Lying on a soft bed of moss I could have easily drifted off into a deep sleep. Instead, my thoughts turned to my experiences of the morning. After a short drive from Tampere city centre, we pulled into the parking area by the Kauppi Forest, a natural park. Our guide, Karolina, was waiting there for us. She welcomed each one of us with a warm bear hug. I don’t think anyone in the group was prepared for the enthusiasm of this ex-ballet dancer and nymph of the woods. We followed her into the woods.
As we walked, we were encouraged to breathe deeply, touch and smell the trees and shrubs along the way and sip drops of rainwater from the pine needles. I stayed right behind Karolina, curious to see what was going to happen next and to marvel at her total immersion in her natural surroundings.
The gentle pace gave us time to plot our way through the gnarled roots that sometimes strayed across the path. It was so peaceful and far away from my busy mental and physical life. After a while, we stopped at Karolina’s ‘dance studio’, a large open space amongst the trees.
Here we were encouraged to interact with the air around us, to feel it, to move it around us and then finally to dance with it to the music Karolina put on for us. I did try but was curious to see what everyone else was doing so stopped and sneaked a peak. Karolina was moving beautifully in her own world unaware that most of my companions had wandered off. British reserve was clearly a barrier to embracing the Finnish joy of nature.
We reconvened over a cup of herbal tea – flask and wooden cups were produced from the Mary Poppins carpet bag Karolina had brought with her. This cavernous receptacle also contained the lightweight ground sheets we had spread out on the ground before lying down.
When we stood up and moved on there was some resistance to the idea of taking off our shoes and walking barefoot along a mossy path. But Karolina waved this aside by delving in her bag and producing wash clothes. We all complied and were pleasantly surprised at the softness of nature’s carpet.
Näsijärvi Lake in Tampere, Finland
Our walk concluded on the shores of Näsijärvi Lake where we all enjoyed a snack prepared by chef Heikki Ahopelto. Karolina left us here and we followed Heikki, our personal chef and wilderness aficionado to his Restaurant in the Woods.
We sat around a public campfire and watched Heikki and his assistant prepare us a lovely roast dinner – venison, potato and asparagus. This main course was preceded by a tasty fish soup and concluded with a delicious dessert. All three courses were made using local produce.
The necessities for cooking on an open fire were provided on-site – logs, an axe to chop more logs and cooking receptacles. There are several public camp fires in Kauppi Forest. It is a great way to enjoy an al fresco meal in a tranquil, beautiful setting.
That day, 31 August was Finland’s annual Nature Day, which encourages Finnish people’s close relationship with nature and spotlights the health and happiness effects of the country’s beautiful natural settings.
Visitors to Tampere also have the opportunity, not just on that day, to experience some of the joys of nature. Karolina offers a “Gone with the Forest” nature experience through her company Villipihlaja and Heikki offers outdoor eating experiences here Rakovalkeat. The Finns love of nature is not confined to visiting the forest, they also utilise the waters of the lakes and river in Tampere for cold dips after a sauna.
In 2018 Tampere was granted the status of Sauna Capital of the World. Its saunas are of the highest level and it is home to them most public saunas in any city. My sauna experience was enhanced by a meeting with Alexander Lambke, a sauna guide and sauna heater.
We met outside Saunaravintola Kuuma, a public sauna and restaurant, in the middle of the city on the Tammerkoski River. Alexander works in the oldest sauna in Finland, still functioning, and takes steam every day. He told us about the benefits of the sauna and explained the difference between the two types of sauna – the traditional wood-heated sauna and the modern smoke sauna.
Cold Dip Pool in the Tammerkoski River in Tampere, Finland
Under his guidance, we tried both at Kuuma, each one followed by a cold dip in the Tammerkoski River. It was my first experience of a cold-water dip in a river and I found it very exhilarating. Afterwards, I dined in the restaurant and can highly recommend the salmon soup.
My short break in Tampere was a good opportunity to experience one of the reasons why Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for seven consecutive years in the UN World Happiness Report. The proximity of nature to the city offers many different ways to disconnect from daily life – walking, hiking, embracing nature, eating outdoors – encounters with nature that are available to locals and visitors alike.
Fact File
Stay: The Courtyard by Marriott Tampere City Hotel is a modern hotel located close to the main shopping street and within walking distance of the railway station. It is directly connected to the only Moomin Museum in the world and next to the Tampere Hall Conference and Concert Centre.
Fly: Air Baltic is the only airline that offers a direct flight from London Gatwick to Tampere. Regular direct flights from London to Helsinki are operated by several airlines.
Train: There is a regular high speed train service to Tampere from Helsinki. A frequent train service links the main line station in Helsinki with Helsinki Airport.
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