Even More Thoughts About Visiting Finland in the Summer

This is part 2 of my blog posts about visiting Finland in the summer. I recommend checking out Part 1 if you haven’t already. It’ll fill you in on a few basics.

OK, here we go.

Where to Get Craft Beer In Finland

I’m a craft beer fan, especially IPAs, stouts and Belgian quad ales. I also like weird stuff, which is why I was so determined to try sahti during my last visit to Finland (despite what seemed like the country’s collective will to not let me!). Here’s a bit about craft beer places I found. If you want specifics about the beers I tried, visit my Untappd profile.

5Piste5

This quiet spot in Turku would 100% be my number-one hangout if I ever moved to this city. They have a decent number of taps and a great selection of bottles. I had some trouble deciding on a few bottles, which is not a problem I often have.

Many of the selections were from Finland, as well as other countries in the Baltic region. The bartender was knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. She also had a slightly different accent than most of the other people I spoke with, making me wonder if she was from a different country. Still knew her brews, either way!

Juova Hanahuone

By the time I visited this spot, I was starting to learn that all Finnish businesses run on the quiet side — no blaring music, no TVs blasting 287 different sports broadcasts at full volume. It’s really pleasant.

I had a quick brew here, noticing that it had some board games and a “Tired Uncle’s Corner.” I think this is a brewery and also some kind of a Finnish joke. Please feel free to fill me in on the details if you know!

Again, mostly Finnish beers. Not as many stouts as I expected. I went for an IPA called Trippin’ on Pine Cone.

Roudaribaari IHME

This name translates to Roadie Bar, and it’s decorated like a bunch of music venues donated their old soundboards, lights and other equipment to decorate the place. It oozes character, for sure.

Again, this was a quiet place to enjoy beer and a conversation with friends. If I lived in Helsinki, this would probably be where I’d hang out all the time.

Espresso and Coffee in Finland

If you’re thinking about taking a trip to Finland, you’ve probably heard that Finns drink A LOT of coffee. I’m sure that’s true. But they’re different about it.

Here’s my American style of drinking coffee/espresso: I get up, have breakfast and then go grab coffee. This is true whether I’m at home or traveling. I usually get a macchiato (the traditional kind, not the Starbucks marketing abomination) or a cortado. In the summer months, I’ll work espresso tonics into the mix. This will all happen generally before 8 am.

In Finland, coffee houses don’t open that early. The best coffeehouse I found, which was Frukt Coffee in Turku, didn’t open until 11am each day. So I only got there once during our visit — we’d be on our way to our activities long before Frukt opened each day.

Still, Frukt is amazing. They serve a cortado that’s on-par with the best I’ve had anywhere. The barista that day was also particularly enthusiastic and rightfully proud of his work.

Unexpected Discoveries in Finland

My family’s practice when arriving in a new city is simple: We go walk. We go toward whatever catches our eye. Here are a few sites worth mentioning.

Urheliupuisto

We were trying to find a good playground for our daughter to let off some steam. In the process, we stumbled across a stadium on top of a hill. We’d never have known it was there nestled into the forest.

This isn’t just a stadium where you watch events: It’s also where people go to train, exercise and participate. We saw kids working on shot puts, people doing hurdles, small group fitness classes, etc.

Keep in mind that this is a city of about 200,000 with this amazing amenity. There is literally nothing like it in my metro area of nearly 5 million.

Random Thoughts

Let’s wrap this up with some quick thoughts.

Hotels in Finland are a Good Deal

Picture being in a U.S. city and trying to find a hotel. You find one a few minutes’ walk from a major transit hub surrounded by restaurants, museums and other activities. Now imagine the price.

You’re probably not thinking anywhere near $200. But that’s where it falls in Finland. Even better, the price includes breakfast. And not powdered eggs and stale pastries, but a real breakfast.

To put in perspective, a hotel in downtown Helsinki costs about the same (maybe even a little less) than a room at the Best Western Plus in Safford, Az., a town of about 10,000 people. The rooms and the breakfasts are not even close to comparable.

Finns Know How to Do Bathrooms

OK, this is an odd one. But bathrooms in Finland have a practical yet cozy utilitarianism. We’re talking effective water pressure, nice linens and drains on the floor (which I would absolutely love to have in my home’s bathrooms).

Getting Around is Easy

I live in a sprawling, car-dependent hellscape. I can walk around my neighborhood and literally not see another person. It’s quite a schlep to see anything interesting. I could walk to get dinner or coffee or something, but it would take awhile.

And going to a city 100 miles away? If you don’t have a car, you have to take a crappy shuttle or bus. There are no trains.

Finnish cities, though, seem to have a train, streetcar or bus headed very close to where you want to go. And there are bike shares just about everywhere.

Finland is a Loudmouth-Free Zone

Finns aren’t overly talkative about anything at all. You can walk into a store and not have the employees driving you crazy. Random people won’t strike up a conversation. The bars don’t have TVs blaring constantly.

And people are quiet on the public transportation. Even the taxi drivers are pretty taciturn.

Introverts, put it on your travel list!

Knowing a Few Finnish Phrases Helps, But …

I didn’t meet anyone who didn’t speak any English. I’d usually greet people with a “hei” or a “moi,” then I’d explain that we’d quickly blow through just about every Finnish phrase I know. They were all very understanding.

On the plus side, I managed to order food a few times completely in Finnish.

Finland is Extremely Child-Friendly

Got kids? Well, Finland’s a good place to go. It seems like you’re never more than 500 feet from a slick playground. It’s easy to get around for little people, too.

I alluded in my earlier post to kids’ areas in malls. There are probably even more that I didn’t see. There are also plenty of restaurants with kid-friendly options. I also saw kids sports activities everywhere — everything from major youth soccer tournaments to kids learning how to throw a discus.

Older kids will also like the many ropes courses that seem to be nearby almost everywhere.

Be Sure to Visit Secondhand Shops

If you like vintage shops, Finland will keep you busy. There’s all manner of stuff in the secondhand shops, from clothes to furniture to all the random stuff you can imagine.

A lot of the clothes are pretty cool. My wife still wears a dress she found in a secondhand shop during our first visit — this time, she struck hold yet again. She’s bought more dresses in Finland than in the rest of the places we’ve visited combined. Funny, right?

Something for Hockey People

I’m a hockey goalie. Which is a really unfortunate hobby for someone in Arizona. We have precious few hockey shops. I visited a few hockey shops in Finland, hoping to find some unusual gear.

Unfortunately, Finnish hockey shops have largely the same stuff as the stores in Arizona. And they don’t have Brian’s (my current favorite of the big brands). But I did find some unusual toe ties for my pads/skates, and I saw some gear from local brands Kova (neck protectors) and Wall (masks).

Also a bummer: I really wanted to find a t-shirt from a Finnish hockey team. But none of the stores I checked had anything in adult sizes. They had a lot of NHL gear, though.

Bottom Line on Finland in the Summer

Everyone in my family wants to go back to Finland. And we’re all willing to go in summer again, or even in the cold winter to see the aurora. Make of that what you will!