Hämeen Ammattikorkeakoulu

Sport. There is a great swimming pull in Hameenlinna with a pull for swimming, jumping and two saunas. It is a real place for good active rest. We also spent a plenty of time in the Gym playing basketball. Biking (cycling) was also a special kind of sport we were going in to. All places we visited were situated in rather different parts of the town. So nearly all outdoor time in Finland I spent driving my bike. Finland is a beautiful country. So it was a real pleasure for me. Places to visit. In downtown on the Market place there is a nice cafe, called "Laurell" where hot chocolate and a great verity of sweets are served up. The atmosphere there is really calm and relaxing. A good place to think or to chat with friends. One of the sights of the town is a big castle, built by Russians couple of centuries ago. It works as a historical museum. And also you can find a prison museum there. The castle is situated on the hill in downtown on the shore of a beautiful lake. It looks especially great at night. Nature parks with real Finnish lakes, forests and calmness surround Hameenlinna. To find the way there it is better to follow the map. Travel. Tampere (the neighbor town) is a nice place to visit. It takes 45 minutes to get there by train. This town is even more student place than Hameenlinna - a lot of schools and institutes are situated there. But my favorite sights in Tampere are The Moominvalley Museum - in the town center - and the Old Tower - on the hill. You can see a lot of Finland if go up on the top of the tower. And below it there is a cozy cafe with hot chocolate (again :) and donates. Actually, it is great even just to walk on Tampere streets. Of course, if you are in Finland you have to visit Lappland. The best place to stay is a wood cottage somewhere in deep Finnish forest. Use Internet and tour operator services (for example, Matka Vekke) to rent a cottage. You have an ability to cross the Arctic Circle and visit Santa Clause village. I did it together with 12 of my friends in Christmas time. And it was really great!

In Helsinki you can not miss, Baker's and Vanha! great places. I lived in Valkeakoski and to be honoust Hotel Waltikka was the only deasent place to go out.Tampere (half an hour drive from Valkeakoski) is a great city, Cafe Europe, and a couple of dicsotheques of which I can not remember their names of, were great. And during the summer you can not miss the big summer festival in Helsinki, and while you are there, step on the boat to Tallinn, absolutely fabulous!

the on campus bar called iso pippu meaning big pipe!? was great, the beer they serve there is made on campus, and they are more than willing to show you the different types! there is a bar in the next town called Krouvi which has excellent karioke!! If you venture into Helsinki for the weekend try the Copacabana! a great place to dance the night away to live music and funky cocktails!!

The place where I was living was a quiet small city; pubs do not have anything special. So I did not really enjoy the nightlife, unless when I was going to biggest towns, and still... But anyway it was nice to compare the nightlife in Finland to the London one for instance. On the other hand, I had many activities to do. My university proposed many sports activities with the students, everytime I had nothing to do, I was going to relax my self in the sporting complex.

Not to missed : Visiting Finland ( its different parts because all regions are different.) don't miss neither to visit Stockholm and Tallin + take part to the many cultural events in Helsinki , turku, tampere and also try to partivipate to summer festivals such as tuska . i would also add that students parties in any places are always great events!!!

The city is quiet small and it has got only a small center too anyway the pubs , discos are all nice, you can find all kind of ages there from the 16-60yrs