August Getaway to the North

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is located in the south of Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki has a population of about 660,000. Together with three other cities, it forms the so-called capital territory, an urban area with a population of about 1.3 million. More on Wikipedia.

We used the train from the airport to the main train station in the city centre and walked a short part of the way from there to the accommodation.

As soon as we dropped off our suitcases, we went to explore the city, which, according to first glance, was not much different from our capital Ljubljana. We explored the centre on foot on our first day, but for certain parts, or if you ever want to spare your legs, it is advisable to use public transport such as tram, bus or metro. In the following days, we used trams. On the same day, we saw the main cathedral, the Parliament, the Rock Church from the outside, walked through the lively Esplanadi Park, and ended up at the seaside market (only open until 5pm), where there are a few cafés nearby, and the Sky Wheel, where you can see Helsinki from a spinning height. Helsinki is considered to be a more expensive city in terms of prices, so we chose a lavish dinner at a Nepalese restaurant. On the same day, we treated ourselves to a Finnish sauna in the accommodation itself, a relaxing end to our first day in this beautiful northern Finnish capital.

The next day, after breakfast, we went to a nearby store, where we bought typical Karelian pasty and some other baker's pastries and coffee from the vending machine. So refreshed for this day, we made a plan to visit the nearby two islets of Soumelinna and Pihlajasaari.

The Helsinki archipelago is made up of around 330 islands, providing the perfect escape to lush green forests, sandy beaches and coastal nature. But unlike the outer archipelago, the Helsinki Islands combine all the best of the city – cafés, bars, restaurants – with the feeling of being on an island. Many Helsinki locals like to hop on a ferry for a quick trip to one of the islands.

Local ferries take you to these islands, but each one is operated by a different company. The interesting thing about buying tram tickets is that this same ticket also allows you to ride ferries to certain islands, including Soumenlinna. Time validity is 90 minutes and costs €3.10. This means that during this time you can take advantage of all local means of transport, including the ferry.

From the city centre, we drove on two different trams, no. 2 and 3, with a destination at Market Square, from where the ferry departs to the island of Soumenlinna. The boat ride takes only 15 minutes, and you are already on a charming little island that was built in the time of Sweden as a naval fortress and a base for the fleet of the Archipelago. Work on the fortress began in 1748. The island is best explored on foot, as it is only 0.8 square kilometres in size. Suomenlinna is an 18th-century sea fortress and natural area with centuries-old artillery and defensive walls stretching across six connected islands. Walking trails lead through parkland to popular attractions such as the Kuninkaanportti drawbridge and the Suomenlinna Museum, with exhibitions of military and maritime history. On the Vesikko submarine, visitors can explore a restored vessel from the 1930s. There's also a brewery and several coastal restaurants in the area, according to Google.

A nice day allowed us to explore the island for three hours. If you get hungry or thirsty and have no intention of spending in any of the local cafés, a fairly large store (K-market) allows you to buy a snack as soon as you disembark, and you can also prepare a hot drink there.

In the afternoon, thanks to the nice weather, we decided to spend some time sunbathing and gazing at the island of Pihlajasaari, which resembled a hotter, Mediterranean destination rather than Finland, and made us feel exhilarated upon arrival. To visit this small island, we had to go to the other side of the city by tram, from where another transport company (JT-line) took us, but charged €8.5 per person for a return ticket. All in all, we were impressed by the island and would definitely recommend it.

As time passed too quickly, and we were already feeling hungry, and unfortunately there was not more than one expensive and poorly rated restaurant on the island, we returned to the mainland. This time we were dropped off in a different place than where we started, in a pleasant village called Ruohlati. It is an area of new housing units and canals.

After a rich and interesting breakfast at the accommodation, which used to be a prison, we went to the nearby city market for our last and beautiful sunny day, where we rented bicycles at one of the stations. Great and affordable price for a full day rental (€10 if you leave it at the station every half hour). To use it, you first need to download the app, and since there are unfortunately no English-language instructions on the bike itself, we had to call and ask for further instructions. The first and only drawback.

We set off on our bikes and arrived at the beautiful island of Seurasaari. Before getting off the island, we left our bikes at the cycling station (BicikeLJ system) and explored the entire island, which is an open-air museum, again on foot. There was also the option of swimming in a specially designated bathing area, but because of the wind we were not convinced. We had a coffee and soaked up the island's amazing nature.

After completing the tour of Seurasaari, we cycled to Hietaranta Beach, where we sat for a while and watched the screaming seagulls. This time we came to the main market, which the Finns call Kauppatori, for local food, where Žiga had a Reindeer hot dog and I had a Vendace (picarels and baked potatoes). There was also salmon soup on offer everywhere.

Satisfied with our gourmet experience, we drove along the promenade to the Tervasaari Island and enjoyed some sunbathing on one of the benches. When you are in Finland, you cannot miss the Finnish design, which, apart from the fine shops, was best seen on a visit to the well-visited Designmuseo. And it was in this museum that I became fascinated by the embroidery art, where at the time the artist Kustaa Saksi was exhibiting. Patterns, colours and a magic of products that is indescribable. Certainly, some of the museum's artefacts remind us of what actually comes from Finland, but we might not have thought of it before.

We spent the late afternoon in Esplanade Park listening to a street musician and watching the sun set on the staircase of Helsinki's main cathedral, where a film was being shot in Senaatintori Square.

The fifth day was followed by an early departure to the airport and a trip back to Slovenia.