A night in a birdhouse in Herrankukkaro, Finland was one of the most unique and fun experiences we have had in a long time. And here is how you can do it too!
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For a truly characterful accommodation this summer, Herrankukkaro in Naantali is definitely a great choice. Herrankukkaro has traditionally been open only to larger groups, but they hosted us for an opening of their new cabins shaped like giant birdhouses.
Herrankukkaro is ideal for those searching for a conference or event venue with accommodation. Normally the size of the party should be at least ten people in minimum but at summer times they sometimes offer their cabins for rent for individual travellers.
Not only can you stay in a birdhouse in Herrankukkaro like we did, but you can also experience a traditional smoke sauna and eat local delicacies. This is a place you will remember for a long time!
HERRANKUKKARO RESORT
Herrankukkaro is a conference and recreational center in the Rymättylä area of Naantali.
The road there takes you through a beautiful archipelago and you will be able to see some of the true beauty of Finland. You might have to stop along the way to take a picture or two.
Then you will arrive at a rustic resort in the middle of a forest. It is quiet and beautiful there. But it is only less than an hour drive from the second largest city of Finland, Turku, and less than half an hour from Naantali.
Herrankukkaro is built around an old fisherman’s homestead and even the original fisherman’s cabin is still there. We passed the cabin every time when we walked to our birdhouse.
Pentti-Oskari Kangas purchased the cabin in the 1970s and used it as his summer place. After he realised he wasn’t using it much he had an idea to develop a place for recreation. By the start of the 1990’s Herrankukkaro had already turned into a full resort.
Kangas still owns it and is the father of any new development ideas there. There are many different accommodation options in the resort now, and you can choose anything from traditional grand ma’s cabin to a hotel ship or a log cabin. And the newest things are of course the birdhouses.
The name Herrankukkaro means that you are in a safe place were you will be well taken care of. In their website they have used and English name Mama’s pocket to translate Herrankukkaro.
A NIGHT IN A BIRDHOUSE IN HERRANKUKKARO- How DID IT GO?
We were able to stay in a newly built birdhouse. It was named as Telkänpönttö which means the house of the common goldeneye. This bird is common in Finland and they prefer to built their nests in the holes that woodpeckers have pecked.
Telkänpönttö was a great choice for a small family like ours. It was right by the water and it had a great view of the sea. We saw many sea birds from the window and even a couple of boats floated by.
The big, round window brought a lot of light into the room. For the nighttime we rolled down the blackout curtain, since in June it doesn’t get dark at all in Finland. I have to say that bird houses are very modern these days as even their curtains work with a remote.
The room had two motorised single beds downstairs, and two comfortable mattresses in the loft. Between the downstairs beds they had a small desk and couple of chairs to sit on. A perfect spot to spend time and enjoy the view!
A little kitchenette was very well equipped too. It had a fridge to store foods, a small stove, microwave oven, coffee maker, toaster and a kettle.
While traveling with kids, a kitchenette is always really handy even though on this trip we didn’t need it. Instead, we got to enjoy a local dinner and breakfast by Herrankukkaro.
The biggest surprise in the birdhouse was however in the bathroom. From there we found a cute, little sauna. While sitting in sauna you were able to wave to people in the room as it had a small, round window right at the hight of your head.
The birdhouse also had an A/C and heating, so it should stay nice and comfortable in any weather.
Check the room prices at Herrankukkaro from here.
BATHING IN a SMOKE SAUNA AND HOT TUBS
Before the dinner we were able to try out one of the smoke saunas on the premises. Sauna culture is deeply rooted in Finnish traditions, but a smoke sauna is something special even for a native like me.
Unlike the regular sauna, smoke sauna do not have a chimney. While it is heated with a fire, the smoke fills up the room. When the sauna has the desired temperature it is ventilated and then it is ready to be used.
Smoke saunas have a totally different ambiance than regular saunas. Over time the walls in smoke saunas turn black, so it always feels very dark there and you can smell a little bit of smoke. Heating the smoke sauna takes a lot of time and effort so they are quite rare.
Herrankukkaro has a total of four smoke saunas and many regular saunas. The largest of the smoke saunas is built against a natural rock wall and it is said to be the biggest smoke sauna in the world. Depending on the time of the year, it can take anything from a whole day to couple of days to heat it up. This sauna has had a total of 124 people inside at once!
We were able to check it out together with our lovely host, but it was not heated during our visit, though it was still a little warm from the previous night. Instead, we used a smaller smoke sauna which was a quite enjoyable experience as well.
After the hot sauna it is nice to cool down outside either in the ocean or different pools that Herrankukkaro has. The pools are built on their deck with a beautiful view to the sea.
We loved all the heated tubs, but there was also a sea water pool for those who like to freshen up in cooler water. Water in it is the same temperature as in the sea, and this time it was +16 Celcius (60.8F).
The Sauna experience is not included in the room price, but it can be booked beforehand. And hey, you wont truly experience Finland if you don’t visit a sauna at least a couple of times on your trip!
It actually reminded us of another amazing spa in Finland with the same rustic look which is the Järvisydän Resort in Rantasalmi.
EAT LIKE A LOCAL AT DINNER AND BREAKFAST
After sauna and swimming, we were invited to a dinner. The Archipelago Buffet had a lot of local delicacies in it. We got to taste many kinds of fish; pickled and marinated baltic herring, and trout. We also loved the variety of local berries used in the menu.
A special treat in the appetiser table was the reindeer liver. I think it might have been my first time tasting it.
From the main courses, our favorite was their really tender meat stew. It was served with potatoes like most traditional dishes in Finland are. Also their chicken was very tasty.
Finnish people love their rye bread, but when ever you are close to the Turku archipelago you might find a dark local bread that is sweeter. It usually doesn’t have rye in it, but the dark color comes from malt. It is delicious and you can top it with some cheese, sandwich meats or salted fish.
Definitely give it a try if you see it somewhere! Herrankukkaro was not only serving it, but they also sold some loaves to-go too.
Coffee (and tea) is usually served in Finland after every meal. Finns are the world’s top consumers of coffee after all. In Herrankukkaro the coffee was served from a huge, traditional kettle which is used in an open fire. I thought it was a nice extra touch. Over time the kettle turns black and that is how it has earned its Finnish name “nokipannu” (soot kettle).
Herrankukkaro’s breakfast was also served from a buffet and it had a lot of cold cuts, fish, breads and typical warm foods like oatmeal and eggs. I really loved their homemade oven cheese, which you don’t often see anymore. When it’s fresh and warm, it is super delicious. This was a great way to start our day.
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We really loved our visit to Herrankukkaro. It is such a unique and different kind of place from any other resorts we have been to.
I always try to tell people honestly all the pros and cons of each place we visit but this time there were very few cons to write about. We would definitely go back to Herrankukkaro if we had a chance and would stay there even longer. This time though, the local theme park; Moomin World was waiting for us.
Herrankukkaro was a peaceful, beautiful place in the middle of nature. People there took such good care of us and were really friendly. They were always ready to answer all of our questions even if they were in a middle of warming up a sauna or filling up a buffet.
We loved walking around the premises just to see all the interesting buildings and old artefacts they had collected. At the end of the summer, when the evenings start to get dark again, they will light up the resort with many lanterns and I can only imaging how pretty it must be then.
We have been invited to many unique places such as a hotel built into an old prison and a glamping tent but nothing quite compares to a night in a birdhouse. Not even the wigwam teepee in Arizona or a quirky Madonna inn in California where everything was pink.
They usually take reservations to them at summertime and you can book yours from here.
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Great Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any traveler before arriving on Finland. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful informative information on the blog.
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear that they are helpful.
What a quirky place to stay, this would be perfect base to visit moomin land. I have never heard about the smoke sauna before. We went to finland and tried woodfire sauna and electric sauna but this is really cool and something I want to try next time. I would have loved to have followed it up in the cool sea water pool and experience the midnight sun doing this. I bet it’s so refreshing.
If you liked the saunas in Finland the next step is definitely try out the smoke sauna. People like to go for a swim after (or between) or roll in the snow if it is winter. I hope you get to try it out.
Wow! This is absolutely awesome. It’s these types of unusual places to stay, that I’ve been hunting for the last few months. I love how they’ve named it after a bird that builds in the spot where woodpecker has pecked!!! Oh, the land of midnight sun – yeah, you need the blackout curtains! I’ve never heard of a smoke sauna, would love to try that!
This was a very unique place and I feel lucky to be able to try it out!
I love these types of resorts surrounded by beautiful nature, and in addition with a fascinating history. That’s why I add a night in a birdhouse in Herrankukkaro, Finland, to my wish list. This place is fantastic. We love birds, take birds’ photos and observe them. So I would like to visit this place all the more, staying in the birdhouse must be fabulous. It’s great that there is also a sauna, local produce, and fresh food.
Yes, this was a full package. I’m sure you would love it!
Indeed, an accommodation with personality and unique character. I love the concept. I haven’t seen anything like this! I appreciate that the resort is rich in heritage. It’s a gem in itself that communicates what’s special in the Finnish culture.
It was really a gem like you said. And we had a lovely time!
I must admit we don’t regularly seek out very different accommodations on our travels. But I think that staying at the giant birdhouse in Herrankukkaro might be a truly unique experience. I would love the view from the birdhouse. But that sauna might seal the deal for me too. Good to know that you liked this spot so well that you would stay there again. That is always a good reference for me.
We are always looking for something new and different. And you are absolutely right, I should add a picture of what the view from window look like. Will do that ASAP.
What a unique experience you’ve had. Not many can say they stayed in a birdhouse. I love the connection to nature and ultimately the promotion of wellness including the smoke sauna and sea water pool. I’ve never been to Finland, but this type of simple, rustic, nature-inspired experience is what I would expect to find there.
It was a great experience for sure! And one of the most unique places we have ever stayed in.
Herrankukkaro is absolutely beautiful! And I would love to stay in this birdhouse, it’s so unususal and very boutique too. I don’t do well in saunas, but the hot tub has my name on it! Didn’t know that about the Finns, I thought in Italy we drank the most coffee!
This place is amazing! And the experience in the birdhouse was so much fun. We loved everything about it.
Having never been to Finland, this is definitely the inspiration I need to go! Your experience here caught my attention because–well, you stayed in a ‘birdhouse’! That is quite unusual and sounds and looks so charming. But aside from that, Herrankukkaro in Naantali offer the authentic experiences I crave when I travel. From the regional and local foods, sauna and pool options, and the natural setting, I just know I would love it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
I hope you can make it to Finland Jackie, it is beautiful here! And Herrankukkaro is a very special and unique place.