I had the opportunity to live in Finland for 4 months and experience some of the nature and historic cultural sites the country has to offer, one of which is Seurasaari Island.
Originally home to farmers and fishermen living off the area’s natural resources, Seurasaari was later turned into an open-air museum as a collection of farmsteads, barns, homes, woodsheds, windmills, a church, boathouses, and fishing craft from as early as the late 1700s, to the mid-1900s, as well as agricultural, weaving, carpentry, and blacksmithing equipment, providing a snapshot of life in the Finnish countryside from the 18th-20th century.
Located in the Helsinki archipelago, Seursaari is home to over 80 buildings collected since 1909 and relocated from different provinces of Finland.
As much as metropolitan life has its advantages, I love these examples of rustic living from another time (maybe just somewhere a bit warmer than Finland’s winters for my cabin). The island is covered with dense forests, and meadows, and surrounded by rocky outcrops and shoreline, great for hiking and a day out while looking out over the Baltic Sea.
An elevated larder to protect stored Reindeer meat from bears and wolverines.
The island is also home to a range of wildlife. Just a short drive from Helsinki’s city center, if nature is your kind of thing it’s worth the short detour and ticking off your to-do list while visiting.
