A network of wooden pathways leads through the park, making it accesible for all – so this is a wonderful place to visit also with prams or wheelchairs, and dogs are welcome too. The park is free to visit and easily accessible on public transport as it is only a short walk from Huopalahti train station, just a few minutes train ride from central Helsinki. The best time of the year to visit is throughout June, but this year, because of the very warm spring, flowers were already out at the end of May. The park is a real hidden gem, even many locals of Helsinki have never heard of it, so you’re guaranteed a peaceful walk in the forest! The area is also very close to Helsinki’s central park, so if you’re not tired after the stroll amongst rhododendrons, you can continue your walk through the forest there for miles and miles.

Interestingly, while Rhododendron is listed as an invasive plant in much of Western Europe and does extensive damage to ecosystems there, this does not seem to be the case in Finland. At least I could not find it listed on any invasive species lists, and the area where it is growing seems strictly contained to the actual park – we did walk a bit further around the area, and could not see any other “displaced” rhododendrons. In fact, there is even a very rare species of rhododendron that is native to Finland, the Lapland Rhododendron.

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The wooden houses date from around 1910 and were built to house worker families in a “healthy environment”. Already in the 1940s though the building style had fallen out of favour, and the area was under threat of demolition. General lack of housing meant that the houses were allowed to stay for a little longer, but again in the 1970s plans were made to demolish the area. By then, the houses had deteriorated severely, and with their communal outhouses were too antiquated, so they were to be replaced by more cost effective housing. Under public pressure however the plans were changed, and instead the quarter was renovated.

The area started off as a working-class neighbourhood, but has in recent decades undergone gentrification and been re-discovered as a trendy place to live. Many of the buildings have been renovated recently, or are undergoing renovation just now. Something that struck me as rather odd were the polished silvery metal roofs gleaming in the sun, that seemed a bit out of place. (EDIT: I have now been told that they are left like this for one winter before painting it with a bitumen based “tar” paint. This way, the metal has time to oxidize, which creates a surface the paint will actually stick to. This is mainly done in conservation areas, where newer roofing materials are not allowed to be used). The buildings are simple, there are no frills to the woodwork, but they are painted in happy, bright colours that make them feel so much more welcoming than the surrounding modern areas. The quarter also has a lot of greenery, which even more gives it the feeling of being out of the city: The houses have green courtyards and gardens, and right in the middle of wooden Vallila, a rocky park rises up, with nice views of the quarter. As we came on a sunny public holiday, the park was buzzing with people taking in the sun and barbecueing (not visible on my pictures, as I didn’t want to obviously photograph into the crowds).

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