Have you ever heard Lord of the Rings? Yes, that famous Lord of the Rings. J. R. R. Tolkien, the author, was greatly influenced by the Finnish national epic Kalevala. He also based elements of his Elvish language Quenya on Finnish language. So why you have never heard of it? Let’s explore this hidden gem…
Read moreAfter our trip to Kainuu I discovered a region unknown for me. Closer to the border with Russia, an area with their own history, stories and culture. Kainuu region is trying to get more tourist through the year and the literary tourism could be a solution. The story and the places are there, ready to…
Read moreI had the fortunate opportunity to take part in a trip to Kainuu region in the beginning of October 2021. The purpose of this trip was to examine the literary tourism products and practices in the region. The theme for a majority of these products was the Finnish epic Kalevala. The epic is a collection…
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Tainan, as the ancient capital of Taiwan, attracted more than millions of tourists coming to enjoy the historical atmosphere and the famous cuisine of this amazing city. The unique historical identity and the scenery of the streets are extremely special in the small country. The city had rich stories to share with everyone who come…
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So the journey to Kainuu and Kuhmo finished; I blew the opportunity. Based on my information about that location, I assume my friends had a fantastic trip. Indeed, after reading their writings on Kuhmo, I believe that they had some insight for this literature place!!!! Literature in the corner!!!! Kuhmo’s literary tour is intended to…
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Visiting Kainuu was part of my course, I have mentioned my impressive pre-experience of literary tourism here. Therefore, I am looking forward to joining this trip and sharing with everyone more about the actual experiences. Unfortunately, due to the complicated epidemic, I could not come to Finland and join the journey. However, there is an…
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Kajaani is a potential destination for literary tourism for its connection with Kälevala of Elias Lönnrot and the Emperor of Poetry Eino Leino. Therefore, Kajaani has many opportunities to become an academic tourism destination, especially Kälevala with Kajaani fans. However, Kajaani is now facing many challenges in developing literary tourism that requires specific change. Challenges…
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First impressions Let’s be honest here – at first, I thought I never would have any reason to visit Kuhmo. My mental image of the city consisted mainly of: Old moldy buildings in the middle of nowhere Depressing landscapes Lack of activities Ageing population I have never visited the place and neither have my friends,…
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Being well-known as the birthplace of the Kalevala epic, Kainuu region has its full potential to become a popular tourism destination by inheriting an enriched value of cultural heritage. As mentioned in my last blogpost, the area has many attractions representing Kalevala theme, its father, Elias Lönnrot’s journey and honoring Literary Tourism in general. However,…
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Kuhmo, the City of Literature Kuhmo has been selected as one of the cities in UNESCO’s City of Literature Network. It is the home for the stories in Kalevala, and a pit stop of Elias Lönnrot’s travels to Viena Karelia. This gives the city great leverage on the literary tourism sector. However, the city has…
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