Naantali: Holiday Capitol of Finland!

Naantali, the charming little (pop. 14,081) resort town nestled on the shores of the Baltic Sea, just 17 km (10 miles) outside Turku, the third largest city in Finland, has an amazing array of activities and services to offer visitors.

Getting There:
There used to be train service between the two cities, but no longer. To get to Naantali from Turku, you can drive, take a bus, (# 11 or 110, 30 min, 5USD app.), or go by water (2 hour trip) on the Ukkopekka steamship which winds through the gorgeous Turku archipelago. The steamship (26/33USD app. one-way/return) runs twice daily direct to old Naantali and Moominworld and operates June-Aug only.

Staying Overnight:

If you plan to stay over for several days, you have a choice of accommodations – anything from the luxurious (photo by Jani: left, Naantali Spa Hotel), to a cute and cozy apartment, to unique ‘holiday residences’, to a boutique hotel in the heart of the Old Town. Prefer to camp out? You can do that too!

If you have small children, you might consider the “family hostel” operated by the Naantali Spa. These modest accommodations are in a brick building across the road from the spa. You won’t have maid service, cable TV or a minibar, but you will have two small bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen – all for app. 120USD in off-season.

What to Do?:
So, now that you’re settled in, what are you going to find in Naantali to keep and your family occupied? Hopefully, you will have it all planned out before you arrive; you don’t want to find your destination closed when you get there!

Personally, Paul and I would want to be in Naantali during the chamber music festival (May 31-June 6, 2009), held through the months of the “midnight sun” – a unique Finnish experience! We would probably be spending a good deal of time at several of the excellent cafés, such as the Antonius (photo: left), or the Aschan, sampling its savory snacks, Satukakku cake - for which it is apparently famous – and cups of good, strong Latte!

We would most certainly do the gallery tour and visit the studios of Pentti Koivikko, Pentti Pullinen, Kristiina Turtonen, Jarkko Peltonen and Essi Peltonen.

Our trip to Naantali would have to include a tour of Naantali´s most famous building, the medieval Convent Church, built 1443-1462 as the heart of a convent complex. Over the centuries, the rest of the buildings have disappeared. Services are still held in this extraordinarily beautiful sanctuary.

On the opposite side of Naantalinlahti Bay is Kultaranta, a magnificent granite castle, summer home of the President of Finland . We would probably want to stroll its lovely gardens, completed in 1916, which are open to the public.

Then there is the medieval Louhisaari Manor, which was bought by the Mannerheim family (1795 - 1903) from the Flemings, who had owned it since it was built in the 15th century. Finland’s Field Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim (1867-1951) was born there. I personally would feel compelled to visit Louhisaari Manor as the Mannerheim name figures in a moment of my own family history.

Suppose Paul and I had our children and our grandchildren with us – toddlers and 10-year olds? Gallery-hopping, café lunches, and historic tours would probably quickly tire them. So…is there anything fun for them to do in Naantali? Most certainly!

Naantali is probably best known among Finnish families for Moominworld!

What in the World is a Moomin?

Moominworld is "a fairytale you can step into", an amusement park inspired by a popular series of Finnish children’s stories by Tove Jansson.

“The Moomin Home Valley," according to press on the park, "is located on the little island, a place of great natural beauty next to Naantali. The Moomins live in a round, blueberry-blue Moomin House with five floors. There´s also the Hemulen´s House, Sniff´s Home, Summer Cottage and Moomintroll´s Playhouse. You´ll also find the Summer Theater Emma, Moomin Post Office and the Moomin Shop on the Home Island. Theater Emma is a real theatre, full of magic. Emma shows seven plays a day, both in Finnish and Swedish.

In Moomin Home Valley, Moomin fans will get to meet and play with their favourite characters, all as large as life.

The whole experience centers on the Moomin way of life, family values, friendship, security, respect for the environment and a sense of adventure. "

When to Go?
Unless you like crowds and long lines, you should probably consider a trip to Naantali and Moominland in mid-June to mid- August rather than in July, which is a big vacation month for Finns all over the country.