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The Best Museums
Ainola (Jarvenpaa, outside Helsinki): This was the home of Finland's famous composer, Jean Sibelius, who lived here for more than half a century until his death in 1957. Along with his wife, Aino (for whom the house is named), he's buried on the property. Situated about 40km (24 miles) from Helsinki.
Finnish National Gallery (Helsinki): The nation's major repository of modern art includes graphics, sculpture, paintings -- the widest possible range in the country. Naturally, native-born sons and daughters are emphasized, with the work of Finnish artists dating from the mid-18th century.
Gallen-Kallela Museum (Espoo): On a wooded peninsula, this museum honors the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931), who is known mainly for his paintings, especially those from the Kalevala ("Land of Heroes"), the Finnish national epic.
Mannerheim Museum (Helsinki): This was the home of Baron Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, marshal of Finland and president of the republic from 1944 to 1946. It has been turned into a museum filled with memorabilia, including his swords, medals, and uniforms, along with his collection of antiques and furnishings.
National Museum of Finland (Suomen Kansallismuseo, Helsinki): No other museum in the country documents the history of the Finnish people like this one. The tools that shaped ordinary life in the country since the Stone Age are documented here, with exhibits ranging from folk costumes to church art.
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum (Seurasaari): This museum is on an island off the coast of Helsinki (now a national park). Here some 100 authentically furnished and decorated houses have been reassembled -- everything from a 1600s church to an "aboriginal" sauna. If you don't have the opportunity to explore Finland in depth, these buildings will help you understand something of Finnish life past and present. On summer evenings, folk dances are presented here to the tunes of a fiddler.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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