Helsinki in a Day
- Cat Holladay
- Aug 25, 2017
- 4 min read
Despite living only an hour and 45 minutes from Helsinki for six months, we rarely visited. In fact, we only spent a grand total of two full days there (counting the time we only transferred for the airport).
Our first visit in May of 2016 was cut short due to unanticipated cold weather and rain. We were on a cruise and after a half day of exploring, headed back to the boat to get out of the rain. At the time, we were unaccustomed to cold weather, and didn't have proper layers on to enjoy the temperature, let alone the rain.
We didn't go back to the city again until February of 2017. We had a trip to Tallinn planned so we arrived on the train in the morning, scooted to the ferry terminal and didn't see much of Finland's largest city. We did stay overnight when we returned from Tallinn, but only had a few hours the next morning to explore. We walked along the main harbor, went into Uspenski Cathedral and made a brief stop at Senate Square before catching the train home.
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Our first time actually spending a day in town was sadly the day before we flew out to move back to the US. Had we known how much fun we'd have or how beautiful it was, we might have made more of an effort to spend time in the city previously.
It was late June, and we headed to Helsinki with Adam's parents who had visited us in Tampere for a few days. The plan was to visit Tallinn, then the following day see the sights in Helsinki before boarding our plane to head (toward) home.
Tallinn was wonderful as always, but Helsinki really surprised us.
After spending the night at the Clarion (our favorite hotel in the area - newly built, fantastic interior design, and super-friendly staff) we got up early to explore Helsinki the second day. Walking through town from the central train station toward Senate Square we were in awe of the architecture (something we didn't get much of anywhere else in Finland). Helsinki actually felt like a major European city or even a mini New York City. Despite it being the end of June, it was still pretty chilly so we warmed up with hot cocoa and coffee at a small coffee roaster on the harbor.
After that we boarded a small ferry to Suomenlinna, a small group of islands just off the mainland (it is officially part of the city of Helsinki). Suomenlinna is an 18th-century UNESCO sea fortress built to protect Helsinki from Russian expansionism. Despite being a fortress, it is also permanently inhabited by 900 residents and is a great afternoon trip from the city.
We had a great time exploring the tunnels of the fortress, the cobblestone streets, and military remnants. This is a definite must-see if you visit the city. Children and adults will have plenty to do and see - but wear your walking shoes, it's big and unless you have a bike, the only way to really get around is on foot!
After Suomenlinna, we meandered through the Kauppatori (outdoor market square) where Grammy bought G a new buddy. A husky which he aptly named Snowy. After that, the day was all about showing Snowy the city and we walked through Vanha Kauppahalli (indoor old market hall). This market was just like Tampere's Kaupahalli, but it did have a bit more architectural detail in the carvings of each stall.
We then made our way (illegally via Uber) to the Church of the Rock (Temppeliaukion kirkko in Finnish). This is a Lutheran church built into a huge rock in a quiet neighborhood in town. The church construction was completed in 1969. The interior is carved directly into solid rock and provides excellent acoustics. There is a large copper dome on the interior ceiling and the edges of the dome are skylights, allowing tons of natural light to flood in. The pew design and colors is very 60s contemporary and the organ is the largest in Finland.
From the outside, the building is hardly noticeable. In fact, you might pass by without ever knowing you'd seen it. Outside the church in the square, there is a small playground G had some fun in - his new buddy Snowy wrapped tightly in his arms the entire time.
Despite being back in the states now for nearly 7 weeks, G is still carrying that buddy around with him. In fact, it helped him acclimatize to his new preschool here in Charlottesville with ease!
Things we learned this week:
Helsinki was more than we expected.
The Clarion is one of the best hotels we've stayed in.
G may have some issues with the language barrier he faced in Finland given how attached he's become to his stuffed buddies.
Leaving Finland was HARD. We really loved our time there. (But we are glad to be back at the same time.)
We miss our friends in Finland fiercely.
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