My travels in Helsinki have at all times come after seeing someplace extra thrilling, be that the reindeer forests close to the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, or the islands of the nation’s Gulf archipelago. Certainly, they’ve been perfunctory: I’ve spent an evening in Helsinki, right here or there, as a result of it made sense to take action.
I body the dialogue like this to start out with an admission: Helsinki is many issues, however a necessary journey vacation spot isn’t considered one of them.
On the identical time, I received’t go as far as to saying Helsinki isn’t value visiting, even when I’d most likely solely advise you to take action if it is smart throughout the parameters of a extra thrilling journey to Finland.
The place to Keep in Helsinki
One purpose I do really feel Helsinki is value visiting, at the very least if you happen to occur to search out your self within the metropolis for an evening or two, is that the city core isn’t very huge. In case you keep central—because of Helsinki’s dimension, most locations you’d select to remain are central—you’re both taking a look at 15-20 minute walks to most locations (on hotter, dryer days) or handy rides utilizing the town’s trams when the climate is much less hospitable.
nother superior factor about spending a while in Helsinki? Resorts are surprisingly low cost, given the widely excessive value of residing in Finland. Even in peak season, it’s uncommon to pay greater than €150 for a room at boutique properties comparable to Lodge Mestari and Scandic Helsinki Hub. Even if you happen to determine to splurge on one thing extra luxurious, you’ll be stunned at how far your cash goes in Finland’s oft-maligned capital. Alternatively, go for one of many Baltic cruises which can be on provide, which let you go to Helsinki both for a day or in a single day, at the side of different Scandinavian capitals like Copenhagen and Stockholm.
What to Do in Helsinki
Get the traditional cathedral selfie
Of the only a few correct “vacationer sights” inside Helsinki, the Helsinki Cathedral is at the beginning amongst them. I think about you’ll be stopping by right here at the very least as soon as, and taking at the very least one selfie, albeit most likely not from any boats you occur to take throughout your Helsinki journey.
(Or simply get misplaced)
Certainly, sights aren’t most of what makes Helsinki value visiting. As an alternative, it’s typically simply sort of good to get misplaced in an ostensibly European metropolis that’s extraordinarily secure, even when there was few landmarks of word, aside from church buildings and small city inexperienced areas.
Take a cruise to Suomenlinna
Getting out of Helsinki, oddly, is without doubt one of the greatest methods to have an excellent time while you’re in it. Head all the way down to the waterfront, for instance, and take a ship to Suomenlinna, an island simply exterior within the bay with an outdated fortress constructed onto it.
(Or into the Helsinki Archipelago)
Touring into the Helsinki Archipelago is a little more sophisticated than doing the identical in, say, Stockholm. Whereas private and non-private cruises can be found, it’s actually greatest if you recognize somebody who has their very own boat (and favourite islands). I did, and it’s a giant a part of why I discovered Helsinki (or at the very least the Helsinki space) so value visiting!
See the remainder of Finland
In the end, Helsinki is nothing if not an introduction to the remainder of Finland, and Scandinavia extra broadly. In case you don’t fly north to Rovaniemi and keep in an aurora-exposed igloo, you can as a substitute head to Stockholm or Oslo, and even throughout the water to underrated Tallinn, Estonia.
How A lot Time Do You Want in Helsinki?
Until you might have a particular purpose to be in Helsinki, my recommendation can be to maintain your time right here temporary. On condition that the amount of issues to see in Finland’s capital is fairly low, you may supercharge the standard of your time by limiting the variety of days you keep right here. In follow, this implies only a night time and a full day, or possibly two nights if you happen to occur to reach fairly late within the night.
What’s the greatest month to go to Helsinki?
Like most different Nordic capitals, Helsinki will be chilly and wet virtually any day of the yr. Merely visiting between June-August doesn’t assure heat or sunshine, even if you happen to will be the night time might be brief. Value-wise, winter is a good deal cheaper than summer time, so if that’s a motivator for you shoot for January as a substitute of July.
Can I see Northern Lights in Helsinki?
No. Along with being marred by comparatively unhealthy gentle air pollution, Helsinki is far too far south to see the Northern Lights on a traditional night time. Even when the aurora are seen at decrease latitudes than regular, you will want to drive a minimal of 20-Half-hour exterior the town to see them.
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications comparable to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Go away Your Each day Hell, gives a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays overlaying the extra esoteric points of life as a traveler.
