FINLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 129

Southernmost City
Depart from Helsinki Station
Distance by Train: 85 miles (137 km)
Average Train Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
City Dialing Code: 19
Tourist Information Office: 5 Raatihuoneentori, P.O. Box 14, 10900 Hanko
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
www.hanko.fi
E-mail: [e-mail]
Hours: January 1-May 31 0900-1600 Monday-Friday; June 1-August 31
0900-1800 Monday-Friday, 1000-1600 Saturday-Sunday; September
1-December 31 0900-1600 Monday-Friday
Notes: To get to the Hanko tourist office, depart the station and proceed along the
overpass crossing the railroad, which will be on your left as you arrive. Walk over
the bridge and continue past the market square on your right. Turn left on Bulevardi
Street. The tourist office is in the town hall, on the corner of Bulevardi Street and
Vuorikatu. (“Katu” means “street.”)
Hanko (Hangö) is Finland's southernmost town. It is best known as a summer re-
sort, but because the climate in this part of Finland often is very mild, you can
visit Hanko in any season. In September, for example, the seawater is still warm
enough for swimming. If you do not want to swim, you can lie on the beach, take a
walk in the surrounding area, go for a bicycle tour, hire a horse, or just relax. Hanko
in autumn is an unusually peaceful place. No matter when you go there, you will
find clean water, lots of fresh air, and lots of things to do. The peninsula where
Hanko lies, known long ago among seafarers, was used for centuries as a harbor
where sailing vessels could seek refuge from storms or winter ice packs. With time
on their hands, many navigators, merchants, and soldiers kept themselves busy by
carving their names or family coats of arms in the rocks along the shoreline of the
harbor. More than 600 of these carvings have been found. Due to these inscrip-
tions, the area gained the title “Guest Book of the Archipelago.” You can inspect
this handiwork during the sightseeing cruises available in the harbor area.
Hanko did not begin as a town until the 1870s. With the introduction of iron ships,
winter navigation became possible, and Hanko's peninsula was found to be well
suited as a year-round harbor. Both a railway and a harbor were constructed, and
Hanko was well on its way to becoming an important part of the Finnish economy.