If you are arriving to Helsinki and want to also enjoy the lake scenery, Finnish culture and history at the same time you should definitely visit Tuusula. Lake Tuusula is located only half an hour from Helsinki and 15 minutes from Helsinki-Vantaa airpor
Lake Tuusula area is a vital part of Finnish history. Many of our greatest artists in the nineteenth century; writers, painters, musicians spent time here together. They built or bought villas around the lake and thus created a community at the time when the Finnish national spirit was at its peak. You must remember that at this time Finland was still part of the Russian empire.
The best way to get to know Lake Tuusula area is to rent a bike and enjoy the Finnish summer and the stories and villas around the lake. This is what we did, lifeof2men Raul and Hannu Medina. These are pictures then during the summer 2019.
This page in Spanish. La pagina en Español.
Hotel Krapi
Hotel Krapi is the main point in Tuusula. The peaceful setting makes it the perfect place for vacationing couples. The hotel’s staff is friendly and helpful aiming to make your stay as comfortable as possible. The atmosphere in the hotel, built within the sturdy brick walls of the old stables, is down-to-earth and relaxing. The hotel is also member of the We Speak Gay Community thus welcoming all LGBTQ customers.
Krapi estate was first operating as a dairy farm and today as a hospitality business offering authentic experiences.
Restaurant Krapihovi
The restaurant is where you can enjoy delicious Finnish meals made out of Finnish seasonal ingredients. This is also where the breakfast is served every morning.
Restaurant Mankeli
In restaurant Mankeli you can enjoy Finnish summer days and light summer evenings. There is a big terrace and patio for relaxing and enjoying a drink or lunch. The restaurant is open during summer from the beginning of May until the end of September.
More info in https://krapi.fi/en/
Experiencing the culture and the museums
The best way to get to know Lake Tuusula area is to rent bikes from the hotel. This is free of charge. All the historical buildings, villas and museums are quite close to each other around the lake.
Erkkola is a small yet charming wooden villa, and it is one of the area’s artists’ homes which is open for public. J. H. Erkko was a poet and his home was built in 1902 on the Rantatie museum road. It was designed and built by local artist, Pekka Halonen (of Haloseniemi) together with his brother Antti.
Aleksis Kivi Memorial Cottage. This is where the Finnish national writer died. You can also have a relaxing stroll in Fjällbo Park close to the cottage. Admire the views over the lake, and dip your toes in the water.
Ainola was the home of world-renowned composer Jean Sibelius and his family from 1904. This timber-built villa was designed by the famed Finnish architect, Lars Sonck
Kallio-Kuninkala summer cafe is a perfect place to reflect on the historical sights you’ve seen toda
In the evening you can check the program in the Krapin Paja During the summer you have a club evening every week with mostly Finnsh artists. The place can also be reserved for a private events.
The Summer Theatre
Finnish summer theater is a phenomena. This is also available in the hotel yard. It might be difficult to understand the Finnish language but most of the time the plays are light and comedies. We went to see the play Tankki täyteen which is originally made for the Finnish TV. The summer theatre in Krapi is produced by the local theatre Keski-Uudenmaan teatteri. Below you can see some pictures from the play Tankki täyteen in summer 2019.
More info about the theatre in https://www.kut.fi
Our Festival
Out festival (in Finnish Meidän festivaali) is the local festival event in Lake Tuusula area. The festival was first held in 1997 as Chamber Music by Lake Tuusula and is now an annual event. The Festival seeks new perspectives on musical encounters and concert practices, with an aim to give the audience an experience that simply is not available elsewhere. The concerts are very intimate and they are spread along the shores of Lake Tuusula.
More info about the festival in https://meidanfestivaali.fi/eng/
Lifeof2men bloggers Hannu and Raúl
