Especially during winter one might wonder what to do in Jyväskylä. Go walk on the lake! Jyväsjärvi (the lake Jyväs) is a large(ish) lake in the centre of Jyväskylä. The lake freezes over winter and you can walk on it. During the summer you can walk around it and of course dip in to swim. One day I chose to grab my camera and go for a walk outside.
I rarely do anything touristy in my hometown. I have dreamt for a long while to do a post about Jyväskylä where I walk around and take photos of the places one might want to see. This has though stayed as only a dream so far. Which is why I chose to combine my recent photos from my day outside to a new edition of #travelphotostories.
During wintertime you can basically join the lake almost anywhere in the centre. The boat parks provide good channels to walk on and it makes walking to the skating ring a bit easier. Each winter there is a route or a ring that is made to the centre of the lake. That is where it is easiest to walk on but you can also be adventurous and walk on the snow.
On the ice route it is easy to walk on. But be aware of others. There are skaters, runners and cyclists that can swoosh by you all of a sudden so always look behind you when crossing over. That way you will not get hit by a speed skater. When thinking of what to do in Jyväskylä is the lake definately one place to visit during winter. Good clothing is important though as it can get cold. I had my Lidl hiking boots, three layers of clothes and a good hat on during my walk.
When walking on the lake you can do some amazing people watching. You can smile at the passing children, follow the gossiping old couple, pet the dog that stays behind from its family just to get that one rub behind the ears. Sun also makes everything look lovely.
On that day the sun was beautiful and provided some amazing photo opportunities. There were a lot of photos I took that I was pleased with, which does not happen often. This one is one of my favourites as it somehow combines the light snow and the bright sky beautifully. The lake was filled with groups of friends and couples spending their day outside.
The different campuses of the University of Jyväskylä are connected by the Ylistön bridge. Over the winter the bridge is also lit up and in the dark it shines in reds, blues and purples. There was so much snow on the lake that it was fun to walk towards the bridge to take some more photos.
The main reason for my day walk was that I wanted to catch the sunset. Sun is not common in the wintery Finland which is why you have to make the most of the sunny days. Whilst hunting for the sunset I was so glad for my appropriate clothing. Three hours on the lake would have otherwise been a chilly experience. Whilst waiting for the sun to set I was joined by these two dog friends that were on their way somewhere. They became the perfect silhouettes in front of the setting sun.
My aim for year 2018 is to make more videos of my trips. Here is a minivideo (it is less than a minute long) of my day on Jyväsjärvi.