In Tali nature is near

In Tali you will not hear noise apart from birds singing and golfers going “Fore!” Part of the Pitäjänmäki district, Tali is located in Western Helsinki. A direct bus from the centre of Helsinki will take you to Tali, an area with plenty of nature and opportunities for physical activity, which is also appreciated by residents because of its peaceful location.

Things you didn’t know: Almost all the buildings in the Kutomotie street area of Tali were constructed for SATO, including two very special ones: the Kutomotie 10a property that used to be the office and technical premises of a telephone company and the old weave mill at Kutomotie 14a (linkit talojen sivuille) – both of which are now full of SATO RentHomes with a lot of character!

1. Spot Jupiter on Talinhuippu hill

There are paths for walks and runs criss-crossing all over Tali. What makes hikes particularly nice around here is that you can also spot planets while at it. Completed in 1992, the Sun of the model of our Solar System is located in Pajamäki, and the eight planets are dotted around the border between Helsinki and Espoo at proportionally correct distances from each other. Because there is no official map of this model Solar System, it will take a bit of effort and a nice packed lunch in your rucksack to find the celestial objects.

A good place to begin is Jupiter, which can be found right behind fairway 3 of the disc golf course of Talin Tallaajat ry on Talinhuippu hill.

Talinhuippu, Takkatie, ursa.fi/tahtitieteesta/aurinkokuntamalli

2. At Tali Golf Club the opening stroke is played in the middle of the fairway

Established in 1932, the Tali Golf Course administered by Helsinki Golf Club is the oldest golf course in Finland. The course is open for members as well as guest players. Anyone from kids to grandparents can play golf. The club has an open door policy on summer Fridays, enabling first-timers to have a go free of charge in the beautiful setting.

Tali Golf Course, Talin Puistotie 12

3. Growing your own produce in the allotment gardens

The Tali allotment gardens, Talinlehto, are among the oldest allotment gardens in Finland. The site hosts many events open to all in the summer, including traditional Midsummer and other dancing.

There are a hundred allotment garden plots of 16–34 square metres in Talinlehto, with around ten becoming available to new gardeners each year. The plots can only be rented by members of the Talin Siirtolapuutarhayhdistys association. The rent for a plot is €22–32 per summer. Allotment gardening is a wonderful way to spend your time and meet nice people.

Talin siirtolapuutarha allotment gardens, Talin puistotie, talinlehdenpalstaviljelijat@gmail.com

4. Get on board the mobile library

The mobile library provides you will all of the same basic services as a traditional library. The most common things to do are browsing for books to borrow and picking up ones you ordered in advance, but you can also get a library card on board if you do not have one yet.

The mobile library gets stocked up twice a day. There is room for around 3,500 items and plenty more at the storage facility in Pasila.

Children’s mobile library Skidi, at Taimistontie 11 on Wed 16:15–16:45, at Taiteentekijäntie 7 on Wed 19:10–20:00

5. Bouncy fun at trampoline park

At Rush Helsinki Trampoline Park there is no end to bouncing fun. Opened in spring 2016, this indoor activity centre enables you to dunk high, have a go at lots of different trampolines, do air bag stunt falls or have a game of extreme dodgeball.

The facilities will get your sweat flowing while putting a smile on your face. At Rush Helsinki you can have fun while improving your coordination and control. The park also organises group sessions that are becoming increasingly popular.

Rush Helsinki Trampoline Park, Valimotie 25

6. Sweat, sweat and more sweat at Talihalli Centre

The Talihalli Badminton and Squash Centre is where competitors train but where everyone else can also for fun getting fit without extreme aims. In addition to playing squash, courts can also be booked for badminton at the centre.

The HBC badminton club holds a sports club for local school kids every day from 13:30 to 16:00. This is in response to the local government cuts in pupils’ afternoon club activities. To join, all you need to do is register as you do not need to be a member of HBC.

Talihalli, Huopalahdentie 28