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kathrindeter

✖️Luxembourgish 🇱🇺 / Helsinki since 2010 🇫🇮
✖️Food, Nature, Travel & Lifestyle inspiration for Expats in Finland
✖️Pastry & Pasta eating professional

✖️ 5 TIPS FOR THE KOTKA-HAMINA REGION // Comme

✖️ 5 TIPS FOR THE KOTKA-HAMINA REGION // Commercial collaboration with @visitkotkahamina / @pinghelsinki

The visit to the area of Kotka-Hamina on the Southern coast of Finland was perhaps the biggest surprise on our summer trip! From history to nature, architecture and delicious food - it’s a place full of variety, which makes it also a great destination for a little #nearcation. It’s only about 1,5 hours from Helsinki, so if you've been looking where to go on a weekend trip or go for a day excursion without going too far - I highly recommend Kotka-Hamina!

Here are my top 5 tips for a visit to the area:

1️⃣VELLAMO - the @merikeskusvellamo Maritime Center is a huge museum with several exhibitions that are fun, interactive and educational. My personal highlight was the ice-breaker Tarmo which you can still visit until the end of August.

2️⃣STRÖMFORSSIN RUUKI - the former ironworks villages wooden houses are so picturesque and idyllic, that I can't even believe I hadn't heard of it before. You can visit the artisans' boutiques, enjoy some food, or go paddling on the river.

3️⃣VARISSAARI ISLAND & KIULU SAUNA BOAT - a 10-minute boat ride from Kotka, you can visit the small island of Varissaari that served as a defensive fortress in the 18th century. Go for a wander, enjoy a meal at the restaurant @ravintolavaakku. The sauna boat Kiulu can be conveniently booked by the hour and is a lovely experience!

4️⃣KATARIINA SEASIDE PARK & HAUKKAVUORI TOWER - the park embracing the Southern part of the city of Kotka is a recreational area that's a great place to go for a walk or bike ride. There are some art installations and nature is beautiful. The Haukkavuori watchtower used to be a watertower, with incredible views of the city and out to the archipelago.

5️⃣LOVIISA LAIVASILTA - this beautiful area on the coast of the town of Loviisa was so unexpected! The former salt storage buildings are nowadays home to exhibition spaces, restaurants and shops. A lovely place to explore - I'll bring my parents here when they come to visit!

📷 @flyingsharkbear

#nearcation #visitkotkahamina #kotka #loviisa #laivasilta #vellamo #stromforssinruukki #pinghelsinki

✖️SAVONLINNA & SAIMAA // commercial collaborat

✖️SAVONLINNA & SAIMAA // commercial collaboration with @visitsaimaa_official

We visited the greater area for the first time as the second stop of our summer road trip and oh dear, I love Saimaa even more now! @visitsavonlinna with its people, the castle, surrounded by water, beautiful nature and so much culture to experience - it is definitely a destination I want to come back to and discover more of it.

But for now, here are a few things to put on your list if you come to visit the region (save post for later!):

✨Sights & to-do:
- St. Olaf castle - @olavinlinna is the oldest still standing medieval castle in the Nordics. It’s the pride of the city, and what I love most about it, is that the castle has a great use: it’s the epic backdrop to the opera festival - which attracts thousands of guests every year in addition to the castle visitors. It was great to visit and I’m definitely coming for the festival next year!
- @savonlinna_risteilyt - an introductory 1-hour cruise of the city is so nice, not only do you see it differently from the lakeside but you learn all you need to know!
- Kayaking: mean, you can’t visit the Saimaa Lakeland and not go out to paddle at @harjunportti. Kayaks are my happy place.

✨Accommodation, Food & Drink:
- @hotellipunkaharju isn’t just a beautifully elegant hotel, but a well known destination for foodies. Highly recommend a visit! Loved the dinner up in the tower 🤍
- @kahvilahotellisaima : try the traditional signature dish of the area, “Muikku” - fried vendace. Properly eaten with mashed potatoes but I had a craving for fries. Also: cakes here are great. Also a lovely little hotel in the heart of Savonlinna
- @jarvisydan - this huge lakeside resort with the most beautiful spa and surrounded by a nature is a very family-friendly place to stay and great for those new to or visiting Finland
- @teahousewehmais: enjoy some carefully curated teas and treats - and enjoy local countryside vibes
- @kruunupuisto - further out to the East, we stayed at the gorgeous Villa Urhola. Lovely area and sauna.

#visitsaimaa #saimaamoments #syytätullasaimaalle #ourfinland #savonlinna #thisisfinland #visitfinland

📷 @flyingsharkbear

✖️REVONTULI RESORT // Commercial collaboration

✖️FINNISH SUMMER DREAM I'll miss having the l

✖️FINNISH SUMMER DREAM

I'll miss having the lake right over there for spontaneous swims whenever I feel like it, morning saunas, the sound of the forest and the wind, the simple pleasures of life! The area of Kangasniemi was once the most popular holiday area of Finland, and that’s no surprise. The lakes are beautiful, the forests are lush and it's only roughly 3 hours from Helsinki. A great area for a peaceful cabin holiday where you can enjoy the almost endless golden hour of Finnish summers 🤍 even though we leave the cabin today, we will continue to explore different regions of Finland for the next week, so stay with me! I can’t wait!

We booked this cabin through @rockandlake, where you can find the most beautiful places here in the area, and also book activities - we were kindly invited to join the SUP outing, and a short hiking trip. Highly recommend all their services and the amongst the various cabins there’s something for every group size and budget. We’ll be back 🤍🇫🇮

📷 @flyingsharkbear

#finland #visitfinland #thisisfinland #ourfinland #kangasniemi #rockandlake #finnishsummer #suomenkesä #finnland #finnlandliebe

✖️CABIN TRIP FOOD DIARY & ESSENTIALS I LOVE

✖️CABIN TRIP FOOD DIARY & ESSENTIALS

I LOVE food and being at a basic cabin is no reason to compromise on delicious food! Here’s some grilled inspiration and a couple of things I brought from home that made everything better:

- Toasted baguette with grilled nectarines in lemon, honey and olive oil, topped with burrata cheese is my discovery of this summer
- Vegetarian sausages and “grilletti” from @muutosruoka are the best
- Grilled halloumi and vegetables, such as paprika, mushrooms with green onions and garlic in olive oil (also excellent on grilled bread)
- Bbq burgers with patties from @muutosruoka with @naughtybrgr cheese and buns
- Grillifetapasta after the original pasta from @liemessa - works like a charm from the grill
- Grilled bananas with @foodin herkutella chocolate spread is a great dessert
- Pancakes (lettu style) with freshly picked blueberries from the forest! I brought a @myllarin pancake mix for convenience and I recommend it!

Some essentials brought from home that make cabin life easier and you can just bring leftovers back home:
- pre-mixed lemon-honey-olive-oil-vinaigrette. Great for light and easy salads, or on the halloumi or nectarines. So versatile, keeps long in the fridge and is a million times better than anything store-bought
- Condiments - us Central European love a good sauce so we brought a bunch with us to the cabin: ketchup, vegan chili Mayo, sauce andalouse, bbq sauce and mustard
- Jam or compote - great to add to pancakes or to some yoghurt for breakfast
- bring your favourite drinks! Mostly alcohol-free because of this crazy heat. My go-tos for the cabin are @crispalkoholiton lemon Radler and @mocktails.fi Moscow Mule 😌

#cabinlife #mökkiruokaa #mökkielämää #finland #visitfinland #finnishfood #finnishcabin #ruokapäiväkirja #ruokablogi

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 3: Exploring local

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 3: Exploring local cafés, markets and visiting Vallisaari Island for Helsinki Biennial

The third day of my family visit, we started with a bike ride to the Töölö bay with a coffee break, before tasting our way through the Hakaniemi market hall! @hakaniemen_kauppahalli

3 things I always recommend tasting for those who are interested: Kestoleike for some slices of cold smoked reindeer / “Tsarinlohileipä” the “tsars cured salmon” on rye bread from Marja Nätti / Karelian Pies from Marian Konditoria.

Afterwards, we went for the scheduled nap of the day after running some quick errands, before taking the boat from market square to @vallisaari.fi island for the Helsinki Biennial @helsinkibiennial ! The international art celebration with installations all around the island is a definite must for this summer! But also just Vallisaari alone with its stunning city and archipelago views is just amazing.

For dinner upon your return to the city, there’s no better place than the the summer terrace on Kasarmitori square, which hosts 13 local restaurants with something for everyone! Make your pick and enjoy a lovely meal together.

Here’s the overview of the day:

- Morning: Bike to and then walk around Töölönlahti Bay - one of my all-time favourite spots for a bit of urban nature
- Breakfast: Café Tyyni, Sinisen Huvila Café or Taideterassi - impossible to pick a favourite! Don’t eat too much because we’re moving to the next stop soon which will be all food!
- Day: Local delicacies at Hakaniemi Market Hall
- Afternoon: Take the boat to Vallisaari Island for Helsinki Biennial – Island Hopping Route from - Hakaniemi with @jtline or direct from Market Square @suomensaaristokuljetus
- Coffee or Drinks: Easy Café Vallisaari
- Dinner: Kesäterassi

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 2: Relaxing Island

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 2: Relaxing Island day on Pihlajasaari

After a busy first day exploring the city, it's good to take a slow one to enjoy some nature and go on a boat ride to the island of Pihlajasaari! @jtline take you there in about 20 minutes from Ruoholahti and Merisatama and it is really something else. It never seizes to amaze me how close nature and beautiful spots with rugged wild rocks and beaches are to Helsinki! We went for a walk around the island and then found a shady spot on the beach where I even fell asleep - can't remember the last time I had a beach nap! It was great. We went for a little lunch snack at the restaurant, before taking the boat back.

Here's some more suggestions for your second day in Helsinki:

- Breakfast: Pastry delights @greenbakeleipomo
- Morning & Day: Take the boat to Pihlajasaari island for a walk and swimtime
- Lunch, Coffee or Drinks: @ravintolapihlajasaari
Afternoon: downtime
- Dinner: @goosepastabar or @viinibaariapotek
- Drinks: @buenosairescafeb

Check out the whole post with the 3-day Helsinki itinerary on the blog, linked in bio!

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 1: Sightseeing and

✖️HELSINKI ITINERARY - DAY 1: Sightseeing and Biking around the South

This week, I had some family visiting, and I got the chance to show off summer in Helsinki at its best (except the heat, yes I'll keep complaining). We had some of the most beautiful days and truly made the best of the few days we had. I have put together the WHOLE itinerary (with some tweaks) up in a blog post that's live now - linked in bio!

Important: there's time for a nap scheduled every day.

The first day could look something like this:

- Breakfast: modern at @greenhippocafe or classic at @ekberg1852
- Morning: Take a @hsl_hrt City Bike from Bulevardi down via Hietalahti around Southern Helsinki to Kompassitori. Take a boat ride (for example with Callboats) to Uunisaari or Harakka - you can also walk around the stunning neighbourhood of Eira and beautiful Huvilakatu
- Break: @cafeursula or @ravintolamattolaituri
- Afternoon: continue along the shore towards the Old Market Hall, Market Square and the historic center for a walk around
- Lunch: @sandwichclubhki or @pupucuisine salads
*Naptime*
- Coffee or Drinks: @roundhki for donuts and coffee or @jackiebarhelsinki for an apéritif
- Dinner: @ravintolapamela , @lopezylopeztaqueria or @restaurantnatura
- Evening: Walk around the city until sunset around 22:45 ☀️

Two more ideas for spending days in summery Helsinki coming here soon or in the blog post! Yay!

#myhelsinki #spottedbylocals #helsinki #helsinkilove

On Tuesday mornings we go swim and have possumunkk

On Tuesday mornings we go swim and have possumunkki 🤍 having a coffee moment on the market square is the best. It’s somehow so relaxing, because you can see how people enjoy the “torikahvit”, they take their time and don’t rush. Even though the coffee might not be the best you’ve ever had 😃 the possumunkki though (a fried donut kinda dough here filled with apple jam) is seriously the best at the market cafés 😌no wonder the Finnish President also comes here with his guests once in a while. You know it!

#myhelsinki #helsinki #visithelsinki

✖️MATHILDEDAL & TEIJO Mathildedal is a small,

✖️MATHILDEDAL & TEIJO

Mathildedal is a small, former ironworks village about 2 hours from Helsinki, tucked away by the sea and next to Teijo National Park, it's probably one of the most idyllic and picturesque places you can visit! A lovely destination for a day trip, but we really enjoyed spending the night in the forest cabin and having some quality time exploring the village, discover shops, tasty food, fluffy alpacas and stunning nature.

I really couldn't recommend it more, and even though it's a small place, spending the night here was such a mini holiday and totally worth it.

There's a whole blog post live now with all tips and photos, but here are a couple of my favourites:

✖️1 @matildankartano - lovely place for lunch with a stunning garden - their bakery is just lovely, my favourite was the thyme and lemon baguette 🤤

✖️2 @kasityoverstas.kaarnalaiva - handcrafted brushes - a beautiful shop with lovely products that are both a great and useful gift, but also great to stock up on quality items for your home. I bought all the things and can't wait to take my mum here!

✖️3 & 4 @naturavivafinland - we stayed in their forest cabin by Lake Mathildedal in Teijo National Park. If you crave some nature, this is a great place. From here you can also go kayaking, get a SUP or fatbike or start your hike around the lake! *accommodation and kayak rental gifted

✖️5 @ruukinkehraamo - super soft alpaca wool and knitwear - I love my socks and wish I had bought more. Also: alpacas 🦙

✖️6, 7 & 8 @visitmathildedal 🤍

✖️9 & 10 @petrischocolate is not only a lovely chocolate shop with a beautiful garden where you can enjoy your coffee in the company of apple trees, but also has a small shop in the back rooms with some clothing and home items

If you plan one weekend or day trip this summer, make it this one!

#visitmathildedal #mathildedal #teijo #teijonkansallispuisto #teijonationalpark #ourfinland #visitfinland #finnland #finnlandliebe #Finland

✖️MIDSUMMER 2021 Okay, an early pre-midsummer,

✖️MIDSUMMER 2021
Okay, an early pre-midsummer, took us to Teijo National park just two hours away from Helsinki. We spent the night in a converted fisherman’s cabin, kayaked and swam in the insanely warm (26c!) lake, made friends over bbq and enjoyed the sounds of the forest. The lake views are just so dreamy, and I will never forget that magical mid-night swim.

Hauskaa juhannusta! 🇫🇮🌺

*accommodation and kayak rental kindly gifted by @naturavivafinland 🤍

✖️JUNE HEAT IN HELSINKI As much as we all have

✖️JUNE HEAT IN HELSINKI
As much as we all have been longing for winter to end, this crazy heat is too much for me! Apparently we’re currently experiencing the warmest June that Finland ever had. It’s currently 32C and I am a pancake. Flat and not moving.

Helsinki summers are gorgeous, walking through the streets full of flowers and people enjoying the terraces is great. Remember to stay safe in the heat:

✖️SPF EVERY DAY
✖️avoid physical activity, especially in the height of the day
✖️drink plenty! I got myself a 1l water bottle that has helped a lot with staying hydrated
✖️look after your pets as well! Especially doggos can hurt their paws on hot asphalt
✖️wear a hat to protect your head from the heat, it actually makes a huge difference
✖️going for a swim is great if you can, otherwise a cold foot bath is already amazing

☀️

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