I visited Finland's most hated town (because Reddit made me)
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- Опубліковано 21 кві 2023
- Watch part 2 here: • Wait... Kouvola is act...
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Watch *part 2* here 😊 ua-cam.com/video/qs9QsR1huhw/v-deo.html
A big part of why the city centre is a ghost town is that they built a huge shopping mall a few kilometers away and all the shops moved there, especially clothing stores and such.
Why do they destroy their city centres?
@@Toina-Asi Becouse at winter time it is much nicer to be inside than outside 🤷
@@Toina-Asi It's car-oriented development for the people who live outside the city. It's easier to pretend that Kouvola doesn't exist if you never have to visit it.
They could simply have taken a look at how the medieval town Turku has been destroyed - I can't stand to visit that ruined town anymore - so many nice buildings survived the wars, but not the decades after 1970's. In central Europe they rebuilt, painstakingly - it's amazing.
Gods, even Helsinki is starting to be affected by this! The famous shopping street Aleksanterinkatu is starting to become ghost street :'(
I was born and raised in Kuusankoski, which used to be an independent town but nowadays is just a suburb of Kouvola. When I was in high school, many kids dreamed of living in Kouvola because it was considered the big city full of opportunities. I don't know what it tells about the people in Kuusankoski.
Kuusankoski is a paper factory- / farming town. Or was. The only opportunity left around there for a person is to fade into obscurity.
Or raise an independent, explorer-type kid safely, if you can deal with the commute.
(Just make sure they know how to recognize a swamp/bog by its plants, and that they know it's potentially dangerous.)
I had a guy from Kuusankoski in my "tupa" in the army, he one night jumped from his bed and picked up a field shovel and started hitting the bed while shouting the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming. After about 5 minutes of this he dropped the shovel and went back to bed and continued sleeping. I think he was the only one who slept that night.🤣
I always thought Kuusakoski Oy had something to do with Kuusankoski, but apparently it doesn't. Interesting.
@@js0988 This made me laugh out loud 🤣
@@herrakaarme Yeah, just a company named after the entrepreneur.
The difference is in the "n".
I talked with the mother of the chef of Betony the other day. Apparently the cook had recognized you Dave and really put his best effort into that burger. He's gotta be very happy to hear you say it was the world's best burger.
Gotta love the self awareness to name their restaurant Betony in Kouvola. Betoni = Concrete, and whole Kouvola is made out of concrete :D
They make a tea called "Kouvola grey"
@@subbaaja100 I understand that people in Kouvola have a great sense of humor - that's so Finnish! I love it - Papulaari, Betoni, Kouvola Grey! Can you describe the flavour; I'm growing tired of Earl Grey.
And what do they call their Karaoke bar?
@@DNA350ppm I haven't tried it but I understood that its basically early gray
@@DNA350ppm The oldest and most original and some might say legendary Karaoke bar in Kouvola would be 'Pyöreä torppa' and for most ppl its known by the name of 'mutteri'. Translates to "the round croft/inn" or "the screw". The name comes from the round shape the inn has and it has been in the same spot for ages. They have also organized the finnish karaoke championships there and the bar also has a Guiness World Record title of the longest nonstop Karaoke session in the world.
@@angryfinnishfarmer Thanks for this information - how can anybody claim that Kouvola is a dull place - more and more interesting things come to light! I hope Kouvola's tourists board turns this around, to claim that Kouvola is Finland's most secret gem. Just adding a few challenging events - maybe they have air-guitar championships, or "all single women invited-events regardless of age or weight", and starting with all male participants learning to dance, traditional Finnish Tango as well as line-dances, cowboy-dances or Zorba. I think the cement is not a destiny, it can be cheered up by hanging out colorful textiles from windows and balconies! These can serve as simple sun-screen-sails, too. Rohkeutta, talkohenkeä ja tsemppiä vaan!
The way you pronounce Finnish words is pretty impressive. Almost like a native speaker.
Agreed!
Yeah it is
"Have a nice stay" "You too" congratz man you are becoming more and more Finnish every day!
**whispers** there may be a part 2 coming next week...
👀
Much needed! 😀
@@DNA350ppm Definitely! This felt like just scratching the surface. We need a deep dive. Or deep Dave.
@@TM-xc1yc 🙂
Hopefully! This was strangely entertaining.😂
With the family to Tykkimäki- Amusement park? 😅 I want to see if it's worth going there with a 5-year-old boy.
So we can send Cave Dad in to different places? 😳 This will be fun 🎉
He's like the Finnish Carmen San Diego, except without any artwork heists :)
Lets see how many LIKES this gets ? 36.000 seen this - sofar !
To Turku. 😍
Next one should be Rovaniemi :D
Large part of why people hate Kouvola in finland is that on about 30 min bus ride away from the city center the second the largest army (ground force) base in Finland exist. About 4000 conscripts serve in Karelia brigade in kouvola every year. So kouvola and that city center is the place they get unloaded from train and wait for the bus to the base and when going on vacation get dropped by bus and wait for train. There is very little in that train/bus station area to entertain these conscripts while waiting but look at the grey buildings. So thats what large parts of young finns know about kovola, waiting bored at the train station.
Täytyy saada tälle videolle se 30k tykkäyksiä että Dave saa rahansa takaisin
Kouvula is just the Finnish version of so many towns in the UK now. Loads of abandoned high street shops for big shopping centres, brutalist architecture and not much to do. It's just a bit strange seeing it... somewhere else...
I would want to see you go through other cities/towns and give them a similiar review. Jyväskylä, Oulu, Tampere. Even smaller towns like Tuuri, Seinäjoki, Mikkeli, Jämsä and so on.
#davecadtouroffinland2023
I second this. It would be really interesting to see Dave travel around Finland.
Would be interesting for sure! Maybe we can make it happen if this video gets enough traffic to pay him back.
Some of the smaller ones could be in one video, if they are close to each other. Let's say Tuuri could be combined with visiting Ähtäri for instance. I really like this idea, hope Dave sees this and does it. :D
This is exactly what i was thinking about and i think there would be some companies that would be willing to support this like Sokos Hotel.
Couple of years ago they build this huge shopping center called Veturi outside Kouvola center and all the shops and customers went there. That is why there is so many empty stores in Kouvola center.
Kouvola being bad has mostly become a meme by people who never even visited. I'd say it's just average. Not great, not bad. With an average theme park and an above-the-average shopping mall on the outskirts.
Ive been there its shit The End
Nah. I have been to Kouvola so many times and it's a shithole.
I live here and it is as bad as the memes. It's such a dead city and it's the shopping malls fault. When I'm done with my studies I'm leaving asp
Not great, not bad? Hmmm, that's something a sov- no, kouvostanian would say.
I live here in Kouvola and it is much more than the centrum.
You have endless sporting / wandering / hiking / boating / golf / etc. possibilities, all in 15min car range.
Nature is literally behind the corner and everything is modestly priced. especially living / housing.
Train takes you to Helsinki in 1h05min, Russia is under two hours drive away. Three major airports are 1h, 1h20min and 2h40min away.
It's a roads and railroads crossing so it is logistically very good spot.
I truly like it here and would never move to Helsinki. (many have and most of them move back here later)!
I have lived my whole life in Kouvola and here is some interesting places outside the city centre, like Tykkimäki amusement park, Veturi shopping mall and Repovesi national park. The city centre is really empty, because every shop has moved to that Veturi shopping mall, there is a lot of shops, mostly clothing shops, but also restaurants, cafes, other shops and movie theater. That shopping mall was build about 10 years ago, before that there was more life in the city centre. I’m happy you visited here, because well I have lived here my whole life and it’s important place to me, even tho it’s not the most beautiful place.❤️
Unfortunately those shopping malls are the death of small towns. Kouvola used to have amazing little shops(I mostly remember a tiny candyshop near the place where Sokos is now, it often had it's door open and it smelled so good you had to go in!).
Finally! The Kouvola episode we've all been waiting for!
As one of your UK subscribers I have to say it had a very Slough look.
Kouvola is beautiful in the late spring when EVERYTHING is green and flowers are blooming :---)
Even the concrete has mold?
You can blame the big shopping center called Veturi for the shops being empty in Kouvola center. Once it was built a few years back everything moved there.
I have lived in Kouvola all my life. Here the streets are not safe and you have to fight for every meal. Sometimes I think about cooking my dog, but I can't do it because it's against Finnish law.
I just have to say, Dave, you were lucky, because not many people come back from Kouvola alive.
Now you are just trying to make it sound interesting XD
What on earth are you talking about 😂 You got a weird sence of humour i see 😂
Ohh right you think you had it bad do you? Well let me tell you I lived in Kouvola for 10 years. I was stopped by the police once and I said "What have I done Officer?" "Nothing, I'm just lonely, I just wanted someone to talk to!" I use to sit on a dump and suck hot diarrhea out of a sweaty sock just to keep myself warm! On a Friday night we use to slide down 10 meter razor blades for entertainment! Wow those were the days.
Cook your neighbor. Murder is barely punished in Finland.
@@TheRealBillix Gonna be in a better place if he just goes to prison than kouvola
You only missed the museum quarter, shopping centre, amusement park, water park, one of the best public saunas in the country and Repovesi National Park to name a few. Otherwise a very comprehensive review...
So he missed everything...
If he ever comes back - what are the hit places ?
I think you should come back to make re-check at sommertime. We have amazing nature here, Repovesi, Arboretum Mustila, a lot of Nature trails... And mayby rent a cottage for a weekend. Kouvola is so much more then just the center of the city.
I used to go through Kouvola a lot during my military service. Fun times. Also I wasn't able to recommend it before your trip, but the restaurant Chili Pippuri on the block between the train station and the shopping street has the best Burrito's in the world. The tortilla, fillings, the chips and the sauce are just beyond amazing, near perfect
Also the liveliness of Kouvola highly depends on the timing, as during the workday it's definitely going to be empty. However you're guaranteed to have more people out at like 4pm, while the most lively time is Friday afternoon around 3-4pm when the people serving in the Karelian brigade arrive back by bus for their weekend holiday, and around 7-8pm on Sundays when those same peeps return from their holidays.
I thought you were saying "it's when these people working at this hotel come home from work for the weekend" or something like that. 😂
It's a small town when you know the time and weekday to see 'action', and you know who those people are and where they come from.
I didn't realize at first that brigade means prikaati. 🤭 Of course you would recognize because they're all wearing the uniforms...
I live in Oulu, it's not a small town but it feels like one. It's a ghost town most of the time and most of the year, but there are times when it's lively.
For example right now, around vappu, when all the uni students are roaming around and drinking in imaginative ways.
Goddammit! Your description of that burrito.. Im in my jammies already, but I guess Ill have to make a quick McD-run, thats the best I can do in southern Espoo at this time of night. Damn you, Ale Haim!
Come back in the summer and take a local person as your tour guide with you.. You missed so much😂 even in the center there is other things than concrete, but when you step outside of the center you'll find a lot of things to see and do. Waiting for the part two to see where you ended up!
Was nice to bump in to you mate! I have to say I was surprised to meet you in Kouvola. I was also visiting from Helsinki for the first time in 20 years or so 😀
Kouvola used to be very small, almost walkable and certainly able to get everywhere by bike but in 2009 all the surrounding municipalities which are mostly countryside were merged with Kouvola and nowadays Kouvola is one of the largest municipalities by area in Southern Finland.
The people in those former municipalities which were merged with Kouvola will never ever refer to themselves to be from Kouvola but from the former municipalities such as Valkeala, Jaala etc.
Personally I recommend going by train. The first thing you see would've been that beautiful sovietesque Pohjolatalo. To be honest - > Kouvola looks like most smaller city centers in Finland.
I would have also taken either a train or a bus and saved a lot of money. Kouvola is such small and walkable city after all.
I live in Soukka, Espoo, where many of the sad concrete sceneries for movies and ads are filmed, only surpassed in its solemn sadness by Jakomäki & Hakunila (maybe). You know those “heres unhappy and broken person in this horribly austere site” and then Särkänniemi makes life worthwhile again. I can say nothing about Kouvola without being a hypocrite, because our hood is as interesting as oatmeal in a dirty sock. One look and ewww!
This video is amazing, I love how you captured the essence of the city!
It's finally here!!!
Sorry it took so long 😅
I used to study in Kouvola (in Iltalukio). It was kinda nostaltic to see glimpses of the town I used to live in
Glad you visited Papulaari definitely my personal go to coffee shop nearby.
Dude I saw you!!! But I was like "that guy looks like that UA-camr Dave, but nah cant be him, what would he do here in Kouvola..." And now Im just sad becouse I didnt come and say hi to you :(
Strike the iron while it's hot. Life lesson learned.
Here are The results of Euro Jyry !
Thx for stopping by. I moved to Kouvola abt 20 yrs ago. I think locals, ab-originals😂, dont see Kouvola as we, who were brought by railways, see. Kouvola is much better than reputations of it.
Sometimes The locals are too used to the home values ! You need an outsider to see the beauty ? I liked the Main St - without - any parking problems !
Betony's burgers are heavenly! We ate there after visiting the nearby Vekaranjärvi garrison (or nowadays "a Nato base" if you like :D ) for our kid's military oath giving ceremony, and though the price seemed first a bit high for a mere burger and fries the food was well worth every euro.
Hi Dave - interesting! Did you notice the pun "papulaari" - populaari is popular, and papu is bean, coffeebean is kahvipapu - selfevident perhaps?
Two points to discuss:
1. what happened to the railway connecting point Kouvola during WWII?
2. do the town-architects of Kouvola regret the building-permit for the shoppingcenter outside the inner city?
I haven't looked the answers to these up, Dave - and did you do research before you started your trip?
Best thing to see in Kouvola is the model train museum.
Papermill’s was the thing in the region for 100 years
Now gone😢
Belgian living in Finland. When I started dating my (now) fiancé, she lived and worked in Kouvola. Most weekends we'd hang out in Helsinki though. On my very first trainride to Kouvola I remember some people in my wagon having a go at Kouvola, calling it a hellhole and what not. That being said, Kouvola wasn't all too bad. The kind of soulless brutalist buildings can be found in other towns too. It's true that there isn't much to do there though, but it's just a town at the end of the day.
next you come to valkeakoski and smell the fresh air
I thought you guys have some kind of filters nowadays.
I always love to go Kouvola, because the marvelous feeling when get out from there.
Just like going to prison - for a short stay ?
Dude, you need to make this a series. Going through different cities in Finland!!
When did you visit Kouvola? There was this big Vehos training day in Vaakuna 20-21.4. I think that made the hotel prices very high.
Excellent vlog Dave! Great seeing you finally exploring the city of Cherno-, I mean Kouvola. Thank you for not being one of those people who talk very loudly into the camera while vlogging. We appreciate it!
I like Kouvola. Theres actually a fair bit to do around Kouvola. Theres museums and gardens, ski slope, repovesi which is like Lapland of the south. I would happily live there. Dave needs to revisit.
Good video, it would be fun to see more videos where you travel to explore different cities in Finland.
I lived there for about half a year, met great people and was able to be involved in many enjoyable things. Good experience with the services too.
Dude nice video! I see potential in these videos, where you travel to the not so familiar/popular places in Finland. You could visit Lohja this summer ;) a city that most people just drive by.
You should do series of most under rated places in Finland
Go to sevettijärvi for vacation/film a video an test a burger for the local bar
(The place to be)
I have always loved kouvola. It may be gray and empty, but it has that something.
It's empty because of the mall Veturi, where most stores moved to.
There was a glimpse of Universalis - an esoteric stone/crystal shop, tarot cards etc. Even that little shop has moved away from center to an old house in the museum quarter nearby.
Next city suggestion: Mänttä-Vilppula. Small town between Jyväskylä and Tampere is well known of it`s art, paper (and drugs). There is also one of the oldest sport clubs of Finland. Mäntän Valo since 1904.
Did you survive or is this a found footage film?
😂🤣😆
This is like watching those north Korea travel UA-cam videos
People tend to just ride with the memes without taking actually a look. Kouvola is a very special town in its own way. For most the architecture is the thing people tend to hate the city for when I in return like the style. Im originally from Kouvola. And its always nostalgic and a pleasure to visit. I promise there's many places in Finland that when you take a walk in the center in the middle of a workday in the springtime, there's not actually a lot of people you see because everyone is at work or home. There are also problems with the city. People tend to move out because the lack of opportunities for a young person. I totally understand this. Many of the young people who stay and don't leave the city for some other opportunities, often can get hassled with drugs, alcohol and depressiveness. But once you managed to get kids, its a good place to grow them and there's actually a lot of families living here too. Not like its a "small" town compared to overall Finland, there's still like 80k inhabitants. The town is built upon the railways and factories pretty much, It has had its days, in the 60's up till 80's Kouvola was one of the fastest growing cities in Finland and some even said it had the potential to be top5 biggest cities, but then the world and economy changed quite drastically and a lot of job opportunities were thrown out the window and people started moving away or got into drugs or alcohol. But anyways, nice thing you visited my old hometown. Keep it up!
That was a nice video! It’s cool you actually came here and spent the day here like a tourist. I hope you enjoyd your time in Kouvola and welcome back!
You Could invite HIM back - to show what Kouvola IS real about ? 36.000 has seen The video in less than 24hours !
I live in Kouvola. The hotel you stayed at is like a hundred meters from where I live. Nice that you stopped by!
I have visited Kouvola few times and have to admit I did enjoy walking around different areas. The center is quite boring concrete jungle but I did enjoy the older areas like the Kasarminmäki area that was once a military area. Always liked the style of old finnish military buildings and its good area for walking with decent amount of green areas. Have to admit I was playing Pokemon Go at the time and its surprisingly good way to explore cities as the stops can show you something you might miss because you would not know it was there or what it even was.
Dave, you should do more videos like this one. You could visit Kotka, Hamina and/or Lappeenranta too. Kotka has the Maritime of Finland museum for example.
Have you seen the songs Kalevauva makes about Finnish cities? They source the lyrics from a baby forum (usually) and they're hilarious. They have a song about Kouvola as well.
This should be a series, going to different town/cities in Finland :)
You talking about that restaurant’s bacon thing reminded me of pekoni-punasipulihilloke. It is part of a blue cheese burger (sinihomejuustoburgeri) recipe on Helsingin sanomat, my mum made it once and it was delicious 😋 maybe it’s something similar to what you had?
You forgot to climb to the top of Mielakka skiing hill to see the famous Pripyat view. That would have been worth the 300 euros alone! Betony was a fine choice for beginners, but we also have the best pizza in Finland, at Orazio's Pizza Bravo. True Italian mafioso experience, only in Kouvola. People come all the way from Oulu just to eat there.
Nice to see you visiting Kouvola. I have been there several times, as a kid I would often visit the amusement park Tykkimäki, after High School during my consciption I served in the Karjalan Prikaati (Karelian Brigade) so I would travel via Kouvola. This week I will be traveling there once again, this time with my little boys to visit Tykkimäki after a quarter of a century.
That burger is actual one of the best in the world.
Too bad it was already eaten.
I'm from near Kouvola moved out 20 years back and only visit like once a year, instantly still recognize places from this video :D
Personally I just associate Kouvola to my time in military service because I went to Vekaranjärvi a.k.a Karjalan prikaati (Karelian brigade) which is near Kouvola and I sometimes had to spend time there while waiting for my train to go home for the weekends. So, not necessarily the greatest of memories, and since Vekaranjärvi is the largest brigade in Finland, a lot of the people who have served probably share similar feelings towards the place.
Eikös se oo Mäntyharjulla? Oma mökki siinä 20kilsan päässä, helvetinmoinen melu lähtee joskus
Kouvola makes me think about Kemi. Because time between 6pm to 10pm, there is no one outside or only people outside are going to store to get some drinks before going to bar around 10pm. And the people head to their homes around 4am. Maybe next time you should visit Kemi or Keminmaa. Keminmaa is town next to Kemi, but Keminmaa is bigger by land than Kemi. Why Kemi is city and Keminmaa is not is that Keminmaa doesn´t have proper city center which Kemi has. And so many people who lives at Kemi are depressed or so I have heard. I lived at Keminmaa for 13 years and 4 years at Kemi and in those 4 years I got more sad and lonely than when I lived at Keminmaa.
Thank you, i love this video brother
-cheers, Johanna
Im sure i saw you walking here in Kouvola.
I've bin learning Finnish for 7 month's or so . First on a free app , but now a more serious course with a teacher " oppetaja" . But I find it so difficult . Partitive case , KPT rules ,ssa/ lla endings. It's really difficult, (that maybe says more about me , then the language 😂) . Therefore i am so proud of what you have learned and how you speak your Finnish language . Amazing . I like your videos .
Brave man! Greets from Kouvola
You should make this a series where you visit all the not so great cities of Finland. 😀
I'd love to 😀
Only busy shopping center is Veturi nowadays. Betonys food is best! I love it! Also abroad people is cheering that they have been in Kouvola, when they actually are just passing by train :D
Any chance you might do a Bielefeld video some day? ;)
about the best burgers, my personal fav is from Box Cafe & Grill in Sipoo. Huge thumbs up for that place.
The burger felt so good because everything else in Kouvola is so sad and depressing
Next time you gotta visit at telebaari in eskolanmäki
The city centres mall "hansa" and other places in the city centre are quite empty from shops because 10 years ago there was built the mall of veturi in the west side of kouvola. There are also prisma and other big markets. Its the reason for the city centre being empty.
You missed Nipan Grilli and the tuplaburgeri with kaikilla mausteilla.
You should do city reviews :D These kind of videos are interesting.
Everybody Should give a Town name to Dave to visit - or Top 3 ! Reason why - and what to do...! Which Town IS most liked and talked about... etc etc
I've been to Kouvola for one night years ago and I already recognized many places.
Lahti = Suomen Chicago (Finlands Chicago)
Kouvola= Suomen Lontoo (Finlands London)
I grew up there. the downtown used to be quite busy, but ever since veturi, the big mall northwest from downtown opened, lots of stores moved there, and downtown has become forgotten by most.
There was a Turistihotelli in Oulu 2008. I had a one night stay because I had entrance examination in the university. It was a very basic hotel room, but the staff and the vibe was little bit off.
I traveled around the country as a kid, mom drove jokamiesluokka & rally, I know exactly what you mean. I dont know if Ive been in that hotel, but some places just had this semi-unpleasant, maybe even sad vibe. Like a dead fly between windows. Hard to put into words, but its there.
You should be a bit more adventurous in your hotel choices. I travel around Finland quite a bit on business and my company is usually very tight with the hotel spending. So I often end up in bargain basement places.
Some can be really nice, maybe with slightly soviet decor but usually, because most of the guests are workmen/women the breakfasts are mega. Often much better than the Scandic/Sokos alternative.
Never stopped in Kouvola though. Looks like that burger made it worth the trip!
I like the vibe of bargain places but they sometimes have air quality problems, mold or poor ventilation. As I'm suffering from sensitivities that's not good.
You are braver man than me Dave. I was in Kouvola, but i didn't even leave my onnibus to get some air. And for that I salute you!
I'd be scared too
Ah, Kouvostoliitto. Spend a decent amout of time on the trainstation there waiting for me train to Kotka a few years back.
Very cool video Dave! I really liked to see that Kouvola is the USSR of Finland. Next time you want to visit somewhere else in our lovely country please go see to Cock River near Hakkari, north of Lempäälä, south of Sääksjärvi. PS. Whilst there go see also Paradice Island, a wonder of modern art funded by the kunta.👍
I've lived in Kouvola for my hole life (37v now) and about 10 years ago the main center started to vanish. About every shop in the center moved to shopping center Veturi. Veturi is about 5km away for the center. That's a shame because now it certaily is a ghost town except in the middle of the summer on summer market hours..
Never heard of you before but I liked and subed to help with that bill
Must be the best time of the year to visit Kouvola. Or any other Finnish city.
Go in summer. Then theres the tykkimäki amusement park and aquapark, also the veturi mall is popular and the kouvola talo has museums. Then theres the repovesi national park
I'm glad you came. If I had known I would have arranged so I could show you around. Would have loved to, apart from being camera shy. Happy you found Betony, excellent people, excellent food, next time I'll show you their whisky selection😂 Like others have said center died because prisma, citymarket, vetrui shopping mall, ...everything is outside the old city. Kouvola liquorice IS the best just like Betony burgers. Next time you have to try a quirky Italian pizza plaze that makes excellent pizza, Pizza Bravo. There are also a lot of great out door places so I would have taken you on an island to fry sausages on open fire 😊
I lived in Kouvola. I survived the Sampo talo. The concrete buildings. The Minecraft church.
I live here in Kouvola and it is much more than the centrum.
You have endless sporting / wandering / hiking / boating / golf / etc. possibilities, all in 15min car range.
Nature is literally behind the corner and everything is modestly priced. especially living / housing.
Train takes you to Helsinki in 1h05min, Russia is under two hours drive away. Three major airports are 1h, 1h20min and 2h40min away.
It's a roads and railroads crossing so it is logistically very good spot.
I truly like it here and would never move to Helsinki. (many have and most of them move back here later)!
We have a bus going to north parts of municipal that is a protected nature district with lakes and paths and places to take a break and make a coffee on the fire. you can sleep there in your own tent if you wish to do so.
We have a skiing center, golf court, water park, motor-sports area (next to it a go-cart circuit), bowling ally (2x), 15km away from centrum is a small airport where you can skydive, and more and more.
There really is a lot to see and do here for very little money (or much money if you like to do it in class)!
and theres at least one bar that is open till 05 every night of the week :D
Go to Kouvola in summer theres an amusement park named Tykkimäki
The place where the old attractions from the Helsinki amusement park Linnanmäki go to die...
To me (solely based on this video), Kouvola looks a lot like Oulunkylä/Ogeli (sry mates) :D
I'm hoping to one day fulfill my childhood dream and actually visit the Tykkimäki amusement park in Kouvola! They probably haven't opened yet for this season... Maybe that would give Dave a reason to go back to Kouvola one day, esp once his kids are a little bit older
For some reason the smaller or average sized cities in Finland give me a North American and especially Canadian vibe.
It's the space and the parking lots
Aww man, you missed so much of Kouvola by not going outside the city center