Leena Immonen, named Hanko’s most positive resident in 2018, is a tourism professional and the founder of SaariTours. Fluent in five languages, her work revolves largely around Hanko, although she also guides visitors in France and Italy. Leena Immonen collaborates with Wiurila Manor, the Hanko Front Museum, and Villa Sofia in Ingå.
“The ninth-generation-run Wiurila Manor offers accommodation, the Sigrid restaurant, as well as home and horse-drawn carriage museums. The Hanko Front Museum is a dynamic and innovative war museum with high-quality guided tours. Villa Sofia is a stunning maritime retreat, ideal for various celebrations.”
As an exceptional storyteller and warm guide, Leena Immonen makes every guest feel as if the site is opening just for them.
“The world is like a stage where nature, history, and people perform together. My role is simply to lead the audience into its endlessly fascinating stories,” she says with a smile.
Immonen is also known for her role-based guided tours, where history comes alive through sometimes colorful characters. Her most famous role is Therèse von Julin, a fictional cousin of Marshal Mannerheim, through whom life in the spa park and Hanko’s social history are revealed in a captivating way.
During the year-round grand piano lunch experience developed by Leena Immonen, guests enjoy a three-course lunch at her home, stories from Hanko’s history, and a 30-minute piano performance. The combination of professional guide, storyteller, and musician makes the experience personal and unforgettable.
Under Immonen’s guidance, SaariTours’ strength lies in its local focus: tours are created in collaboration with people who truly live in Hanko’s rhythm. “Hanko and its archipelago are unique – the sea is always part of the experience. I feel privileged to be able to share it,” Leena Immonen concludes.
Read other Hanko stories here.
SaariTours
Luotsikatu 19
10940 Hanko
040 840 7679
leena.immonen@saaritours.fi
www.saaritours.fi
