Finland as a role model

The cold weather is over and we can start our second day of Helsinki in snowfall and clouds. First we visit the Felsenkirche, a Protestant church that looks like a bunker from the outside. Surrounded by very tall Art Nouveau houses, it lies in the middle of a square - completely inconspicuous from the outside - you can hardly see it - and then: this interior! It was opened in 1969 and is considered the most beautiful modern church in Scandinavia. Standing in this church, you realize why Finnish architecture is so famous!

As we leave the church it is snowing heavily and we give up the plan to take the boat to the fortress island of Suomenlinna and go to the Oodi - which is not mentioned in any of our guides, which is a real shame! It was gifted to the people of Helsinki in 2018 for the 100th anniversary of independent Finland... and it's hard to describe.

There is a 10,000 square meter youth meeting point on the first floor where young people can work for school, play games or just hang out with friends. On the 2nd floor there are workshops (e.g. sewing workshop with modern sewing machines), 3D printers, electronic workshops, recording studios and a huge open, tiered area where people can study or work together. You can also rent small and larger group rooms with electronic equipment (e.g. digital boards) for working groups or seminars free of charge. On the 3rd floor is the huge library, completely free to access, people sit and read everywhere. There are separate platforms for older and smaller children with play equipment and a large selection of books for all ages. Everything is open to everyone for free and nowhere do you see anyone controlling, restricting or interfering in any way. There are only a few info points where you can borrow books for a longer period of time. Nevertheless, everything looks perfectly organized! It is simply an incredibly well-functioning and peaceful place for creative work and education of all kinds. A social setting that receives 2.5 million visitors every year!

Excited about this place of education and social interaction, we take the subway back to the campsite. The temperature continues to rise - it is already at 0°. We're glad we're leaving Helsinki tomorrow because when the snow starts melting tomorrow it's going to be a huge mud battle!

Tomorrow we'll continue north. We want to go to the Kuopio area (one of the larger Finnish ski areas).