Monthly Archives: May 2014

The Best Part of Public Transport in Helsinki

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A visit to Helsinki would not be complete without a visit to the surrounding sea –the sea forms an integral part of Helsinki and it is everywhere one looks. Personally, whenever I visit Helsinki, I try to include a walk by the sea or a ferry trip to Suomenlinna Island and this time was not an exception.Helsinki from the seaHelsinki from the seaThe weather has been a bit capricious in Helsinki this week but yesterday evening I braved it out and hopped onto the Suomenlinna ferry. It was already past 7 pm but the sun was still strong and clouds fluffy. Suomenlinna ferryThe ferry left from Kauppatori (the Market Square) and it took 15 minutes to reach the Suomenlinna island. On our way there were tiny islands occupied by fancy restaurants, red wooden houses (fishermen cottages?) and seagulls. All this looked very cute and exotic to me.Suomenlinna ferryAs I was not properly dressed I stayed inside the ferry when it made a five-minute stop in Suomenlinna to let passengers in and out. I could see that some tourists were better prepared for the weather than I was…Suomenlinna ferryAs the ferry made a U-turn I could observe Helsinki from the opposite angle. In addition to church towers sticking out on the horizon there were more seagulls and tiny, flat islands. Helsinki from the sea looked very Nordic: small, peaceful, lonely and majestic at the same time. Helsinki from the sea

Whenever you visit Helsinki make sure to include a ferry trip in your itinerary! Helsinki from the sea gives a very different perspective and shows a totally different side of the Finnish capital. Highly recommended any time of the year (just remember to wear warm clothes).

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Note: Helsinki has made visiting its beautiful archipelago easily accessible to everyone: a public transport ticket allows the traveler to catch the Suomenlinna ferry at no additional cost, which is an opportunity not to be missed!!

A tip: if you are planning to use the public transport a lot (and maybe combine it with cultural and other visits), think about Helsinki Card, which includes unlimited public transport and therefore unlimited Suomenlinna ferry travels! (http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/sightseeing-trips-and-guidances/helsinki-card)

 

 

 

 

Wooden Houses in Helsinki

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In a country like Finland, where 75% of land is covered by forest, it comes as no surprise that wood has been the most important construction material over the centuries –in fact all the way until the 19th century when stone took over.

Many charming and cute wooden houses were built in Helsinki over the decades but only few still exist. Many were destroyed during various wars, but in addition the rather universal demolishing wave of the 60’s and 70’s also hit Finland, leading to destruction of entire blocks of wooden houses. The ideology behind these projects was to look into the future i.e. modernity and to be more efficient in terms of space and its utilization. Productivity became the dominant order and aesthetics lost importance. Puu-VallilaPuu-VallilaHowever, those interested in architecture and old wooden houses can still find wonderful pearls scattered around Helsinki. One of these areas is called Puu-Vallila (Little Vallila in Finnish), located in the northern part of the Helsinki city center (on both sides of Mäkelänkatu). Houses of Puu-Vallila were built around 1910.Puu-VallilaThese houses that survived the demolition are today inhabited by proud families who often come from artistic background. The former blue-collar neighborhood has found its bohemian side.Puu-VallilaOne needs about one hour to explore the neighborhood. It is very residential and there is only one bar/cafe where to stop for a drink or some snack (Pikku-Vallila, Vallilantie 19, Tel: 09-7013737).

Puu-Vallila: highly recommended for a lovely walk on Sunday or on one of the sleepless midsummer nights!

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For maps and more information:

Helsinki Tourist Information (http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en)
Pohjoisesplanadi 19
Mon-Fri 9-18, Sat-Sun 10-16
Tel. +358 (0)9 3101 3300

 

Helsinki Skyline

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Helsinki like you have never seen before.

Helsinki skylineI arrived in Finland on Friday evening. It snowed a bit (no, it does not usually snow in May!) and while the flakes were melting away the sky turned orange and dark, bluish grey. Such an impressive sunset.