ART DESTINATION: The Sinebrychoff Art Museum of Helsinki

By Jorge Jefferds February 11, 2020

In 1890, while a Helsinki family prospered in the brewery industry and in the banking, they also commenced their adventure in the trails of the arts. “We loved art from a young age," recalled Fanny Sinebrychoff, who was married to Paul Sinebrychoff, the magnate first heir of the brewing family. "When we traveled abroad after we got married in the 1880s, we never failed to visit art galleries. Seeing all those beautiful and uplifting things they presented to viewers in abundance, we were struck by a burning desire to give the citizens of our faraway home country an opportunity to have their share in it. The decision to start collecting valuable pieces of art to our own home evolved then, pieces that we could – maybe one day after the collection had grown – donate to the Finnish government.”

View of the Museum from the Sinebrychoff Park

As she said, it was done. In 1921, after almost thirty years of collecting, Fanny Sinebrychoff donated a collection of about 900 works of art to the government, fulfilling their mutual wish. The collection is housed in its original home, in the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Helsinki, at Bulevardi 40, where the home of Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff has been “revived” after many decades.
The Sinebrychoff Art Museum is situated at the end of Bulevardi right next to a large park. The building, completed in 1842, was the home and office of the Sinebrychoff family.

The Empire Room

The 1st floor originally had offices of the brewery and accommodation for servants, and the 2nd floor was reserved for entertainment and the Sinebrychoff family living quarters. The office space of the brewery was located in the north-east corner of the building and the entrance to the office was directly from the street. The kitchen and the servants’ room were in the south-east corner of the building; the entry to the living quarters was via the stairs at the western end, with the rooms facing the street being for entertainment and those facing the park were the private quarters of the family.

Paul Sinebrychoff's Study

Paul and Fanny decorated the interiors with valuable ceiling paintings, stucco surfaces and French wallpapers. The house had a bathroom and an indoor toilet, which was a sign that this was a very modern building in Helsinki at the time. Although the cellars, offices and the proximity of production plants were indications of a bourgeois way of life, the need for entertainment was taken into account at the planning stage. The garden and the park beside the building were for public use.
One of the most important private houses in Helsinki opened to the public as a house museum in 1921. The four rooms facing the street exhibited beautiful chambers in different styles and filled with interesting artifacts, to a great extent as Fanny Sinebrychoff left them. The museum remained like this until 1939 when it needed to be closed because of the outset of the Winter War. The collection was evacuated to a safe storage. Bombings and insurrections badly damage the house located at Bulevardi 40, and it was rented out to the Helsinki University of Technology as a chemistry laboratory after the war.

The Empire Room from a Different Angle

In 1959, the collections moved back to the rooms restored with funding from the Sinebrychoff company, and in 1975, the government bought the entire building from the brewery. After extensive restoration, the Sinebrychoff mansion returned to life as a museum. In 1980, the collections of old European art from the Ateneum Art Museum were moved there to join Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff’s art collections.
Some extra work completed in 2002 focused on preservation and restoration. Black and white photos of the Sinebrychoff home, taken by photographer Signe Brander in 1912, formed the basis for the displays of art works and other artifacts. The four upstairs rooms facing the Bulevardi street have been restored to their original look as far as possible. The rooms facing the park display other art collections of the museum, whereas the downstairs rooms house temporary exhibitions.

The Gustavian Room

In modern days, the house museum presents the home of the Sinebrychoffs as it was in the 1910s. The art collection, artifacts and furniture are in their original places. The surface materials and paints were selected carefully to reflect the original decorations. The restored museum opened to the public in February 2003.
When you visit Helsinki from now and until the end of summer, there will be two interesting upcoming exhibitions in the Sinebrychoff Art Museum:

Life Under Threat (from February 13th. until August 23rd., 2020)

Animals are one of the oldest pictorial motifs – known already in prehistoric times. The exhibition presents visions of animals and nature from the 16th century to today. The artworks convey the relationship humans have had with animals and with nature through the ages. How do we perceive these works today? As humans, we also look at ourselves through animals. In the western worldview, animals and nature are viewed as something that exists for humans. In reality, humans are merely a part of the whole. The works in the exhibition examine the journey of humans in and as a part of nature. Understanding co-existence helps to preserve living space both for humans and for all other creatures.

Albert Edelfelt and the Romanovs (from February 6th. until May 10th., 2020 in the Red Cellar)

This exhibition focuses on Albert Edelfelt’s lesser-known works related to the Russian Imperial family. The centerpiece is a portrait of Alexander III’s nephews, The Grand Dukes Boris and Kirill Vladimirovich as Children (1881) from the Rybinsk Art Museum collection. This painting, long thought to be lost, is being displayed for the first time in Finland. Also on display are other captivating portraits of children from the Romanov family. The exhibition includes oil paintings, sketches and letters from the artist. The exhibition has been arranged together with the Finnish Institute in Saint Petersburg. The curator is the institute’s director, Sani Kontula-Webb. Partners for this exhibition are: The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish General Consulate in Saint Petersburg, the Finland-Russia Society, the Friends of the Finnish Institute in Saint Petersburg, and Finnair.  

  

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CITY DESTINATION: Bariloche, the Swiss Argentinian Spot

By Jorge Jefferds February 2, 2020

San Carlos de Bariloche locates in the south corner of the Argentinian Patagonia, in the heart of the country’s lake district. Nestled on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and its corresponding national park, Bariloche offers travelers thrilling outdoors activities as well as a pretty Swiss-style town sweetened with chocolate shops and boutiques. In a visit of ten days, you will be able to explore also ten of the best things to do and see in the area.
Aside from its beautiful scenery and national park, Bariloche is famous for the chocolate-box architecture found in its town center, the Civic Center. Any visitor who has been to Switzerland will immediately be reminded of its pretty Alpine houses when they walk through the town. Log and stone buildings are home to souvenir shops, exclusive boutiques, and outdoor activity stores catering to Bariloche’s main tourist demographic. The center is small enough for a pleasant stroll, and is full of restaurants and cafés. The highlight is the cathedral, with its grand stone walls in a prime position, looming over the lake.

Bariloche Downtown facing Lake Nahuel Huapi

The biggest crown of Bariloche is its national park, Nahuel Huapi. Visitors can simply drive through and admire the scenery from the car, or they can park up and take a walk along one of the many hiking routes. The more adventurous visitors can raft or kayak on Lake Nahuel Huapi, a huge water body that was formed from melted glaciers and is surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains. Visitors can usually book tours and activities through their hotel, or alternatively they can jump in the car and take a drive through the park, and see what’s on offer when they arrive in there.

Close to Bariloche is the small town of El Bolsón, to which it is possible to take a day trip (about two hours by car from Bariloche). Its first non-native inhabitants came from Germany, and consequently it has become famous for its production of cheeses and beer. It prides itself on its focus on ecological living and organic farming, and is therefore a popular destination for the liberal-minded. Likewise, there is a number of hiking routes nearby, of which one of the most popular is up to Cajón de Azul (Blue Canyon), a small vibrant blue lake where it is possible to swim. Further out from the city of Bariloche itself is the Lanín Volcano.

Blue Canyon near El Bolson

Not in Nahuel Huapi, but instead bordering a national park with the same name, it can be seen from all around the area due to its height of 3,776 meters. It is possible to climb, but by experts only or within an official guided tour group, and even then it is not recommended for the faint-hearted. While this volcano has not thought to have erupted for around 10,000 years, it has not officially been declared extinct, due to the occasional tremors. The crater itself is not visible, and is thought to be underneath the glacier found at the peak of the mountain.Another small town possible to visit in a day trip from Bariloche is Villa La Angostura, high in the mountains and home to Los Arrayanes National Park. An arrayán is a kind of tree native between Chile and Argentina, and has been important within the Mapuche indigenous culture as a rich source of medicine. Visitors can bike or walk through the forest, or alternatively get a boat across the lake to reach the park. The nearby hiking trails also offer fantastic views of Lake Nahuel Huapi.

Museum of the Patagonia

Inside one of the Civic Center’s Swiss chalets you will find Bariloche’s Museum of the Patagonia. It contains an interesting collection of exhibits relating to the history of the national park and its surrounding area, specifically archaeological finds, natural history and indigenous artifacts. Most impressive is the Sala Pueblos Originarios, which examines the native people who lived around the area, notably the Mapuche people whose practices are still common today, just across the border in Chile. For a break from the outdoors, this museum provides plenty of information that visitors will find adds to their appreciation of Bariloche and what it has to offer.

Aerial View of Lanin Volcano

In an attempt to match Bariloche’s famous Alpine architecture, there are numerous specialty chocolate shops in downtown for visitors to enjoy. Most of them are located on the main shopping street, Bartolomé Mitre Street, so they’re hard to avoid and resisting the temptation is worthless. The most popular shop with locals is Chocolates Rapa Nui, which has existed in the town for generations since it was first set up in the early 1900s by an Italian immigrant. The shop is also home to a café serving desserts and other patisserie items, as well as ice-cream. Other popular shops include Chocolates del Turista (mainly due to their free samples), Mamuschka and Bonifacio.
Tronador Hill in Nahuel Huapi National Park is the highest mountain in the lake region of Argentina. At the foot of the mountain visitors can see glaciers, which can be heard creaking – especially when huge chunks of ice drop off. It has three distinct peaks, called Argentino, Internacional, and Chileno, so it is easy to identify. Tronador Hill is an extinct volcano, and the surrounding area encompasses several small lakes and green forests to be explored. The Manso River, which visitors will pass when traveling to Tronador Hill from Bariloche, is a popular spot for white-water rafting. It is only a couple of hours away from Bariloche, and most hotels offer day tours.

Catedral Hill in Winter (June to September)

Within the Nahuel Huapi National Park is Isla Victoria, a small rugged island on Lake Hahuel Nuapi reachable by a short boat journey. The island is approximately 31 km² in area, but only about a third of it is possible to walk around due to the difficult terrain. In the past it was inhabited by indigenous people, the evidence of which can be seen in cave drawings scattered across the island. It is a lovely spot for a tranquil walk through its forests, as it is home to a great variety of flora and fauna. The trails are also on boardwalks so it is not too strenuous, and perfect for families.
This activity is not possible all year round, but is certainly worth it when the snow is still on the ground. Catedral Hill is the most popular ski destination in the Bariloche area, and you can visit it with a short bus ride from downtown. A typical ski resort, among its stand-out feature are the views of the Nahuel Huapi lake and surrounding national park. The staff at the ski center on Catedral Hill come mostly from Bariloche and surroundings, for they have good knowledge of the mountain, its preservation and how to ski responsibly.

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ADVENTURE DESTINATION: Extreme Arctic Hotel in Kakslauttanen

By Jorge Jefferds February 1, 2020


Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is located in the Urho Kekkonen National Park, the largest of Finland's national parks, in a region inhabited by the Sami for over a century. Actually, it is situated 250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Anybody might give up the intentions to get there, but it is not difficult. The nearest international airport is in Ivalo, just a 30-minute ride away. Finnair and Norwegian fly regularly from Helsinki.

One of their most admired accommodations is the complex of glass igloos. With capacity for two and four people, you can admire the northern lights and the twinkling of the bright starry sky either with a group of friends, or snuggled up romantically with your loved one. The igloo for two includes a toilet and the option for an extra bed. Saunas and showers are available in separate facilities. The four-person igloos include their own shower besides the toilet.

The kelo-glass igloos combine the comforting warmth of a cozy log chalet with outstanding views from the world-famous glass igloos. They offer a sleeping capacity of six, featuring a private sauna, fireplace, kitchenette, and a bedroom with a glass roof.

For those not afraid of freezing temperatures, a night in one of the Kakslauttanen snow igloos might be an unforgettable experience. Rarely does anyone get the chance to sleep as cozily as they do in an ice-cool igloo that shields them from even the faintest outside noise. Regardless the minus 40 degrees, to which the outside temperature might drop in a single night, the interior temperature might stay between minus three to minus six.
As winter goes by, Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort has a great assortment of activities to explore the wonders of this distant untouchable part of Finland. There are two big husky farms right next door to the resort. It will not take you too long to get a feel for steering huskies, and before you know it, you will be sledding through the wilderness drawn by these eager and friendly dogs. There is a range of safari lengths available, from a snappy 15-minute ride to a full-on overnight adventure.

Meanwhile, a reindeer safari can be a relaxing trip into nature, hosted by local reindeer herders. You will be able to chat with them and just to connect with Sami people in an authentic way. The resort offers varying lengths of safari, with the longest including an outdoor lunch. As weather can be sometimes extremely cold and windy, you will be warm and comfortable in one of the resort's enclosed panoramic sleigh, pulled by unique snow tanks. They will take you across the snowy fells while you breathe in the beauty of the landscape surrounding you with a guide answering all your questions and telling you more about what you see. Choose from a two to three-hour ride with a break for traditional refreshments on the way.

An icebreaker cruise called Sampo that departs out of the town of Kemi is one of Finland's most popular travel attractions, and this nautical experience is within easy reach of Kakslauttanen. Over the course of the day-long trip, you will have a lifetime opportunity to take a dip in the icy Bay of Bothnia - in a dry suite, mind you. The period for icebreaker cruises extends from mid-December until the end of April.

For more information about rates, reservations, special events, and more, visit https://www.kakslauttanen.fi/

For flights to Helsinki from the United States, you can also book tickets with American Airlines at www.aa.com. 

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