Verena Kaufmann lectures on Swiss culture in the courses at the Adult Education Centre

Verena Kaufmann ended up in Finland in 1989 thanks to her Finnish au pair. Engaging in winter sports, especially with sled dogs, was a hobby she pursued with the young person who was working for the family. The au pair sparked Verena’s interest in traveling to Finland by promising that the terrain would be much flatter than in Switzerland.

– I arrived in Finland a year later, and I fell in love with the country immediately! The au pair's family welcomed me warmly, and since then, I have been visiting Finland regularly. After a few years, I felt like I had become part of the community.

Verena ended up at The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region thanks to a Finnish family. They were studying German, and Verena met Kimmo Vehmas, who taught at the Adult Education Centre and invited her to his classes to talk about Swiss culture. Since then, Verena has visited numerous teachers' classes both at The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region and Pirkan Opisto.

Visitor learns too

Verena speaks Swiss German as her native language, which differs in some aspects from Standard German, also known as High German. However, Swiss children also learn Standard German at school, along with English and French, also one of the three official languages of Switzerland. Verena speaks Standard German in adult education centre classes so that students can understand her better.

When Verena began visiting classes, she mainly just answered students' questions. As students became more proficient in German, they already knew the basics about Switzerland. Therefore, Verena now focuses on topics that are usually less familiar to people.

– I talk, for example, about the agricultural culture in the mountains, natural forces, and health insurance. When students talk about similar topics in Finland, I learn a lot myself.

No small talk in Finland

According to Verena, comparing Finland and Switzerland is challenging. The countries are very different in size, and their political systems differ. For example, Switzerland does not have a head of state. Executive power lies with the seven-member Federal Council, whose chair is the annually elected Federal President.

– In both countries, I feel safe. People are polite, the environment is clean, and there is very little crime. Finns are, according to studies, the happiest people in the world, and I'm not surprised because Swiss people are at least good at complaining, Verena says, laughing.

Verena believes that the best things about Finland are the sauna, the sisu attitude, and nature.

– In Switzerland, everything is close to each other. In Finland, you can walk for hours without meeting anyone. Even in remote mountains in Switzerland, you encounter people. It's also customary to always greet and engage in conversation, but in Finland, I can't imagine doing that.

These days, Verena has a summer cottage in Finland, where she regularly spends time. Finland is present in her everyday life, thanks also to her beloved dog. The Karelian Bear Dog, Helmi, is a seasoned traveler who travels between countries with Verena.

– I feel at home when I get to the cottage, but my house in Switzerland feels like home just as much.

From glacier to beach

According to Verena, travelers to Switzerland are usually surprised that staying in the mountains often causes discomfort at certain altitudes. Few also know how to protect themselves from the sun with sunscreen and sunglasses.

– Sturdy shoes and enough clothing are good to bring along. You don't have to worry about food because there are plenty of restaurants in Switzerland, even in the mountains.

From a tourist's perspective, Verena believes Switzerland's best aspects are its diversity.

– You can go skiing in the morning and lay under palms trees in the afternoon.

There's plenty to do anyway, as Switzerland has over 1000 museums, 20 nature parks, 26 botanical gardens, 330 castles and many historical town centres.

– Many head to scenic places like St. Moritz or Zermatt. Personally, I usually take guests to Mount Pilatus near Lucerne. To get there you must travel with five completely different means of transports. The view is stunning, and you can see three countries: Switzerland, Germany, and France, Verena explains.