When you come to Helsinki, Finland, you'll find things are modern, clever, whimsical. You'll also find things are refined, historical, and quiet. This is the dichotomy of Helsinki.
We landed and took the commuter train express from the airport to the city center and the central station. As with many European countries, Helsinki's Central Station is the pulse of the city. From that one point, you can get tickets for the metro system, trains, and so much more. From there you can access commuter trains, distance trains, trams, the single metro line, buses, and more private transportation.
Also, at Central Station, you'll find something else. Right next door is the theater. Right across the street is the Art Museum. Underneath and across the street is something that is indicative to harsh northern climates. A completely enclosed and partially underground mall with all kinds of services.
Winters are cold and icy and snowy and dark in the north. It's a way of life. What Helsinki has done is taken the metro station and the buildings across the street and turned it into a subterranean and completely enclosed unit where you can shop, eat, do activities, hang out with friends. The metro center at the number 13 tram stop meets metro also has this type of thing going on. This is where you can fly inside, play mini golf or go to the movies. It's clever how they've taken their sometimes adverse conditions and completely bypassed the weather. You can come and go at these places by train, tram, bus and metro. All without spending much time outdoors. It's all climate controlled and a great place to spend some spare time, particularly in the winter.
As far as getting around goes, trams are king. They go everywhere, and we even took rides on a couple just to see where they went. Lots of fun, because, unlike a subway, trams allow you to see everything along the way. It's one of my favorite things in Europe.
Helsinki is also home to some amazing ferries. When I first visited the old port, I saw a Viking Cruise ship. Or, that's what I thought it was. It was actually a Viking Ferry. Viking uses old cruise ships for their ferries and are the largest ferries in the world. They are big and beautiful and not cruise ships. Helsinki has two ports; old and new. The trams that run from one to the other through the city are T trams. 7T, 9T, 6T. It's a great way for us tourists to know that the tram goes to the ports.
What's known as the ferry port, is where we boarded our ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn. Also massive, the three ferry lines that run out of that port are also daily and only take about 2 hours to reach Tallinn. The Eckero Line only costs around 20 Euros each way. There's food, drink, and casino games on board. Going to Tallinn for a day trip is a popular tourist attraction in Helsinki. We decided to spend a little time in Tallinn, so it didn't turn out to be a day trip for us.
As we were running around the city, we saw many amazing things. Helsinki is a place I've visited before, but briefly, so we decided to take another swing at it. We weren't disappointed. Our Metro passes included buses, trams, the subway, and a ferry. There's only one ferry that runs as part of the public transportation system, and that ferry is the one to Suomenlinna Island.
Suomenlinna Island is discussed in a video on my YouTube channel also called Adventures for Anyone.
The island is part of the public transportation system because it is a small group of islands that take about 15 minutes to reach by ferry, which is an open air museum and a place where roughly 800 people live. It's a unique experience and a beautiful place to visit. So, if you get a 1 to 13 day pass for public transportation, don't miss that.
Helsinki is based in water travel. There are several islands making up the coast in the area. We saw many personal watercraft in addition to numerous cruise ships and ferries. It's a way of life there.
Bridges are a way of life, connecting all the islands. So if you love bridges as I do, this is a great place to visit. We encountered road bridges, rail bridges, walking bridges, and even under construction bridges. The city's zoo is on an island that is currently putting in a new bridge, so they've made arrangements for a pedestrian bridge to be part of the entry to the zoo from an existing island park while the road bridge is under construction. Bridges are a way of life.
The Finns are creative problem solvers. I saw many things that made me smile at the sheer ingenuity. The Lutheran Church on Suomenlinna Island used to be a Russian Orthodox Cathedral. That was interesting.
Finland was the crossroads over which many countries fought for control. The island was commissioned as a military base by the Swedes when they ruled and fought the Russians. Then the Russians ruled and it became their military base, hence the Cathedral. When the Finns finally got their independence, they turned the cathedral into a Lutheran Church and so it has been since. Being an island in the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, lighthouses were useful, so they installed a light on the top of the church and it became a lighthouse. It's the only church in the world that is also a lighthouse. Quite clever and original.
Helsinki also realizes how important the two main churches in the city; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Lutheran Cathedral are to tourists and how important it is for all of us to take a picture or 500 of those buildings. Therefore, the Lutheran Church has been under renovation forever. It was renovating when I was there the first time, so the people decided that people should still be able to take pictures. The cathedral currently is covered in cloth that looks like the cathedral. It might look a bit obvious in pictures, but it's a great conversation piece.
Then, there's Linnanmaki. This is the local amusement park. This was one of the most clever places I've ever visited. Located right on the number 2 tram line, the park is located on a small plot of land on a hill. When I say small, it's the smallest amusement park for square acreage I've ever been to.
What you see at Linnanmaki is some of the most organized chaos you'll ever see. The roller coasters seem intertwined. One set of rides is above another. There's an aquarium in there. Nothing runs into anything else. It's not overcrowded. Keep in mind, the place has both added and eliminated rides and attractions over the decades of its existence. Someone managed to stuff it all in there and make it work. I was stunned.
In short, you can easily get around Helsinki. They have cards and an app for that. You can take a tunnel to your train platform. You can eat drink and be merry in, under, and across the street from the train station 365 days a year. You can have amazing views from parks, cathedrals, the old port, the giant skywheel at the port, or from the top of a cleverly designed ride at Linnanmaki. It's the kind of city where wandering is the best way to see the city.
I loved Helsinki. I do have some notes that you should know about before you go. First, stay off the bike paths. There are bike paths and pedestrian paths. They are different. Stay on your path. They have a type of city bike program and the locals use it all summer long. Finns love to get out when the weather is nice. They have long winters so hordes of people are out in the summer.
Use your maps to get around whether it's by foot or by public transport. Finns are pleasant people, but they kind of keep to themselves. You won't find yourself striking up a conversation with a lot of locals. They aren't rude, but they aren't real outgoing for the most part. If you ask them a question, they'll answer it and not be rude, but they are a quiet reserved people.
Do your homework when it comes to restaurants. In the north they eat a lot of burgers and pizza. You won't find Finnish food anywhere but the tourist market at the old port. Just a fact. We found that the city center had the best variety of food for us visitors. We also tried a lot of food at the old port market and it was delicious. This is also where we found the most outgoing locals and had some great conversations.
Should you visit Helsinki? Yes. Life there is practical yet whimsical. I saw a peeing statue and some great rides. I saw karaoke and indoor flying. I had reindeer burgers and Thai food. I enjoyed history, art and outdoors. It was a great time and I would highly recommend visiting. It's easy to get around and English is widely spoken. The signs and maps are clear, and almost everything works out of the Central Station.
So, if you want to experience a great culture, check out Helsinki. It's an adventure with great views. And pack a bag with varied clothing for varied weather and enjoy!
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