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The_Nomadic_Doctor
It is exhilarating when your childhood dreams come true! Growing up as a nomad in different countries/ continents, I never read/ watched Disney or Marvel. I read the Moomins. As a foreigner growing up in different African countries the Moomins appealed to me, because - like the Moomins - I tried to find acceptance and understand the world while living life on my own terms. Snufkin was my first love, I adored MoominPappa and MoominMamma, and I took the advice of Too-Ticky to heart. While I cherished the Moomin family more than my own family, I never visited Moomin World because I was saving the visit for a special purpose...I wanted to take my love to Moomin and give him an idea of my childhood and why I am the way I am. On the occasion of our 10th anniversary I took my husband to Moomin World to introduce him to the characters and my first love Snufkin. Now you now why I am crazy! :-)The Moomin World is like stepping in to an alternate world where everything is Moomin. From the Moomin family house to their sledding area and Hemulen's house, it is all Moomin all the time. Enjoy some warm Mammam Munkki - MoominMamma's famous donuts - at the Pancake cafe, and indulge in a buffet lunch specially prepared by MoominMamma at her cafe. She makes excellent reindeer stew...I mean, the chef at the cafe makes excellent reindeer stew.I went a little wild at the gift shop and bought a bunch of Moomin-themed items. But the best part is the Moomin bookshop where you can mail a Moomin postcard to your loved ones using Moomin stamps. Told you it is all Moomin all the time!! Thank you, Muumimailma (Moomin World in Finnish), for indulging my childhood dreams. And thank you for showing my husband where my craziness and love for adventure comes from! Until next time....
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Kimono-fan
Moominworld (Muumimaailma) is a lovely summer destination in Naantali for families with kids of all ages. Moomin are popular, friendly fairy-tale creatures (created by artist and writer Tove Jansson) who welcome everyone to their world. It's a whole little island, separated from Naantali by a lovely bridge with lots of boats to see. You can either take a walk through the Naantali boat harbour or hop on the little train in central Naantali. If you come by car, it is a good idea to leave your car in the Moomin park place although it is a bit off the center, as there are frequent buses from there - in the centre there are few parking spaces and most of them are rather expensive, if you can even find one. From the end stop you have to walk. And be prepared to walk a lot during the day, as the various sights and activities are scattered across the whole island. However, there are many places where you can stop and rest along the way, so take it easy!! The paths are mainly ok for baby carriages and wheelchairs but there are some areas which can only be reached along steps. You can easily spend a whole day here: there are so many things to see and do, ranging from a theater to the home of Moomin, a ship on land, resting places and labyrinths and other things. The Emma theater is an out-door theatre with many shows per day, some in Finnish, some in Swedish and some in English; most of them include music and songs and can be enjoyed by anyone, even if you don't understand the language. There are several different restaurants, one of which offers an affordable and varied buffet lunch/dinner which is warmly recommended, but there are even other options, ice-cream, pizza, sandwiches, sweets,etc. The toilets are mainly in the outdoor facilities, but some are attached to the restaurants. Usually they are rather clean but as the use is heavy there may be some paper on the floors etc. There are good possibilities for the care of babies. The staff is friendly, and the Moomin characters wander around the island and can be readily hugged and talked to - the kids love it!! It is a good idea to read at least one Moomin book before coming here but even if you don't, you'll surely enjoy the place! Don't mistake this place for an ordinary amusement park - there are no roller-coasters nor carousels nor noisy machines or videogames; the atmosphere is peaceful and welcoming, and the idea is to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings and walk in and out of the Moomin houses; there are lovely little surprises and creatures around each corner. The various activities encourage kids to interact with each other, there are play hours, sing-along-moments etc. On the same island there is even a sandy beach where you can take a dip in the sea if you brought your bathing-suit along!! Some of the places are a bit scary - for example the witch's house - but in the summer sun nothing can be too frightening. On a rainy, cold day this place is probably not so great as a lot of the activities take place outside, but there are still some indoor places as well.The only minus are the relatively high prices for entrance - for a whole family of four the price is over 100 euros. But, once you're inside, almost all the activities are included in the price, and you can stay all day if you like. My kid has enjoyed this place from the age of three, and each summer this is a 'must'. As a parent, I like this place as it is a beautiful island and the atmosphere is so relaxed. For older kids there is another island close by called Väski - they don't have Moomins but all kinds of adventure and athletic activities which make an unforgettable day.
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MariaKoivunen
Our 2 and 5 year olds enjoyed the visit very much. So did their parents too. Clean environment and spacious even with many other visitors the same day. The food was not as pricy as expected. Good idea to leave your car in Moomin car park and take the bus to Moominworld. That way you don't have to think about where to find a place to park your car. Definitely worth a visit even if the tickets are quite expensive.
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mumbean
The walk over the bridge to the island was the start of an amazing day. Moominworld is absolutely beautiful with all the characters taking time to chat and hug all the children and some adults too. Nothing is out of bounds and you are able to enter the houses and wander around the island, down to the beach were you could swim if you wished. There are shows on all day at the theatre in a variety of different languages so no one misses out. As a Moomin fan for a very long time it was an extra special trip and I would recommend it for children young and old!
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89anthonyo
*Whispers* It's not really for the kids...Well, of course it is. Jansson's beloved stories are brought to life in this gorgeous island and of course, any child who has read them will be enraptured (including the toddler in the queue behind me who was yelling "Muumi!! Muumi!! at the poster at the entrance; one can only imagine her reaction when she got inside).But there's plenty here for adults who have grown up with the stories and want to sneakily revisit their childhood.Of course, the first thing you see is the marketplace where every possibly Moomin product or snack is available, including some items unique to the island. The post office is a nice touch; who can resist sending a postcard with a unique Moomin postmark and stamp?But once you get the hard sell out of the way, the place gently unfolds and all the fittings and fixtures are in place. Snufkin and Moomin's bridge? Yep. Five-storey Moominhouse, complete in every detail? Yep. Snork's workshop? The Muddler's coffee tin house? The bath house? Ah yes, the bath house...This is EXACTLY as it appears in the books, and it's at this point that you feel that you're really in Moominvalley. Sit on the beach under the watchful eye of the Booble, admire the horizon...It has to be said that aside from a few slides and swings, there are no rides. It's not that sort of theme park and might be boring for kids who are not avid fans of the stories. But that's the attaction and it's unique in that respect.The only sticking point is the food, which is generic and a bit pricey. If you can put off the hunger pangs, a short walk to Naantali's seafront will provide far better eating options. But then, who could say no to Little My's pizza?
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TheKaichi
This is a perfect place for every Moomin-fan.The Moominworld is actually quite big island and if you enjoy the characters you are going to have a blast! I loved the fact that the place was build in a way that the nature of the island was kept safe. It was almost like hiking through a fairy tale. Too bad that we did go to the beach bit too late and it was already closed. Even our group of adults enjoyed it, it truly felt like being a kid again!The only negative aspect was food. We bought some french fries, which were so salty that we couldn't eat them.
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SmoothieNow
Moominworld (Muminvärlden) was a great attraction for our family before heading back with the ferry to Sweden. It is very similar to Astrid Lindgrens world in Vimmerby and a great place for the younger ones. My son god scared of the Moomins though but he loved all the playground and funny houses. It's a great place to spend a day with the children. I would recommend it for families with children below 9 years of age.
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Linnainen
Just now it´s the best time to visit Moominworld in Naantali. It has been 100 year of birth of Tove Janson, mom of all Moomin stories, bay the way birthday of Tove was exaxt 9th August. Moominland is a must object for all Moomin fans and you must also know something of Moomins to understand this place and characters.Mooninworld is well done, you can walk and meet and speak with real living Moomin figures, visit in houses of Moomins and listen stories and songs. Not so nice is entrance to Moominworld. After the first gate you are in middle of market place – all shops, restauraunt and cafes are on same square. Little bit for commercial. But when you past the square, there is real Moominworld. And the island is so large, that you have space enough although there is lot of visitors.Very recommendable place to visit for every Moomin fan. May be Moominworld will invest little bit more for guiding from city centre and neighborhood hotels. Parking has been organized very well with shuttle bus transportation.
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Wave-train
This attraction is really aimed at children under 10 years old. The Moominland characters are much in abundance moving around the site and generally acting out their roles from the stories.The park is set on an island which is walked to over a bridge which adds to its charm. It is not very big so is ideal for smaller children to walk round.There are regular half-hourly Moomin related events (at no extra cost) going on, so there is plenty to fill the day. The covered theatre performances (available in Finnish, Swedish and English) were very good.Generally the park is clean and well kept.The cafes and kiosks are aimed at fast food which is OK for a day out.All in all a good experience and thoroughly enjoyed by our grandchildren aged 3 and 6 yrs.
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JaanaDay
Moomin and friends definitely live there! Great places to see and entertaining shows for kids, adults will also have fun time too. Be sure U have enough time to see shows and storytelling sessions.
