I was re-counting the number of cafes I visited out of the 30 loveliest cafe in Finland one evening and realized that the cafe I thought I visited wasn’t the cafe which was in the list. One of my most favorite cafes in Lahti is located at the old station building of Lahti. As soon as I saw the word “asema” (station in Finnish), I thought it was that cafe. But a couple of weeks ago, I realized it wasn’t the cafe.

I met the Iltalehti journalist who wrote the cafe article one morning in July. In the afternoon, I asked my boyfriend if he would like to visit the cafe in question in Lahti. And we decided to go immediately and left for the Helsinki central station to catch an IC train to Lahti.

We found the Aemapäälikkö next to Lahti railway station, the one which is in use. It was a pastel blue wooden building. I had never noticed it till then though I had visited Lahti by train several times.

As we were thinking of having late lunch after visiting the cafe, I meant to have something small or only coffee. But I saw the rahkapulla, Finnish cream cheese bun behind on the table behind the counter and had an instinct that it was freshly baked. And I couldn’t help ordering it. My instinct about food is always right! It was still warm and the cream part which was melty! I asked for a small bag to take away half of it when I ordered it at the counter, but it was too good to leave the half. So, I ate the whole.

The wooden Jugend-style building of Aemapäälikkö, “station manager” in Finnish, has been there since 1912 and station managers and the families had lived there. So, naturally, there are photos and history of the station and railway are on the wall! I think such interior decoration could thrill the rail-fans!

As to interior decoration, I liked the wallpaper of the bathroom! Don’t you agree with me?