Winter in Finland has its own kind of magic, and this time, we somehow found ourselves in Lahti, a city known for its stunning lakes, winter sports, and surprisingly the anime scene.
What brought us here? Well, an anime convention known as Desucon, one of Finland’s biggest anime conventions. But before the event, we wanted to experience all we could in Lahti’s city center!
As we walked through the snow (and sometimes ice covered) streets, we explored an immersive art exhibit, tested out local restaurants, and also took part in the ultimate winter experience in Finland, a sauna session with an icy dip in the lake. Can you really say that you experienced winter in Finland without doing avanto?
All the places mentioned in this blog post are within a short distance from the city center. Honestly, Lahti surprised us with how easy it was to explore, making it a perfect destination for a short weekend escape. Or some things to add to your list while you’re in Lahti for conventions like Desucon.
This post is in collaboration with Lahden Seurahuone and VisitLahti but all opinions are my own! Also if you don’t already follow us on Instagram could you give us a follow there too?
How to Get to Lahti
Lahti is easily accessible from Helsinki by train and by bus. We came from Turku and had to bring a lot of stuff with us to set up our booth for Desucon so we came by car. The hotel we stayed in had a parking hall so it made our stay much easier.
For recommendations on how to get to Lahti I recommend visiting Visit Lahti’s Website for precise and up to date information.
You can access their website through this link.
Where We Stayed in Lahti
While in Lahti we stayed at the Lahden Seurahuone, which is centrally located in Lahti. And when I central I literally mean the hotel is smack dab in the middle of Lahti. During our time at the Lahden Seurahuone we stayed in the Solo Loft Triple.
The room was absolutely gorgeous and had a mini-fridge, coffee bar, 2 bathrooms and a tub. The room was spacious and the bathtub looked so luxurious. I really had a pinch me moment while we were staying there, and my biggest regret is not using the bathtub.
Our room honestly felt like a mini apartment, it would be perfect for those going on group trips as there were a lot of places to sleep in the loft.
Also we all know the best part of a hotel is the hotel breakfast and the Lahden Seurahuone did not disappoint. My favorite part was their waffle maker; because your girl is American and waffles/pancakes for breakfast while on vacation is a must.
They also served riisipiirakka and munavoi (a Finnish classic) straight to your table in little bread baskets which I thought was a really great touch because other places we’ve stayed have left them out in the chaffers which in turn makes them really dry. No one wants a dry riisipiirakka.
What We Did in Lahti
Went to Desucon Frostbite at the Sibeliustalo
The reason we came to Lahti in the first place! When I lived in the US I always dreamed of going to an anime convention. I first fell in love with anime by watching Sailor Moon every Saturday morning growing up.
Then, when I was a teen I enjoyed watching Inuyasha and Vandread. And in college, Fairy Tail helped me when I was going through a rough time. It was just so nice being at a place where I could fangirl over people’s costumes.
The Sibeliustalo is also home to many other events such as regional orchestras and musical performances. Be sure to check out what’s happening at the Sibeliustalo during your visit to Lahti.
Here’s the link that will take you to Sibeliustalo’s event page
Malva Art Museum
This was truly such a diverse art experience. There were a few exhibits that created great conversations between Tuomas and I. Tuomas enjoys surreal art like the picture on the left, things like David Lynch (rip😢) Whereas, I’m more interested in more fantasy-like settings like you can see in the picture on the right.
Tuomas and I embody the whole opposites attract things, which is why we love going to art exhibits, it gives us a chance to talk more about our differences and learn more about each other. Because you should always try learn more about each other in relationships.
You can check out Malva’s current exhibitions through this link
Sauna at Lahden Nosturi
This Is such a cool city sauna and avanto. Located next to the docks, Nosturi really gives beach vibes all year round. They even have a private sauna there on the top deck if you want to have your own sauna party for a bachelorette event or just because.
Before I moved to Finland, avanto wasn’t something that Tuomas was into. However after I did it the first time last year I’ve become hooked. I love the feeling of turning into a snowflake and then defrosting in the sauna.
My favorite part of Nosturi was the fact you could buy the neoprene socks for avanto. They were a little pricey (35e) but so worth it.
I have gone to avanto before in Turku with wooly socks and immediately said no to the wooly sock part because they were wet and frozen and stuck to my body. I ended up just forgoing the wooly socks altogether which made the experience a little harder because of how slippery it was.
But the neoprene socks made going to avanto a whole new experience for me. I didn’t have that weird sensation I did the previous time with the wooly socks and because they were suited for avanto the socks had grips on the soles.
Seriously, the neoprene socks made the whole experience much more enjoyable.
You can check out Lahden Nosturi’s opening hours through this link
Nightcap at Teerenpeli
Finland’s craft beer scene always has something exciting to try, and while alcohol laws prevent me from telling you about how the drinks tasted I can say that I’m interested in trying more salmiakki sours in the future.
The Teerenpelli in Lahti was much bigger than the one in Turku and it makes sense since Teerenpeli is a Lahti Brewery. It was so spacious and because it was a Friday night it was packed! There was even a DJ and I may or may not have pulled Tuomas to the dancefloor for a song or two.
You can learn more about Teerenpeli and check out some awards they won through this link
Where We Ate in Lahti
Malva Art Museum: Malskin Bistro
The Malva Art Museum has both a cafe and bistro inside of it. We ate at the Bistro for lunch after our museum tour. We recommend checking out their daily lunch specials. There is usually a meat and a vegetarian option and you also have access to the salad bar.
You can check out Malskin Bistro’s daily lunch specials here
Trattoria Seurahuone
After getting our booth set up at Desucon and seeing the sights in Lahti we were tired, and instead of dealing with the whole conversation of “what do you want to have for dinner?” and the usual answer of “I don’t know, what do you want?” so we scheduled our dinner in advance at Trattoria before our arrival to Lahti.
It really made our busy day much easier because we didn’t have to do much thinking about where we wanted to go. It was our first time in Lahti and we also didn’t know where to go. All around, great pick for your first night in the town.
We went to Lahti in January so there was the blini weeks happening and I don’t know why but it feels like in January you just have to get blini’s so that’s what I ordered. Tuomas opted for a steak with fries, a classic. He was kind enough to share a bite of his steak with me and it was so delicious.
You can make a table reservation at Trattoria Seurahuone here.
Mamma Maria
This restaurant was suggested by a friend who lives in Lahti, and after looking at the pictures online I decided we had to try it. Mamma Maria is a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant in Lahti and the interior was brightly lit and gave off such warm and inviting vibes. I would say it made me feel like I was in italy but I have never been but if you have been to Italy maybe it would remind you of it.
Tuomas and I both got pasta dishes and gelato afterwards. Both we’re so delicious we will definitely be coming back to Mamma Maria the next time we are in Lahti, it is without a doubt my new favorite spot there.
I strongly encourage you to make a table reservation if you plan on going during the weekends because it was packed when we went Saturday night! There are old school so you’ll have to call to make a reservation, if you’re an English speaker there’s no need to worry, they can speak English as well.
You can check out Mamma Maria’s menu through this link
A Little Weekend Adventure in Lahti
Lahti was such a great experience for us, we really enjoyed exploring the city on our first day and found our hotel room to be a nice retreat after a long day of vending. Probably the most memorable experience for us was the Malva Art Museum and the dinner at Mamma Maria.
Are you planning to travel to Lahti in the future? What are some places you’re interested in checking out? drop a comment and let us know. We would love to go back to Lahti and take time to explore more of Lahti’s nature.
Also, this is an interest check but would y’all be interested in a post about starting a business as an immigrant in Finland? Let me know down below. Until next time!