When I submitted an abstract to attend a conference in Jyväskylä, you can be sure I had never heard of it before and definitely couldn’t tell you where in Finland the city was located. I didn’t even know how to pronounce Jyväskylä (yoo-vas-ku-la) until several days before my trip. But that didn’t stop me from being super excited to visit my second Scandinavian country of 2013!
Jyväskylä can be found in the center of the country in Finland’s lakes region. Although it’s definitely possible to fly there from Helsinki, the train ride only takes about 3+ hours and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous through that part of the country.
I truly regret not scheduling some extra time in Jyväskylä beyond the conference — I really wish I would have been able to explore a bit more. The smell of pine in the air brought me back to my childhood, and the lakes and blue skies were stunning.
At the very least, I was able to take in the scenery and go for a run along the lakeside before traveling to Helsinki for the weekend. If you ever find yourself in Finland, make sure to spend some time discovering Jyväskylä and the lakes region!
Have you been to Finland before? What was your favorite part of the country?
For more No Apathy Allowed posts on Finland, check these out:
Wow – I can’t get over the blue of the water!! I think I could stare at your pictures for a long time.
Thanks, Emily! I think you would really enjoy yourself there.