Hi! I am An, a 19-year-old student from Vietnam. As a person from a metropolitan area of 10 million people, my relocation to the small town of Mikkeli was a huge change. Amidst the constantly busy study life of Aalto University, finding joy and solace in where you live can be a transformative experience. To my surprise, after 1 year living here, I find Mikkeli nothing like the monotonous boredom that it seems to be. Blessed by the nature of Finland, this city embraces in itself a peaceful pace of life mixed with plentiful activities to enjoy, and an international atmosphere blended in a close-knit community.
Outdoor Activities
During the summer, one of my favorite time-killing activities is to have a picnic with my friends on the beach of Pankalampi lake, munching snacks and singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” along the strummer of guitar, or to shove my body into the cold water before finding out 5 seconds later that it is actually not that cold. Pushing your friends into the water is also among the fun things, but only try if you can handle their tantrum afterwards. The serene beauty of this lake constantly drives us there no matter if it’s the break of dawn or a white night when the sun doesn’t set.
Pankalampi Beach is also a nice place for grilling, where you will grill meat with your friends countless times in order to make up for the cost of buying the grill (beware to protect your grill from the beach-volley court right next to you). But if you truly want to master the divine art of grilling, you need to push yourself further into the dark forest (I’m sure there are no bears) to find the ultimate secret it embraces – The Fireplace. Here you can grill a banquet. Sitting on the wooden bench, grilling while enjoying the breath-takingly green forestry surroundings, which are so beautiful to watch that you forget there are 3 mosquitos on your ankles. Only after that can you call yourself a grilling pro.
Sports and Recreation
If you are a sports fan, the Saimaa Stadium is something you should add to your list. I myself haven’t tried the services of Saimaa Stadium, but we had lunch with the Mikkeli mayor and witnessed the wide range of sports and recreational facilities it offers (not to mention its cozy restaurant where vegan food is also available).
Very close to the stadium, right on Raviradantie, is another sports center, Raviradan Nurmikenttä, where you can have tennis or badminton sessions with your friends. I visited the place thrice and had a really good time. And even though I am not a football enthusiast, many students in my campus visit Hänninkenttä arena for competitive futsals – sporting events that bring the community together. Hänninkenttä is also a name you should remember if you want to try ice-skating – the national pride of Finland. But, tie your shoes tightly! The ice rink has no mercy on unprofessional ice-skaters (and I learned this the hard way).
Aurora Borealis
Countries of the far north like Finland are usually associated with the spectacular Northern Lights, and this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon is exactly what you should not miss during the course of your stay in Mikkeli. In bigger cities of Finland, you might not be able to see the notorious Auroras due to view-blocking constructs and light pollution. But here, in the small town of Mikkeli, the Auroras are visible to our bare eyes from November till March – you have 5 months to capture the light performance of the sky! Keep an eye on the forecast – Northern Light hunting has never been an easy quest!
Yet beauty is painful and there is a cost to behold this Queen of the Night: you will have to put your trembling body totally at the mercy of the Finnish winter. It is extremely cold in the northern lights’ peak season from January to February, especially at the place where we usually get the best view of the Auroras, up on a hill and surrounded by forests and lakes, no earlier than 11pm. But once I see that ethereal sparkle of light, every darkness, cold, and numbness immediately sink into oblivion. It is a blissful moment to watch the Auroras dancing in the nocturnal sky – so clear, so bright that you can even see them moving like silk in front of the wind.
Nightlife
Northern Light hunting is not the only nightlife entertainment that Mikkeli has to offer. As the sun sets, Mikkeli unveils its more vibrant self. Estrada has always been the go-to karaoke spot for me and my friends. Be there soon on Friday evenings to join Estrada’s Bingo session, and if you are lucky enough to win this game, some special coupons are waiting for you. Otherwise, you can practice to win a Grammy by clearing your throat with the microphone. Legend has it that whenever a Korean guy shows up at Estrada and breaks the night with “Gangnam Style”, the whole place is boiled up with chantings even though none of them knows half a letter of Korean.
For those seeking a sportier night out, Keilakukko is the destination for bowling enthusiasts, where you can actually chill with your friends with strikes and spares. Whenever you throw the bowl with all your might and still miss all the pins, you can try another profession by switching to billiards, all under the same roof.
Mikkeli Music Festival
One more thing you should know about Mikkeli, especially if you are a music lover, is the Mikkeli Music Festival from July to August every year. In this period, multiple concerts and performances take place in the city, some of them are even free.
For me, who has a soft spot for classical music, I found joy in the violin concert performed by In Mo Yang, a world-famous violinist, in August 2023. It was such a pleasure to see an Asian being so well-known that even a small Finnish city recognizes him, and even a greater pleasure to hear beautiful sonatas coming to life from his violin, which produced such unbelievable sounds that it can be compared to a perfect human’s singing voice.
For those preferring extravagant large-scale performance, the London Philharmonic came to Mikkeli this year. MMF will also not fail anyone who is more into pop or jazz.
After 1 year in Mikkeli, I have had such a great time that I have no regrets at all to have chosen this city to stay for my higher education. If it wasn’t a wonderful place, there wouldn’t have been so many exchange students in my campus who cried when they left Mikkeli for their home universities. A once-in-a-lifetime experience – that is what Mikkeli promises to bring.