Introduction
One of the smaller competitions but also one of the best. Not only is this in a great location – it snowed for both of our visits and was really picturesque looking out over the lake – but it’s also really well organised and a very friendly event to attend.
Although it can attract fewer entries than many of the other events, it makes up for that with quality – expect strong entries from all the Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states as well as the potential for travelling squads from USA and Japan.
Years attended – 2017 & 2019
Venue
UniSport Otaniemi
A fantatsic sports hall with loads of space and all the facilites you could need – definitely one of the best venues on the cadet circuit.
Event Videos
Hotels
Essentially there is only one place to stay for this competition, and that is the Radisson Blu which is next door to the venue. I’d say the vast majority of fencers choose to stay there. The even organisers also lay on a transfer bus to and from the airport which makes the whole process very slick.
It’s really nice hotel but when a bus load of fencers arrive to check-in, it can be chaotic. The bar and restaurant area also seemed to struggle to deal with the increase in guest numbers.
Shops & Places To Eat
Although the Radisson Blu has a restaurant, the food is quite high end (ie, small portions) and it did take a long time to be served, so I’d suggest taking a walk towards Aalto University and the checking small shopping centre there – we had pizza in Who The xxxx is Alice which is definitely recommended. Walking a little bit further (maybe 20 minutes or so from the hotel), we had a great dinner at Ravintola Fat Lizard which again, was really nice – but if you plan on visiting there, make a reservation as it’s very popular.
