Exploring Suomenlinna Fortress
On our first full day in Helsinki, we visited the historic Suomenlinna Fortress. The boat trip to the island was only half an hour long but we got a great impression of the Helsinki harbour and the little islands around it. Walking around the fortress was beautiful. It was sunny, warm and windy. Not what I expected Helsinki to be. [Kathi A]
Touring Perho College and Green City Farm
It was really interesting to compare Perho College to HAK1. I loved that there were lots of places where you could work in small groups around the school. Green City Farm was really great too. They grow the food that is served in the restaurant. [Matthias]
Visit to North Outdoor
The visit to North Outdoor was very interesting. It was founded by two international skiers. The head of marketing gave us a detailed presentation on their strategy, focusing on their use of merino wool and sustainable practices. The owners want to take risks. For example they took a gamble on marino wool dresses and these are now the top selling product in the online store. It was interesting to hear how they are experimenting with international sales, currently focusing on the Netherlands. Quite a few of us bought pullovers! [Anna]
Helsinki’s Main Sights
We had a great time visiting the main sights of Helsinki. Of course we visited the famous cathedral and the parliament building . We also had a quick tour inside the Ateneum art museum and were shown some of Finland's most important artworks to help us understand Finnish culture. [Pia]
City Library Visit
The main city library in Helsinki was unlike any library I've ever seen. With meeting rooms, music practice rooms, computer games, and even podcast studios, it felt more like a creative hub than a traditional library. The facilities were state-of-the-art, and I loved the idea of borrowing board games and electric guitars! [Sophia]
Fazer Chocolate Factory
Our visit to the Fazer chocolate factory museum was a delightful experience. We learned about the history of Fazer and the chocolate-making process. The guided tour was both informative and delicious, as we got to sample various chocolates. It was a sweet end to our busy day! [Theresa]
Walking Tour of Helsinki
The walking tour of Helsinki's city centre was a great way to start our trip. We explored lots of historic landmarks. The architecture was a mix of old and new. Meeting some of the Perho College students for the day was great too - they were able to show us their favourite parts of the city. [Alex]
Teamwork at Perho College
Working on the project at Perho College was a valuable learning experience. Collaborating with Finnish students, we focused on North Outdoor's hypothetical launch in Austria. It was interesting to consider cultural differences and market strategies. The presentations at the end showcased some creative ideas. [Luisa]
Cultural Differences
An interesting aspect of our trip was observing the cultural differences between Finns and Austrians. In general, Finns are quieter than Austrians but they can be really funny! In school, pupils call teachers by their first names, and our impressions from Eurovision were true: Finns often express themselves in their often crazy style.
Finnish students all wear all-in-one suits and sailors' hats when they go out at night. We don't know why! [Julia]
Impressions of Helsinki
Helsinki left a strongimpression on me. The city is clean, modern, and full of green spaces. Despite being a bit expensive, the quality of life seemed high. It is really clean and well organised. [Niklas]
Project work at Perho College
I enjoyed working together with the Finnish students on the marketing project at Perho College. On our last day we presented our results to the whole group in a huge lecture theatre. [Elena]
Supermarket delivery robot
We saw a supermarket delivery robot in the street which was pretty cool. Except that it seemed confused and wasn't moving. [Kathi B]
