The open air museum which showed life in Turku from the early 1800’s, having survived the great fire of Turku. Although I listened to sections of the audio guide, and read some of the information available at the different houses. It is quite a lengthy trip to visit each of the houses and go through all the information available. However, I must say that the audio guide and information boards did a really good job setting the scene of the vibrant life at the village, telling stories of people who lived there: a seamstress, cobbler, copper smith, photographer, a maid and a musician – to name a few. It also showed one of the very lucky occupants who had electricity in their house that powered their lighting. There are actors at the houses dressed in traditional clothing who you can learn more from.

One thing I found very peculiar at the Turku houses, including the rich occupants, is the size of the beds. They were absolutely tiny! At the time of my visit I assumed the beds were extendable, but they were not! After doing some research I discovered that one would need to curl into the fetal position or sleep in a semi-upright position to fit on the bed. This was typical of the era, for current health, safety and convenience reasons. The houses were also small, so having a small bed that could be used as a “daybed” that could be used as a sofa during the day, and a place to sleep during the night was advantageous. People where also smaller and shorter a few centuries ago.

I also enjoyed learning about the use of sod roofs which is a traditional building technical used in Scandanavia. Having grass on the roof helps with insulation keeping houses warm in winter, and cool in summer; waterproofing on top of layers of birch bark; and compressing log walls to make them more airtight. It is a relatively inexpensive and readily available building material.