. I do appreciate you saying the cost of things it helps me when planning a trip to Finland in the summer of 2025

@MattWhitingsEurope 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, glad the videos are helping. This was filmed in mid-November just before the snow came in! I've got more videos from Finland coming soon, in the meantime I hope you have a wonderful trip!

@gordo4559 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for the reply I have checked out your other videos on Finland and enjoyed how well you are versed on the history of the area and yes I have subscribed to your channel kiitos

@MattWhitingsEurope 4 ай бұрын

That's great, thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos. Thanks for watching 😄

@jaakkohaikara9108 2 жыл бұрын

Came to Forssa please

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion, if I visit in the future what should I look out for?

@katriarjava658 2 жыл бұрын

Glad that you make an effort in pronounciation of local names. Your first try to pronounce Häme was better. Ä is always pronounced like in "ham" and the e in the end is not silent. Just like in Tampere ( not Tamperay, though). If you say Finnish words using English rules you are definitely going to fail.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tips, Katri. I'm interested to know how you pronounce Tampere? I did some research before I travelled and it wasn't conclusive so I ended up going for the most popular suggestions. Would I be right in thinking that Hame rhymes with 'came' and 'same'? Thanks for your comment, very helpful.

@QuesoQt 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Häme doesn’t rhyme with came and same, it’s more like a combination of ham (like Katri said) and ment without the nt-ending (ment as in environment), so ha from ham + me from ment = Hä-me :D Tampere has three syllables, Tam-pe-re, the first one most people get right, it’s almost like ”some” but with a t. The first syllable also holds the weight. Pe is kinda like the me in Häme but with a p. Re the same thing but with a rolling r, if you know do _re_ mi fa so la ti do, that’s it :D Basically every vowel is always pronounced the way it is in that phrase. (Except people pronounce do-re-mi a bit modified in English so… oh well, that’s at least a start :D) Most words are easier to pronounce when you know how many syllables there are and practice them one at a time!

@Jrgosman 2 жыл бұрын

Yooo my city is finally being shown

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Hope you like it - really enjoyed my day there!

@juhosaarinen2747 2 жыл бұрын

I'am from hämeenlinna😎

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Terrific place, Juho. Hope I did it some justice - really enjoyed my day trip there 😃

@lennikarlen3650 2 жыл бұрын

I live there

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice, I bet it's frozen up right now. Would love to see it in the snow!

@fameuzko6000 2 жыл бұрын

I live in hämeenlinna

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing place, really enjoyed my day!

@xa--ee3pp 2 жыл бұрын

I'm from hämeenlinna.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful place, enjoyed my day exploring the lakes and parks. 👍

@teemumikkola7261 2 жыл бұрын

I live in hämeenlinNa

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Cool, hope you like the video! I really enjoyed my day, wonderful place!!

@SirHietsu70 Жыл бұрын

Aulanko wasnt military castle.

@MattWhitingsEurope Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information, Markku. Interesting place!

@Peter-oh3pm 2 жыл бұрын

In Britannia you have "a Lake Land" with some lakes. Hole Finland is LAKE LAND.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ha yes I got that impression when I was travelling between the cities, just countless lakes and a seemingly never ending forest interspersed with the occasional village. Absolutely stunning! I was tempted to just get off the train at certain points and aimlessly wander around, enjoy some of the scenery.

@FinnlandIlpoPietinen 2 жыл бұрын

Suomi mainittu.

@veikkoville1 2 жыл бұрын

Aaand this is the city i used to live for 23 and a half years. Great summer city, boring during winters. Nothing interesting happens during winters there.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

It was certainly very quiet but I really enjoyed my visit even though it was in the winter. Thanks for watching!

@krazyflipy5801 2 жыл бұрын

Also lots of Star Forts in Finland. Olavinlinna in Savonlinna the grandest one in my opinion. Something is not right with official history. "Star bastions" are said to be an early 16th C Italian invention, prompted by the arrival of gun powder warfare. Yet a quick study of maps from the 1400's says almost all significant towns of Europe were Star Cities. From Königsberg to Amsterdam to Palmanova. Finland's towns no different. Strange, though - none of my history teachers said 1 word about it; neither has any professional historian I ever encountered. Yet it was - quite clearly so - thee most prominent urban layout style for centuries. How come? Why is that? Am I to believe as good as all urban citizens of Europe (rest of the world also riddled with Star Forts and Cities, but I'll leave that for now) reshaped their towns in a generation or two, to defend against cannon fire? Not credible; not buying it. Makes 0 sense. The average human is left with a choice: Call the people asking quite relevant, rational and valid questions based upon tangible evidence "crazy mud flood conspiracy theorists" or to look at the actual evidence - historical representation as well as direct contemporary field study. No idea, personally, what is what. The cold, hard truth is that I don't even know whether this is the year i1022 or 2022, nor what that means. The majority of humanity is sound and fast asleep - great, absolutely crucial riddles pertaining to their history and commonly sanctioned reality right in front of their noses, everyday, all the time. What is "history"? All I know is it becomes rather tricky business after 60 years or so.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, Krazy. I'm not sure I'm qualified or sufficiently knowledgable to give you an answer, perhaps someone who is reading the comments will be able to give you there thoughts. Thanks for watching!!

@krazyflipy5801 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Eyes, ears and a brain in my head - all anyone needs. Science is science - scientism is politics. ;)

@osku4420 2 жыл бұрын

Hämeenlinnas central park is always quiet and dead. Lived 10+ years here I have to say, nothing to do nothing new after when you have been in every place few times. Compared to Porvoo, very dead place

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

I would imagine there are lots of hiking and walking trails around the park and city? I enjoyed my day in both Hämeenlinna & Porvoo, there always seems so much to see when you're there for a day trip! Thanks for the comment!

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

You pronounce it more like Hamiinlin-na

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mazz, that's very useful. I did try to figure it out on the train journey but even the examples I looked at online contradicted one another.

@ortti8397 2 жыл бұрын

Katumajärvi (Lake of Regret) has greatbstory behind it. When swedes tried to forcing Finns to christianity, people from Häme washed their forced christianity away in that lake 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 in fact 2022 i'm going to swim in that lake to wash my christianity away. I want to be free as pagan 😊 oh, and there is song made about that lake by Pain Confessor, pretty fucking great band from Hämeenlinna

@krazyflipy5801 2 жыл бұрын

Yes. :) The Awakening came. I am of ancient Asir and Vaner blood. Voice of the ancestors singing in my veins. Valko-Jeesus is not mine; never was.

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

I didn't know that, Ortti. Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated.

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

Lived most of my life in Hämeenlinna. You pronounce it in english -> Ha mi, not Häyme. Finns say e like you say i. So yea, HAM is closer to correct. So try say it like Hamiinlin na

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes the double 'n' makes sense at the end there - very helpful. Also I see what you mean regarding the castle's name - I suppose in English we would write 'hammy' to sound that out. Very useful, thanks very much for the information. 👍

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Ä is hard letter to pronounce, so just go with A, we can understand it most cases. Same goes with Ö, you can just O, in english. Finnish language uses lots of double letters, like the word kat-to is roof. Gotta say the double T. Say it slower and smoother.

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

or katto can also mean ceiling, depends if you are inside or outside the building.

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Ask Finnish person to say you the letter E, you will hear it as letter I. Or more likery you wil hear Iiiiii. :)

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

That's all really interesting, Mazz. I have a lot of respect for people who can speak (and read) more than one language - it's very impressive and I'm certainly envious of their ability. The double and additional letters keep catching me out!

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

If you get bored on the travels between cities, you look up some funky words like: lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas Longest one^^

@MattWhitingsEurope 2 жыл бұрын

Woah Mazz!! I thought pronouncing Tampere and Hämeenlinna were tough enough - I don't know where I would start with that one 😂. What actually does it mean?

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope They are just names, they mean nothing^^ Propably were just easy names to remember as Finn.

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

@@MattWhitingsEurope Lahti is easy to pronounce, no tricks there. Lahti means BAY area, propably only cityname with a meaning.

@carisballing 2 жыл бұрын

@@mazz85- Only city name with a meaning? How about these for starters: Hämeenlinna: the castle in Tavastia (Hämeen linna). Helsinki: originally Helsingefors, ie the rapids where the hälsingar settled. Or where the rapids make out the form of a neck (hals). Turku: from Balto-Slavic turgu or Old Norse torg, meaning marketplace. Or Åbo --> a river with a settlement. Porvoo: originally Borgå, ie a river with a "castle" or fortification. 🏰

@mazz85- 2 жыл бұрын

@@carisballing Not in direct dictionary translations they dont mean anything, cities anyway. Tampere, (Häme), Helsinki, Turku, are just names. Lahti means a bay, Kotka means Eagle. (Yes, few exceptions.) Does not mean they dont have lived history.