WHAT TO DO IN HANKO
There are plenty of seaside cafés and markets to explore along the Eastern Harbour. By Karen MacKenna
Bengtskar:
Twenty-five kilometres southwest of Hanko is the island of Bengtskar, one of Finland’s national treasures. One of the outermost islands in Finland’s archipelago, it is, for many Finns and visitors, something of a pilgrimage.
The island is small and treeless with a 100-year-old stone lighthouse, museum and education centre. There is a seasonal hotel with a sauna and the Café Beacon Maiden serves up a delicious traditional archipelago buffet with roast beef, fried perch, chanterelle sauce, salmon and new potatoes.
In good weather, the ferry to Bengtskar leaves from Hanko’s Eastern Harbour every morning and reaches Bengtskar an hour and a half later. It can be a rough ride at times and the trip is not for the faint of heart.
Pa Kroken
Pa Kroken, in the beautiful Hangonkyla guest harbour, is a fish shop and restaurant. The café is a gem and one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 picks in Finland.
Fisherman and chef Magnus Ekstrom began with just soup in the café. He had a smoke house out back and sold fish and archipelago bread out of the shop. Soon his reputation grew. Today Pa Kroken (“On the Hook”) is a full seafood restaurant and the café is a recipe testing lab. There are more than 130 wines, many coming from one small vineyard in Alsace, but the soup is still the standout item on the menu.
Pa Kroken is off the beaten path, but on the map for people in the know. Ask for directions and make it a destination lunch or dinner.
Markets
During summer, there is an evening market Wednesdays and Fridays in the Eastern Harbour where you can buy everything from fresh seasonal produce to handicrafts and antiques.
The market is one of the town’s main social events. Hanko residents and visitors from nearby towns turn out in numbers.
Buy some fresh peas and strawberries to snack on as you wander or have a seat on a café terrace and enjoy a drink or a Finnish crepe with whipped cream and jam.
There is a lesser-known and much smaller morning market near the railway station where the locals go. It is open year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There is produce and fish and sometimes tables full of vintage Finnish design. This is the countryside and you can find some amazing deals if you know what you are looking for.
The best indoor flea market in town is Temppeli Kirppis on Ratakatu 4.
Cafés
Alan’s is a small café and bakery set in an old villa near the Eastern Harbour, across from the ice cream kiosk and behind Hotel Regatta. Alan’s has been a favourite since it opened about 20 years ago. The courtyard is a charming place to sit under the trees and enjoy coffee and cake on a sunny day. The cafe extends indoors and there is an adjoining gift and craft shop as well as an antiquarian bookstore.
Cafe Bryggan sits at the end of a pier in the Eastern Harbour. It is inexpensive and relaxed and has wonderful fish soup and homemade bread.
Neljan Tuulen Tupa
People get married at the House of the Four Winds. This elegant café was once owned by former president of Finland Carl Gustav Mannerheim. Wild daisies grow from the rocks and outdoor tables are carved from the granite. Famous for its strawberry cake, this is a magical place to sit on the terrace and look out to sea.