Travelfood

Helsinki is a beautiful city by the sea and you should really have a look at the coastline from one of the small archipelago cruise ships. During the summer months they will take you to see small, polished rock hills that stick up from the sea all around the coastline. But there are alternatives, and you might want to experience a little of my tidy, fresh-air home town also during spring, winter or autumn.

For example, if you visit Helsinki during January or February, and you know for sure that the winter has been harsh, you might take a stroll out on the ice along with other pedestrians! Do not try to enter the ice in front of the Market square, though! Find Eteläsatama (or South harbor) and have a look at the locals. If they dare to walk out on the ice, you may follow their paths too. It is a true experience to see Helsinki from the ice, but there are winters when the ice is not thick enough for a walk at all. In the next years, we will have a subway line to our western neighbor city of Espoo, meaning that you could walk from one of its metro stations and find the sea ice from that coastline. But remember, enter the ice only if you see others doing it. And bring warm clothes, since the wind is quite chilly out at sea.

Another hidden gem in Helsinki is probably the Arabia district (end station of tram line 6 or 8). The name might refer to kebabs but it is mostly an idyllic residential area by the sea (or ice in winter). It is also famous for its Arabia porcelain factory, which produces Moomin mugs and has an outlet for lots of Finnish design products. If you walk further on, you reach the end of Vantaa river with nice water currents and old style red-bricked factory buildings.

When you have visited the obligatory Sibelius monument, Temppeliaukion kirkko (cave church), the Senate square or even have made a day cruise to Tallinn, there are still some nice things to do. North of the main railway station you find the Töölölahti bay, which actually looks like a small lake. A half an hour walk around that bay gives you some nice views of the Finlandia Hall, the Opera house and modern office buildings. My last hint is actually a mountain made of garbage! Vuosaarenhuippu (metro station: Vuosaari) used to be the garbage dump for Helsinki inhabitants for years but it has now been refurbished and it offers interesting trekking possibilities as a clean nature destination. The grass-covered hills (with hardly any trees at all) look a bit like the moors in UK and when you reach the top of the garbage mountain you have interesting views over Vuosaari harbor. Do not expect smells or litters anywhere!

Finally, what should you eat in Helsinki? If you are on a budget, try the student eateries, where you get salads, potatoes and a warm meal for a bargain also if you are not a student. If you want to experience the most exotic thing, look for reindeer meat in one of the restaurants. If you are lucky, one of the student restaurants might have poronkäristys (reindeer meat stew) or karjalanpaisti (Carelian meat stew) that day on their menu!

Europe, Finland, food, travel, travel experiences