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 one among them.
On the identical time, I gained’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 inside 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 least when you occur to seek out your self within the metropolis for an evening or two, is that the city core isn’t very large. Should you keep central—resulting from 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? Motels are surprisingly low cost, given the commonly excessive value of dwelling in Finland. Even in peak season, it’s uncommon to pay greater than €150 for a room at boutique properties resembling Lodge Mestari and Scandic Helsinki Hub. Even when you resolve 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 might be on supply, which let you go to Helsinki both for a day or in a single day, together with different Scandinavian capitals like Copenhagen and Stockholm.
What to Do in Helsinki
Get the basic cathedral selfie
Of the only a few correct “vacationer sights” inside Helsinki, the Helsinki Cathedral is at first amongst them. I think about you’ll be stopping by right here at the least as soon as, and taking at the 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 type of good to get misplaced in an ostensibly European metropolis that’s extraordinarily protected, even when there was few landmarks of observe, other than church buildings and small city inexperienced areas.
Take a cruise to Suomenlinna
Getting out of Helsinki, oddly, is likely one of the finest methods to have a great time if you’re in it. Head right 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 finest if you already know somebody who has their very own boat (and favourite islands). I did, and it’s an enormous a part of why I discovered Helsinki (or at the 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. Should you don’t fly north to Rovaniemi and keep in an aurora-exposed igloo, you can as an alternative 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’ve gotten a particular purpose to be in Helsinki, my recommendation could be to maintain your time right here transient. On condition that the amount of issues to see in Finland’s capital is fairly low, you’ll be able to supercharge the standard of your time by limiting the variety of days you keep right here. In observe, this implies only a night time and a full day, or possibly two nights when you occur to reach fairly late within the night.
What’s the finest month to go to Helsinki?
Like most different Nordic capitals, Helsinki could be chilly and wet nearly any day of the 12 months. Merely visiting between June-August doesn’t assure heat or sunshine, even when you could be the night time will likely be quick. Worth-wise, winter is a superb deal cheaper than summer time, so if that’s a motivator for you shoot for January as an alternative of July.
Can I see Northern Lights in Helsinki?
No. Along with being marred by comparatively unhealthy mild 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 typical, you’ll need 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 resembling “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the best way. His weblog, Go away Your Every day Hell, gives a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays masking the extra esoteric facets of life as a traveler.