Helsinki, a summer destination

The Lutheran Church

Helsinki is an underrated destination due to the fact that it has to compete with two heavy weights: Stockholm and Copenhagen. Nevertheless, the city status is changing thanks to its good flight connections with Asia, in particular Japan. It was founded by the Swedish in the XVI century and it became capital of Finland in the XIX century when the country was under Russian occupation . The Russians wanted that the city to look similar to St. Petersburg so the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel was hired for the job. The result is a neoclassical city center with a noteworthy Russian footprint. Even though Finland is one of the three countries that share the Scandinavian peninsula, the country is less "Scandinavian" and much closer to the Nordic Baltic states, in particular Estonia. 

Summer is the best time to visit Helsinki, I say it is the only time I would dare to visit the city. Even during summer, you might experience temperatures below 15 degrees, so bring a light jacket for those cold evenings. Helsinki layout is clear and modern, very easy to walk. The historical center is very small and can be done in one morning. There are two big churches that are very close to each other. One  is the Lutheran Cathedral, in the Senate Square, beautiful from the outside and  austere and delicate from the inside. It is surrounded by neoclassical administrative buildings. The Uspenskin Cathedral is an hill facing the port, the biggest Russian Orthodox church outside Russia with very ornamented interior. These two churches represent the past of Finland: Sweden and Russia.

Russian Orthodox Church

In the Port area you will find the Esplanade, a small urban park that is located between two main streets. This is point zero in Helsinki, the place to meet people or to start a new journey. There are several outrageously expensive cafes, restaurants and design boutiques for those who have deep pockets or enjoy window-shopping. At the end of the Esplanade there is an open-air market where you could eat local food, buy fruit or kitsch souvenirs. Near the open market there is the Old Market Hall, a very "touristic" attraction with local and foreign products with very high prices.

From the Port you could take a boat to the Soumenlinna Fortress. This military base was built by the Swedes to defend Finland from the Russians and it is located in an small island in front of Helsinki. It is an UNESCO world heritage site and an excellent daytrip on a sunny day. You can enjoy outdoors or visit several museums and landmarks. There are cafes and restaurants on the island. For those who are really brave, you could take a bath in the cold waters of the Soumenlinna beach.

Arriving to the Soumennlinna Fortress

Things not to miss in Helsinki is the design district, where there are plenty of stores with Scandinavian design, the Rock church, a church carved in stone, the Kallio and the Johannes churches (one is Art Nouveau, and the other Neo-gothic), the Kampi Chappel of Silence, and the impressive Central Railway Station (also Art Nouveau).  Definitely, you should make an effort to see some of the work of Alvar Aalto (e.g. Finlandia Hall, the House of Alvar Aalto, the Academic Bookshop).

Kallio Church

Helsinki Central Railway

Helsinki has many museums, I had the opportunity to visit two of them: The Ateneum Art Museum (two years ago) and Kiasma (this year). The Ateneum has the ideal size. When I visited the museum, they had plenty of Japanese paintings, interesting Finish and Swedish classical work of art, and an exhibition of the art from the former Imperial Palace. Kiasma is a contemporary Art Museum. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece. Kiasma only has temporary exhibitions. When I visited the museum they had one called "Elements" about art and its relationship with nature, another one called "Face to Face" about portraits in contemporary art; one exhibition about the New York photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and finally one about Ismo Kajander (a Finish artist).

Atrium of Kiasma, Helsinki

Helsinki has plenty of parks, lakes and places to enjoy nature. A good idea is to pick one day and do nothing except walk and admire the elegance of the city. Eating out is not an easy task in Helsinki. First, Helsinki is as expensive as Paris or even more. A margherita pizza could cost you 14 euros. My recommendation is to stay in a place with kitchen to save money. I really enjoyed my stay in Hostel Domus Academica. It is a student residence that during summer becomes a Hostel. It is well located, you have your own kitchen and bathroom. For me the best place for those who travel with limited budget. If you want to enjoy Finnish cuisine, I give you two options: an excellent buffet at affordable prices, Konstan Molja. Really good meat dishes, especially the lamb. For the second option, if you want to impress someone, go to Ateljé Finne, and put at least 100 euros in your pocket for a dinner of two. A good cafe is Cafe Erkberg, you will find excellent coffee and cakes. They also serve breakfast. Supermarkets are a great option to save money; some of them have salad bars. While you are in the supermarket buy Fazer, the local chocolate brand. I have lived three years in Belgium, and I can say without a doubt, that Fazer is as good as a Belgian or Swiss chocolate.

Some tips that  you should keep in mind when visiting Helsinki. Alcohol is extremely expensive, to the point of making you cry. Some people in Helsinki take the ferry to Tallinn just to buy beer. A local brewery is Bryggeri, with a decent local selection. If you come during summer, avoid the midsummer holiday (it is usually close to the summer solstice). Almost everything is closed. People leave the city towards the country side. Maybe it is a good idea to do a daytrip to Tallinn during those days (double check before your departure since Tallinn also celebrates the solstice although usually they move the date to avoid coincidence). One final tip: Finnish people seem quiet and calm, soft-spoken and tolerant, however, do not get confused, when they are upset you will not want to be near them: respect the queues and avoid stepping on the bicycle lane.

There are many things that I did not cover in this article, like Stockmann, the Arabia factory etc. I leave them to you to discover. If you plan your trip well, you could visit Helsinki without expending a fortune. It is a matter of sticking to the budget as much as possible while allowing some indulgences. For me, Helsinki is an unforgettable beautiful experience that I would like to repeat again.