The east coast of Finland lies within a 90 minute drive from Helsinki and makes for an ideal side trip from the capital and a chance to explore more of beautiful Finland either for a day trip or a short break. Once you arrive in the region the distance between towns and key sights is only around 20-30 minutes via the E18 motorway allowing more time to explore and less time travelling from one place to another.
Day 1
Strömfors Ironworks Village
We left Helsinki on a Friday lunchtime and with good quality roads and light traffic we arrived into the picture perfect Strömfors Ironworks village by 13.15. Our overnight accommodation was at Strömfors Bed and Bistro, a delightful old manor house located in the village centre. We received a warm welcome and as our rooms were ready, we were able to drop off our luggage before popping down to the bistro for the Finnish afternoon treat of coffee and fresh cinnamon buns.
It was then time to explore the village which dates back to the late 17th century and is one of the oldest ironworks in Finland. It was only in 1744 that it came to be known as the Strömfors Iron Works, which was a combination of the surnames of its then owners, Anders Nohrström and Jacob Forsell.
Today, the characteristic Nordic dark red and white wooden buildings of Strömfors remain intact around the scenic river’s edge and function as an open-air museum displaying much of the well-preserved ironworks from the 18th century. The Forge Museum has two sections: the working mill wheel and the old blacksmith’s workshop.
In addition to the museums, art gallery and small handicrafts shops, the ironworks contains a restaurant, cafe and outdoor activities centre. We enjoyed our tour of the village and couldn’t resist taking a ride on the scenic swing before heading off to Loviisa.
Loviisa
For those who love old wooden houses and picturesque towns and villages, Loviisa is an absolute treasure so we were definitely excited to be exploring the little alleyways and pretty gardens in this lovely little town.
Loviisa is renowned for its lovingly restored historic homes which are opened up to the public by their owners twice a year offering a rare glimpse inside. Although we weren’t visiting during one of these events, the tourist board had kindly arranged access for us to visit two of these characterful homes where we received a warm welcome from the owners.
We then spent time exploring the old town which is home to one of the oldest wooden buildings in Finland. Houses in old town Loviisa were spared during the great fire which swept through the town in 1855.
Next, we moved on to the town’s Laivasilta seaside pier where we enjoyed a short stroll along the waterfront before eating dinner in one of the old wooden salt warehouses that have now been transformed into restaurants, galleries and artisan craft shops.
We enjoyed an early evening meal in the delightful Saltbodan Restaurant which was filled with old world charm and served delicious food. I opted for a Karelian beef stew which was rich and flavoursome with tender chunks of beef. Around the table, the vegetable pasta dish and salmon soup were also highly rated.
As luck would have it, we’d timed our visit to Loviisa to coincide with the annual Sibelius Festival which began that evening. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius used to visit his grandmother in Loviisa as a child and the town’s park takes his name.
The concert took place in the centre of town and was performed by the local orchestra with violin solos from two talented young girls. It was well attended and the perfect way to end our first day in this delightful part of the east coast of Finland.
To be continued ……..
