The Scandinavia tour we'd dreamed of for days starts right here with Helsinki! Interrail tickets took us on our Interrail tour, and welcome to its first stop, Helsinki! We'll be describing the places to visit in Helsinki in detail.
We bought our plane tickets to Helsinki about 8 months before the trip. We reached Helsinki from Istanbul with a connection in Paris. AirFrance was our choice, and we tried the AirFrance flight as far as Paris, and then flew with FinnAir . FinnAir won us over with its generous seat pitch, serving tea, coffee and water even though it's a low-cost airline, its relatively empty flights and the airy design of its planes🙂 For the flights we'd paid 320₺ per person. I can't even imagine if we'd bought them when the exchange rate had gone way up. When we bought the tickets: 1€ = 4.2₺!
It was the first time either of us had come to Scandinavia, and it was the starting point of a long tour, so we were all excited! Of course, the rapid rises in the euro and the dollar 1-2 weeks before the trip pushed us to be economical, but it was the start of a tour we're glad we did. Let's slip in right away that Finland's official currency is the euro! Oh euro, alas euro! While preparing our Helsinki guide, we gave Helsinki exactly 1 night and 1.5 days. Since we were at the start of the trip, we planned a fast-paced visit, saying we should use our energy. As always, we laid out the places we wanted to visit on a route starting from the airport.
Even though it was June, we brought cardigans and fleeces in case the nights were cool. While we were here the weather was so lovely, and seeing the Finns out sunbathing, we didn't miss the fleece or the cardigan at all! While we're on the subject: the Finns, who see these temperatures for very little of the year, don't miss sunny days and meet up for what's called sunbathing. It's a bit different from the sunbathing we know: without needing a beach, they spread out in bikinis on any patch of grass and chat, doing a little picnicking and a lot of sunbathing. Seeing so many people in swimsuits in city parks is both surprising and different.
GETTING FROM THE AIRPORT
Our favourite thing about Europe is being able to get to the city centre with a single ride after a flight! You can get from the airport to the centre by train, bus or taxi. Taxis aren't really for us. But from what we found, the half-hour taxi ride costs around 50€. We paid 5€ per person and got to the city centre in half an hour.
The station, which has the centre - airport train line opened 3 years ago, has two platforms; of the trains leaving the platforms, Line I goes to the city centre in 35 minutes, and Line P in 28 minutes, stopping at Tikkurila station. Trains usually leave every 10 minutes.
Those taking the bus can use buses 615 and 617 during the day and 415N and 562N at night. Buses leave every 20 minutes and cost 6.20€.
Note 1: If you think you'll need internet during your trip to Finland, you can buy a prepaid SIM card at the R-Kiosk inside before leaving the airport. We paid €4 for a card with 1 week of unlimited internet, and we can say it was really handy. Remember, it only includes data!
Note 2: When travelling around the Scandinavian countries, since the euro isn't the official currency in the countries other than Finland, you can lose a lot to exchange rates on cash purchases. Like us, you can spend a 16-day holiday using only a credit card. Apart from Helsinki, we paid for almost all lockers by credit card. In Helsinki they wanted cash.
GETTING AROUND THE CITY
Helsinki turned out not as big as we expected. You can walk almost everywhere. We used the metro and bus to get to our host's home, and apart from that I think we took a tram once.
At first we'd said we'd buy a 12-hour island ticket just for going to Suomenlinna. The ticket, at 5€ per person, can be used for 12 hours. Then we saw that the day ticket is 9€, and can be used on the ferry over to the island too. We chose a one-day ticket. If you want a 2-day one, it's 13.50€. *We wondered whether we could have bought this when buying the airport - city centre ticket, but these tickets work on city transport, the island ferry and regional trains. They can't be used on the airport trains. So buying the first ticket separately is a must.
There are many options for buying tickets for city transport. Tickets you buy on your phone with the app are 2.20€, from the bus driver 3.20€, and if you buy from kiosk machines 2.90€. Transport is as expensive as an average European city.
ACCOMMODATION
On this trip we were also very excited because we'd be trying couchsurfing for the first time. Our deeear couch host even came to the city centre to pick us up! :)Since Veronika was the first host to accept us, she's special to us anyway, but let us share our couchsurfing adventure too. We usually try to spend as little as we can on accommodation, and all the hotels we share on the blog are great value for money, well-located hotels. Actually this was something we'd had in mind even before this trip to the northern countries; we'd come to think about travelling with locals, making friends and even hosting them in our home. We decided to try it on our first trip, and the euro's rise was the icing on the cake.
Anyway, on to the details: we think couchsurfing is something every traveller should experience. Decisions are based entirely on trust, and people accept to host you in their homes based on your previous stays, hosting and guest experiences. Since we were a new account, we had no references. We sent detailed requests introducing ourselves for the cities and days we'd be going. Out of 7 cities, we had hosts invite us in Helsinki and Oslo.
Veronika offered to pick us up from the train station after work on Saturday evening. Of course such a warm welcome made us very happy. We went to her place together, left our things, and explored the city on her route, listening to her memories. She said let's have a mini picnic, so before leaving the house we took the snacks we'd brought from Turkey. At her home too, she did all she could to make us feel at home. Although she usually hosts guests of different nationalities, we were her first Turkish guests.
From our first experience, we'd suggest you give couchsurfing a chance for friendships like this. When we get back, we'll be opening our home to couchsurfing guests too.
WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU SAY FINLAND
- In winter, being able to walk over the frozen lakes and sea,
- The homeland of the sauna: the Finnish Sauna!
- As far as the eye can see, green forests,
- Contemporary civilisation: a country where you can live it,
- The legendary phone brand Nokia!
- The story of how Finland came from a swamp to where it is today, which Atatürk had everyone read in his time: The Land of White Lilies..
- The wonderful sight it offers to those who go in winter: the Northern Lights!
PLACES TO VISIT IN HELSINKI
Now comes the best part; come on, let's see what's on our route!Kamppi Chapel of Silence
After a short walk, here we are in front of a chapel with strange architecture. This chapel in the heart of the city is on Narinkka Square. We wondered how much it could shut out the noise and chaos of the square, and we have to admit that, with a basketball event and street DJs right next to it, the world outside was blaring.
When we go in, we see Bibles in almost every language lined up on the shelf on the right. Even though we write about it as a place to visit, it's really a space to stop and think. If you want a bit of rest and silence while sightseeing, you can visit this chapel with its unusual structure and architecture.
With its plain architecture it reminded us of minimalism, which we've been thinking about for a long time. After the grand churches we're used to, this is just what we'd expect from the Nordic countries! What can we say, it impressed us a lot; we'd love you to give it some time.
Kamppi Metro Station
Since city metro systems are Anıl's field of work, of course we'd added metro stations to our list of places to visit on the Scandinavia tour. This station had a design that truly amazed us both! Let's leave you alone with Kamppi station in Helsinki, which we were curious about. The signs showing the directions of almost every city are here too; we searched hard for Istanbul 😊 Whoever finds it, share it with us!
Temppeliaukio Church
The next stop on our walking route: a church of a kind you'll never find the like of on earth again. That's why, if you're going to Helsinki, this is a must on the list. Known as the Rock Church, the building was made by hollowing out the rocks, and it has a really interesting structure architecturally too. You'll notice in the city centre in Finland too: these rocks are everywhere in the city, but a church?!
The church has a circular opening that lets sunlight in all day. Also, every piece in the church was designed by the architects with every detail thought through. The Finnish designers have made stone, wood and copper speak in harmony.
When we went, a choir was rehearsing inside for a special event. Even from what we saw from outside it was magnificent! We'd have loved to go to an event here.
National Museum of Finland
In this museum, which takes you on a journey through Finland's history, you can see the traces left in Finland by the Kingdom of Sweden and later the Russian Empire, and what happened in the Middle Ages. While we were there, there was a Barbie exhibition! The National Barbie Exhibition :)
Töölönlahti Park
There's a special park with an adult play area where the whole family can have fun. Especially in summer it gets very crowded with tourists joining in.
We could call it a sweet Saturday crowd, but after Istanbul it felt really good to us. Veronika had brought a picnic blanket, and we'd brought our snacks. We chatted and had a picnic in the evening sun. And we wondered: who added the barbecue to the picnic back home?!
Esplanadi Park
Espa , as the locals know it: in this lovely place you could call the middle of the city, people both picnic and unwind! On the way to Market Square we saw the theatre and went through this park. Since the park is so central, naturally it's a popular choice. It was packed! 😊 There's a really sweet café, Kappeli. If you have time, we'd love you to have a coffee for us at this cute place.In the park there were street performers and bike carts selling coffee and sweets. However crowded it is, it's wonderful for spending time! By the way, we didn't catch them, but jazz festivals are apparently held in July and August.
Old Market Square - Kauppatori
The old market area, which you can visit either before going to Suomenlinna or on the way back, has been welcoming visitors from Monday to Saturday since 1889. Even if we won't shop in places like this, we really enjoy going in for a look and seeing the people and the architecture! :)
Apart from very fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, you can taste Finnish cakes and Finnish cheeses. Stands have also been set up for many local products and souvenirs from Lapland and Finland. Maybe you won't want to buy wool gloves in this heat, but wooden cups, pocket knives and sweet husky plushes might catch your eye. Strolling in the open air is lots of fun too!
Allas Sea Pool & Finnish Sauna
Everyone knows Finland has its very famous Finnish sauna. And this name comes across as something that has become one with the country, because sauna culture is so widespread in Finland.
Although Finland is a small country, it's claimed there are close to 2 million saunas in total. People now even have saunas built in their own homes. In the past, like our hamam culture, there were saunas in city centres. But in the last 15-20 years the number of these saunas has dropped sharply. In central Helsinki we found the Allas sea pool and its sauna.
Although we'd thought of going in, when we heard the entrance was 14€ per person, we said let's not! It was packed at the weekend:) For more detailed information about the sauna, we're leaving the link here.
Uspenski Cathedral
Goodness, these Russians have set foot almost everywhere in the world! On our Balkans trip, especially in Bulgaria, we'd felt the dominance of Russian architecture and urban planning. Seeing this cathedral, we couldn't help saying again, "How much it looks like Russian architecture!"
For those looking for Russian traces in Finland, this should be the first place to go. Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe, is in the Katajanokka area, called the somewhat elite area of Helsinki. Seen from outside, the tips of the church's red-brick towers have gold-coloured domes, like at the Bulgarian Church in Istanbul.
Once again, the people sunbathing around and the shade of the trees drew us in. The week we came, almost all the young people had sailor caps. Of course we learned from Veronika what it was 😊 Young people who've just graduated from university wear them, and with graduation near, almost everyone had these caps instead of mortarboards! So sweet :)
Right next to the church there's a building with a glass roof, and inside there was a wonderful party. We loved it, you'll want to be there :)
Helsinki Design Museum
The Helsinki Design Museum, a 10-minute walk from Old Market Square, displays 150 years of Finnish architecture and design. After the wars, Helsinki took on a role embracing modern architecture and design, and you can see this in almost most of the places you visit. We felt it most at the Rock Church we mentioned above. In the area known as the Design District, right below Esplanadi, there are nearly 200 shops, galleries and buildings focused on modern architecture and design.
Senate Square
We're talking about a square in Helsinki where you can see most of the tourists together! Since we wanted to finish our tour quickly, we pass this square with 2-3 nice photos. According to Veronika, at Helsinki airport the police ask tourists whether they have a photo here, and if they see you don't, they don't let you through. Don't skip the photo, whatever you do! We carry on exploring the buildings around the square.Helsinki Cathedral
This church on Helsinki's Senate Square, pleasing to look at, was built in the mid-19th century. St Nicholas' Church, built in honour of the Russian Tsar Nicholas, Grand Duke of Finland, is one of the places to visit. When Finland declared its sovereignty at the start of the 20th century, the cathedral's name was changed to Helsinki Cathedral.
Helsinki University Library
If you stand still where you are on Senate Square and turn a little, one of the buildings you'll see is the University of Helsinki! The part of this university that interested us is its oh-so-beautiful, oh-so-modern library.Visitors from outside can go in too. You can look down on Helsinki Cathedral from above and get a wonderful shot. Of course, since they've given us such lovely opportunities, we visit following library etiquette.
Suomenlinna
This huge sea fortress, one of the most magnificent man-made structures in Scandinavia, was formed by joining 7 islands. We think this magnificent fortress on the UNESCO World Heritage list is one of the places you must visit in Helsinki.You can get there in about 15 minutes on the ferries leaving from the area called Market Square. The 12-hour tickets I mentioned above sell for €5, and a ferry leaves every 15 minutes. It's again a favourite of locals for picnics; going early we hadn't noticed, but every ferry carries big families, that is, picnickers :)
To look a bit at the island's history: in the 1700s, when Finland was still part of the Kingdom of Sweden, during the war between Russia and Sweden in the 1780s, the area used as a naval base took its current form in this period and was later handed over to Russia. After the Crimean War with the British and French, Russia withdrew from the area, and at the start of World War I the Finns established their rule there. Used as an artillery and anti-aircraft base during World War II, if only the area could tell us about the wars it has seen, right?!
There's a lot to see on the island. Bridges, fortresses, even the remains of a sunken submarine. In the middle of the star-shaped walls and gun positions there's a small baroque-style residential area that's still home to 1000 people. We recommend seeing the King's Gate, the island's monumental symbol, built in the 1750s as the fortress's main entrance. Then there's the Suomenlinna Church, built at the start of the 20th century for the Russian garrison and later turned into a Lutheran place of worship. It's also home to the lighthouse that still guards the island's waters today. We took lots of photos.
We sat in the shade too and enjoyed the moment. Nobody picked up a phone; we were truly in the moment! :)
Wooden House District
At the start of the 20th century, as the city grew, neighbourhoods of wooden houses where workers could live were built a little outside the centre. Today, although most of these houses were demolished, some are still standing. This area, just starting to come alive like our Balat and Karaköy, has lovely streets with third-wave coffee shops and dessert shops. Since the area was once planned as a Garden City, you can get your fill of green.Sibelius Park and Monument
This work was made in honour of Jean Sibelius, who played an important role in Finland's national independence from Russia and in forming its national identity.
Don't be surprised: many tour buses in Helsinki bring people flocking here to visit the Sibelius Monument in Sibelius Park. If you come on your own like us, we suggest spending time in the park with a picnic, enjoying the flowers and greenery, and taking a little walk along the shore. The marina is next to the park, and maybe you can have a coffee at Cafe Regatta. We're sure you'll like it. Detailed information about Cafe Regatta is below in the food and drink section.
HELSINKI FOOD AND DRINK TIPS
It's true that in this very expensive city we were very frugal with food and drink! But having come all this way, you can't leave without tasting the amazing flavours prepared at the places below!Cafe Ekberg
If you want a nice weekend breakfast, the first and only place is Cafe Ekberg!!
This adventure, which began when Fredrik Ekberg became a baker in 1843, became official in 1852 when he opened his first bakery in Helsinki. The café running now has been serving both locals and tourists since 1931. The price of a weekend brunch at a café with such a history is 20€. If you like, you can book here. Instead of breakfast, we tried their delicious coffee.
Karl Fazer Cafe
Fazer Café, started by Karl Fazer in 1891 to capture an equivalent of Turkey's five o'clock tea, has come down to today as a place where the city's women would spend their time .
A place worth going to for dazzling sweets, fresh bread and delicious cakes. The most famous, of course, is its chocolate! Must be tried 😊
Cafe Regatta
You can have a really lovely time at this café, set by the water in a wonderful historic red wooden building. On one side we saw a long queue, and on the other happy faces..
If you like, you can rent a canoe right next to the café and enjoy the Scandinavian sea. If you come on a sunny weekend, definitely sit outside!
The fireplace in the middle was lit for those cooking sausages. For those going in winter, from what we saw in photos, it's apparently a wonderful atmosphere! By the way, credit cards aren't accepted; they only take cash.
Our lovely Helsinki adventure ends here.. It continues with Turku, and click here for what comes after..
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