The children need to get some fresh air - Lakeland Finland

Two days in Helsinki – crowded streets, busy cafés, so many people. It was lovely, but now we’re craving the opposite: silence, open skies, water without harbor cranes. That’s exactly what’s waiting for us in Karelia, right in the heart of Finland’s lake district. Here we’re promised the best climate, wild rapids, and quiet spots by the shore. Sounds like music to our ears.

Before the long drive, we make a stop in charming Porvoo: colorful wooden houses, cozy cafés, and the famous riverside warehouses. It’s also here that we say goodbye to the Baltic Sea for quite a while – we’ll probably only meet it again in Sweden.

The road takes us further northeast along wide, empty highways to Taipalsaari – supposedly home to the best ice cream in Finland. That simply has to be tested! The towering soft-serve cones live up to their reputation.

Only half an hour later we arrive at our destination: forest, lake, fire pits – and plenty of peace and quiet. In the evening we cook over the fire, and just before bed we take a look at the water. Swimming? Maybe tomorrow – today it’s just too cold.

The next morning we head leisurely to Savonlinna. The town lies in the middle of Eastern Finland’s lake landscape and is famous for its medieval Olavinlinna Castle and the annual opera festival. We’re too late for the festival, but the castle tour is absolutely worth it.

On the way to our campsite – still 1.5 hours away – we make one last stop at Kerimäki Church, the largest wooden church in the world. Frank stands in front of it to show just how huge it really is.

By evening we roll into the campsite in the rain. Dinner is cooked in the outdoor kitchen of a 100-year-old house, and since it’s chilly, we retreat early into the van.