Travelling locally

I’m often dreaming about all kinds of trips and exotic destinations. Worrying about the amount of time, holidays, and money I should spend seeking specialness and sensations in this wonderful way.

Not that travelling isn’t the best thing a man can do. The resources spent on it are certainly not wasted, they only increase your mental capital. It would just be nice to experience cool and exciting things more often: in weekends, or even on weekdays after work. And it is possible if you just open your mind and give space also for simple things and places.


A beautiful archipelago landscape on the west coast of Isosaari island in Helsinki

Geocaching is a great way to explore your near-by areas. By geocaching, I’ve realised that I used to be too close to see the gems of my neighbourhood and actually understood how wonderful it is to stay local. I’ve also started to follow and read local writings, social media groups and other communication to see what my friends, family, and other people have been doing, and been inspired by their ideas.

One of the nice things about Helsinki and the surrounding cities is the fact that there is a lot of people living here, so there are also many kinds of activities developed for them. Well maintained recreational areas, forests, significant historical destinations, even abandoned villas.


One of the two abandoned casemates in Isosaari. It hasn’t been out of use for that long, but it doesn't take very long for nature to take over buildings if it isn't interrupted.

I could write several posts on this subject, and the destination websites can tell you more about the places and sights, but you should really see and experience them yourself on the spot. An example of a wonderful nature destination is the recreational islands off Helsinki that Finnish Defence Forces has recently opened to public. The islands are an intriguing combination of beautiful and unique archipelago nature, war history and good vibes.

The new destinations on my list are the islands of Vallisaari and Isosaari, on the latter of which I have taken the photos seen in this post. There was so much to see and enjoy on the islands that I spent a whole day on both of them. And it was time well spent. To find new places in the Helsinki region, I’ve visited My Helsinki website, and to understand what the best thing is about my hometown according to tourists, I’ve done searches in TripAdvisor. With high probability, I dare say, you haven’t visited all the places in your hometown that out-of-town visitors find amazing.


Before leaving the island, we could see and hear nature’s own firework display. Two thunderheads that came from different directions met each other grumbling and flashing above the island.

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