Random romances in Helsinki this autumn

Hattaransyöntiä Linnanmäellä
English

Start your romantic date by throwing dice. Look what number you get and find the matching location from the list below!

Meiju Niskala
Author & Artist
Meiju Niskala

Meiju Niskala is a performance artist who lives in Helsinki and is passionate about interaction, public spaces, experience the world in new ways and making things better. Start your romantic date by throwing dice. Look what number you get and find the matching location.

If you threw a 1, get your head in the clouds at Linnanmäki Amusement Park

The giant Rinkeli ferris wheel at the Linnanmäki amusement park whisks couples, families and dreamers above the treetops in seconds. Spend the first loop just staring into each other’s eyes, but already by the second loop you should have built up the courage in the swinging carriage to whisper into your partner’s ear, “You’re the loveliest!”

If you threw a 2, share a pet in Hietaniemi Cemetery

In the old field of souls, thrushes rest on statues of angels while stoats play among the stone walls. Elsewhere, the official animal of Helsinki, the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), can be seen racing up down the works of famous sculptors, running out to greet you and climb up your leg if you have nuts to offer. Make him your pet for the afternoon and Christen him after the name on the nearest headstone.

If you threw a 3, make at least a hundred wishes in Kaivopuisto Park

Search for the stone steps that were originally carved into the granite cliff for the local gentry to climb up to the highest point in the park. Sit side by side on the highest step and stare up into the night sky. When the Perseids appear in the northeast (between 17 July and 24 August) and the Orionids in the east (between 2 October and 7 November), you can make at least a hundred wishes for all the meteors you see together.

If you threw a 4, enjoy bright light therapy in Old Church Park

The branches of the maples (Acer platanoides) in the Old Church Park are thick and sturdy. Give your partner a leg up to the lowest branch and sit together amid the sea of bright yellow colours. Once you have listened to the sounds of autumn on the gnarly branches for a while, jump into the piles of leaves between the ancient graves of Segerholm, godfather to King Gustaf IV Adolf (the last Swedish ruler of Finland), and the shepherd boy Regen and rejoice in the fact that we no longer go to our graves because of a toothache, anaemia or the plague!

If you threw a 5, search for the bats on the island of Seurasaari

Find the soft hummock between the giant’s kettle and the replica of Aleksis Kivi’s cottage and lie down together, shoulder to shoulder. As the evening grows dark, prick up your ears and listen for the unmistakable clicking sounds of the bats and watch as they flutter past from bush to bush.

If you threw a 6, predict the future at the Old Town Rapids

Head for the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river, then listen out for the muskrats that live among the reeds and the roaring rapids behind you. Once you have cleared your mind of all other thoughts, examine the shape of the swirling water beneath your feet: a cross = suffering and ordeals, the sun = great joy, a ball = the end to your troubles, scissors = a family feud, a boat = a journey, a heart = love, a cat = a boyfriend or girlfriend.

English

Rate your random experience

❤︎ Just holding hands
❤︎❤︎ A hug
❤︎❤︎❤︎ A peck on the cheek
❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ A kiss on the lips
❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ True love

You can read more about random romanticism and other tips for urban explorers in Helsinki in Meiju’s book Olet tässä (Helsinki) published by Avain in 2008.

Show image on the left
Off
Show created/updated
On
Show in search dropdown
Off
Teaser text
Start your romantic date by throwing dice. Look what number you get and find the matching location.