In August, we organized two three-night long DiscoverEU Meet ups in Helsinki and
Turku for young European train travelers.
In the Meet ups, 18-year-old DiscoverEU travelers from different parts of Europe got to know each other and the culture of the destination country in the spirit of non- and informal learning. Almost all the participants to the Meet ups visited Finland for the first time.
The Meet up in Helsinki included a walking tour in the city, visiting the Central Library Oodi, exploring the Fortress of Suomenlinna and enjoying the Finnish summer at the urban spa Allas Sea Pool. The youth also attended a concert of the Helsinki Metropolitan Orchestra at Temppeliaukio Church, an idea that they themselves came up with and brought to be part of the program for the Meet up.
In Turku, we also did a walking tour around the city, visited Luostarinmäki Museum Quarter and Turku Castle and experienced a wood-heated sauna on Ruissalo Island. We slept overnight at the museum ship hostel Bore on the Aura river, which many thought was a fun experience. We also got a bit of spotlight when the local newspaper Turun Sanomat interviewed and wrote an article about us.
Among other things, both Meet ups also included, for example, discussions on the European Union, tasting different kinds of Finnish foods and playing the traditional Finnish throwing game “mölkky”.
All in all, both Meet ups went very well and in a happy atmosphere. The weather was also extremely warm and sunny. This was something that surprised many of the participants as they had expected the temperature to be cooler in Finland.
The participants to the Meet ups said they learned a lot about the culture, history and people in Finland and the target cities, as well as Europe in general through each other.
Many expressed that due to the location of Finland and the more expensive price levels, they would not necessarily have ended up visiting here at all without an invitation to a Meet up. Or on the other hand, at least would not have experienced it in the same way just by visiting on their own.
Thus, many considered DiscoverEU as a great opportunity to also end up in more unusual travel destinations.
Watch the videos from our YouTube channel to vibe more the Meet ups:
DiscoverEU is an action under the Erasmus+ programme that offers 18-year-old European youth opportunities to explore the continent travelling by rail.
Youth Academy organizes DiscoverEU Meet ups for young people taking part in the action in Finland in 2024–2026. Meet ups are also organized in other countries participating in the DiscoverEU action.
Do you work with young people around the age of 18 who might be interested in exploring Europe by train? The time to apply for a DiscoverEU pass is now!
The ongoing application round is targeted for young people born between 1st of January 2006 and 31st of December 2006. It is open until 16th of October.
More information and instructions on how to apply can be found on the DiscoverEU website of the European Youth Portal (available in different languages) or on the DiscoverEU website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (in Finnish).
Spread the word!
More information on Meet ups in Finland:
Sanna Lindgren
International Affairs Manager
sanna.lindgren@nuortenakatemia.fi
+358 40 082 7413
