Seurasaari, Open-air museum and park island in Meilahti, Finland
Seurasaari is a 46-hectare island with forests, rocky hills, and sandy paths, connected to mainland Helsinki via a white wooden bridge. The island houses an open-air museum containing around 87 traditional buildings from different parts of Finland.
Helsinki acquired the island in the 1870s and transformed it from grazing land into a recreational park around 1889. The open-air museum was established later in 1909 and has been collecting buildings from across Finland ever since.
The open-air museum displays traditional Finnish buildings from various regions, showing how people lived and worked in earlier times. Visitors can walk through these structures and experience the daily life of past generations.
The island is reached by bus 24 from downtown or tram 4 to Paciuksenkaari, followed by a 10-minute walk to the bridge. The site is open year-round, with the warmer months being the best time to explore the outdoor areas.
The island has separate bathing areas for men and women where nude swimming is allowed except on Wednesdays and Sundays. This tradition reflects a long-standing Finnish bathing culture that remains part of the site today.
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