NEWS
EVENTS
What Helsinki can do for you in a day
Tuesday 11th September 2012 | Osh
Helsinki is of course the capital of Finland and whilst there is so much to see there, you can get a hell of a lot done in a day as I learned if you go hard and keep whinging to a minimum. The second-most northern capital of the world holds influences from both the East and West, making it unique and a pretty cool place to visit.
First of all there is the incredible architecture of buildings such as the Uspenski cathedral- the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe, the Temppeliaukio Church- which was blown out of a hole in the ground, the Sibelius monument- resembling organ pipes and the Helsinki cathedral- a gloriously white building in the square. Honestly, don’t be lazy and instead walk from one place to the next, if not then you will miss out on seeing a hell of a lot of what Helsinki has and you’ll also miss out on spotting what bars you like the look of for the evening.
You can go on a short ferry ride to the Suomenlinna islands which hold the Maritime fortress. Go into the tourist information shop in Helsinki and they will recommend it, and it only costs a couple of euros, but to be truthful, there isn’t THAT much to do there other than to play with canons and roll down a few hills. It is a world heritage sight and is pretty good to see if you’re into history and the like, so go there if it tickles your fancy but it isn’t necessarily a must-do.
The senate square which holds the Helsinki cathedral is full of neoclassical architectural genius and nice little cafes, it is worth wondering round and the Café Engel sits just opposite the cathedral, providing a lovely view and relatively priced French snacks.
Go down side alleys from the main streets and you will come across numerous cosy restaurants providing hearty food and warmth. You can order foods including reindeer, elk and bear although the prices may set you back more than a bit. After that, it is easy to stroll along and come across any bar that tickles your fancy. Along near the ferry point is a pirate ship serving flagons of beer and “pee” or “piss” shots. It feels like a genuine pirate ship completely covered in pirate-esque belongings and bizarre locals ‘arhhh’ing over a game of cards. I opted to not ask the content of the shots.
If you are in Helsinki for more than a day, the Unique Lapland hotel can provide you with a night in an igloo, an ice bar, a husky ride and of course thermal clothing. Even better, go one further and actually visit the real Lapland and stay in a real igloo and ride a husky on real snow, it is only 13 hours away on the train.
Tamsin Wressell
