On the Gulf of Bothnia, Vaasa hosts the International Puppet Theater, held in June during the city's Vaasa Festival. A pleasant town with wooden buildings and interesting markets, it's the terminus of the northernmost year-round car ferry (the ferries ply a route to Sweden). In town there's also the Ostrobothnian Museum, offering a history of the region, as well as the Wasalandia amusement park and zoo. About 10 mi/17 km from Vaasa is the Stundars Handicraft Village in Solf (also on the Gulf of Bothnia). Plan one night. Vaasa is 225 mi/365 km northwest of Helsinki.
