Greetings from Hanko,

Did you know it is the southernmost part in Finland? Summer is the most active season in the seaside city and it has lots of cultural historic value. Hanko built its first spa in the late-19th century. When the spa opened in 1878, the Hanko Casino was built to function as the spa restaurant.

We took the train from Helsinki, changed in Karjaa and arrived to Hanko around 11am. First we walked to the Hanko Casino and took photos on the beach with the cute little stripy booth. We walked 2 km from the centre to Neljän Tuulen Tupa (The House of the Four Winds), a restaurant and cafe located on a small island. I took the Hanko pastry and gosh it was as pretty as it was tasty.

The most recognisable landmark, bright red water tower, built in 1943, is a popular vantage point, offering views of Hanko and the sea. The elevator takes you all the way up, so no exercise necessary 😀 It was windy at the top and I was holding on to my skirt while taking photos.

We had lunch in Satamakatu, the warehouse quarter by the seaside where there’s plenty of restaurants to choose from. We decided to try Hangon Makaronitehdas, where they make their own pasta. High recommendations – on a sunny day it was so nice to sit on the terrace.

We quickly popped in to the new Regatta Spa, which had amazing views to the sea and cliffs straight from the pool. Definitely want to take a dip there on my next visit (cause there for sure will be a next visit).

Hanko had a chill atmosphere, like everyone was on holiday and had no timetables or a place they needed to be. Listening to locals chat in Swedish also made me feel like I was somewhere else then Finland.