Hanko

Hanko is the southernmost city in Finland. It blossomed as a spa town in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It was a glamorous retreat for Russian nobles, tsars and artists. Of course we know what happened to the Russian nobility in 1917. But many of the grand seaside villas built by the formerly wealthy summer visitors remain and are operated as fancy guesthouses. Hanko now is an important port for goods on the way to Russia. We had purchased a three day train pass before our children came to visit. We used two days traveling to and from Rovaniemi. Hanko was one of the places we had not been that we could travel to and from in one day's time. So we spent a lovely day there. Kind of like going to a small North Carolina beach town--not much to do but not doing much can be very refreshing. And the views were lovely.