Wellbeing
In Finland and also in Pori, wellbeing comes from very simple things. For Finns forests are the places where we seek serenity. Also Sauna is a big part of Finnish culture. In Pori we find peace in the coastline where we can sense both the calmness and the restlessness of the sea.
Hugging trees and eating superfood at Pori Forest
Did you know that around 75 per cent of Finland’s total land area is covered in forest. So of course there is forest also in Pori. The green colour is calming; the gentle rustling of the leaves and pine needles is like music. Finns feel good in the forest – and so will you!
Pori Forest is an outdoors and recreational area full of trails situated in the vicinity of the centre of the city. It is located only a few kilometres from the city centre. Pori Forest plays a significant role as the nearby recreational area of the residents, and it is an important part of the Pori National Urban Park established in 2002.
Covering approximately 300 hectares, the forest area is in use all year round. In Pori Forest you can hug trees and enjoy the real Finnish nature and quiet. If you end up visiting Pori and the forest in the late summertime in August, you can maybe pick some blueberries as well!
Sharing a sauna
If you want to understand Finland and its people, getting familiar with sauna is a good starting point. Sauna is such a big part of Finnish culture it can’t be compared to anything else. So join the Finns in the sauna.
In Pori we recommend that you pay a visit to the Pori open-air swimming pool. It has been a favourite among the locals since it was completed in 1957. The open-air swimming pools include a full-scale jumping tower, water slide and three pools of different sizes, as well as saunas and changing rooms. The low Functionalism-styled building complex designed by the architect Yrjö Lindegren is among the most significant of its type.
In addition to the summer season until the end of September, the open-air swimming pool is also open in the winter, with an opportunity to swim in 3–5-degree-centigrade water similar to ice swimming.
Sense the sea in Pori
Get yourself to the coastline of Pori. You can choose to visit Yyteri beach or Kallo where you find a lighthouse and smooth sea-kissed rocks. Maybe you want to pay a visit to Reposaari, an island off Pori next to the open Bothnian Sea?
In Reposaari the shore offers a stunning view of the open sea. In the winter, majestic ice formations rise on the shore. In summertime there are lots of great places for a picnic, sunbathing and admiring the waves on Takaranta. In fact, Takaranta is where Reposaari residents go to relax and enjoy the sea that is so important to them – the open sea whose brute force can only be experienced when sitting on the shore.
There are also many engravings on the Takaranta cliffs. The manifold rock engravings of Takaranta in Reposaari, dating back to the early 19th century, exude the mystery of deep emotions.
