Haikko Manor
HAIKKO MANOR –
EXPERIENCES FOR ALL THE SENSES
The summer holiday
was about to end and the weather had not exactly pampered holiday makers. We
needed a small break from everyday life. We turned our eyes to Haikko Manor in
Porvoo, less than an hour´s drive from the capital.
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| Haikko manor. |
The combination of a
beautiful, historic environment and a modern spa was just what we needed.
The present manor
house dates from 1913 and stands as a majestic crown in a scenery of parks and
seashore. Inside you find old-world charm: it is easy to imagine the refined
ladies with their long dresses going in the stairs and girls gracefully holding
their parasols while strolling in the park. For art-lovers there is plenty to
look at in the manor, and if you want more, the atelier of the famous Finnish
painter Albert Edelfelt is nearby. He painted here for 24 summers in late 19th
and early 20th century. You can find big posters made of his most
iconic paintings here and there in the park.
The hotel has not
gotten stuck in the past. A modern spa has been built next to the manor house.
There you can pamper yourself in many ways or keep fit in the gym. There are
many different saunas: in addition to the traditional Finnish sauna, there is
also a steam room, a sauna with aromatic fragrance and an infrared sauna. There
is also a choice of pools, from cold to hot, a whirlpool and a pool with
different massaging showers and currents underwater. We also tried the
experimental showers with different light and sound effects, from birdsong to
thunder. For some reason, we fell asleep quickly in the evening after spending
hours in the spa. If you wish, in addition to the traditional spa treatments
you can try out the special anti-age treatments promising to make you look
younger without surgery. I wanted to try the super cold, 120 degrees below
zero, which is said to relieve pain, but unfortunately, we had to leave it to
another occasion.
The friendly
service must receive a special mention. Those customers staying in the manor
house have their own breakfast rooms and you can also have a glass of sparkling
wine with your breakfast.
The food is a delight and whilst you eat, you can
admire the beautiful old furniture or the view of the park and the sea. For
fine dining, there is the Manor house restaurant and for more economic dishes
or snacks you can visit the Spa bistro.
Whilst in Haikko,
you should also visit the lovely old town of Porvoo. There is a medieval church
up in the hill and the old wooden houses downhill next to the river. There are
interesting little boutiques and many different restaurants along the narrow
cobblestone streets. The whole town is like an outdoor museum!
Our manor-house
holiday was really relaxing and eased the going-back-to-work stress
considerably.
(Porvoo, about 7 kilometers from Haikko Manor)
