Midsummer at Viikinsaari
- Cat Holladay
- Sep 8, 2017
- 4 min read
Ever wonder what the Finns do on Juhannuspaiva? That's Midsummer for those of you who don't speak Finnish. Don't feel bad, we don't speak it either! But this day (a celebration of the longest day of the year) is a very important national holiday in Finland. The traditional elements of a Finnish midsummer celebration are fire and water, music and dance, and outdoor games under the national flag and birch trees.
Many celebrate at the family lake cottage. However, if you live in Tampere a visit to the island of Viiikinsaari is on the agenda for the special day. We planned to join the locals at the "Viking Island" for a picnic, music, and relaxation. Since Adam's parents were in town visiting, we got to take them along!
Viikinsaari is a small island in the Pyhajarvi - the lake that borders the town on the southern side. Size-wise, it equates to about 8 city blocks and is accessible by boat. Tickets to the island can be purchased online and you catch the boat at Laukontori, which was just a block from our house. Ticket prices double for Juhannuspaiva but include use of the island sauna.
One thing we found out the hard way - NOTHING is open on this weekend! All shops close early Friday and don't reopen until Monday. This was a bit of an issue as Adam's parents didn't have their luggage for the first 3 days with us! The airline finally delivered it Sunday evening, but in the meantime, we were doing laundry every evening for the one outfit they did have with them! Poor guys!
Luckily, we had planned ahead for Saturday and gotten the fixings for a picnic lunch on the island. So when the time for our boat came, we grabbed the backpack and blanket and walked to the docks. The boat was a typical ferry boat and the ride was only 15-20 minutes.
Unfortunately, the day was chilly and cloudy so our plan of hanging out until the bonfire at 9 pm wasn't looking good. But we crossed our fingers the rain would stay away and set out to explore. On the island there is a chapel, restaurant, sauna, picnic tables, a playground, hiking trails, and a beach. We started on the trails, exploring the beautifully wooded island, typical of Finland. Despite the number of people sharing the location with us, it was very quiet and peaceful.
We got some great views of Tampere's Pyynikki section of town. If you look closely in the photo below (looking toward Pyynikki), you'll see a sauna barge! This type of "boat" is actually pretty common in Finland. It's essentially a floating sauna. There are usually bathrooms/changing rooms and a sitting area on board. Some even have a hot tub on the roof deck. If you don't have a hot tub, most Finns take a dip in the chilly water of whatever lake they are floating on after sauna. You rent it for the day with your friends and toodle around at your leisure. We never tried one, but they looked really fun!
After exploring a bit, we found a good spot for our picnic and made sandwiches. G played on the playground a bit and then we wandered to the central area where they had live music. There, he met some other kids and had a blast. The little girl spoke English so he was able to communicate with her and really enjoyed having someone close to his age to talk to. The kids played for a long time and the adults were able to relax and listen to the music. We must have been a little too relaxed though because while Adam and I walked off to get some photos, his mom turned around to G with his pants around his ankles watering the grass. In front of everyone! Though it was mortifying for her, the Finns didn't bat an eye as they relieve themselves wherever they feel like it too. When Adam and I got back she was red-faced and embarrassed. Welcome to Finland!
We left soon after, it was getting cooler and the bonfire was still hours away. There wasn't much else to do on the island unless you wanted to get drunk and party, so we decided to head in and enjoy the quiet of town for the rest of the evening. Overall, the day was pleasant, although I hope to not be wearing a coat on my next midsummer!
Here are a few more images from the island, you can click them to enlarge!
Things we learned about Finland this week:
When there's a major national holiday in Finland, stores are closed. ALL of them. Prepare ahead.
Just because it's the end of June, doesn't mean it actually feels like summer.
For Finns, nature is in their blood. They could spend weeks out in the forest, enjoying family and booze. But when they have an excuse like Midsummer to indulge, it's even better.
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