DavaoPlus: [New post] A daytrip to Helsinki, Finland

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A daytrip to Helsinki, Finland

by Kim Sa

Have you ever imagined visiting the top tourist attractions of Helsinki in a span of four hours? Yes, four hours! My husband and I took a 3D2N Stockholm to Helsinki cruise. The cruise was indeed a new experience for us though we realized it's not really our thing but the thought that we will disembark (for seven hours) and see a new country is exciting and made the whole trip as successful as it can be.

Helsinki doesn't really ring a bell when it comes to the best Scandinavian city to visit. The best one is Copenhagen followed by Stockholm while Norway and Iceland offer a different tourist vibe. However, from someone staying in Stockholm, seeing a new capital is definitely worthy.

We booked our cruise through Viking Line and spent four hours walking around Helsinki. My husband did all the research for the top tourist attractions near the center that's free and doesn't require advanced booking. You can check our google maps guide to see how we navigated the route from one attraction to another.

We started our trip by walking from the Viking line terminal to the famous Uspenski Cathedral. It was closed due to some indoor renovations but the exterior is very eye-catching. Its elevation makes it a perfect spot to see the rest of Helsinki.

The cathedral was built around 1862-1868 and is made of dark red bricks with deep green and shiny gold accents which is based on 16th century Russian architecture (in Moscow).

From the cathedral, we walked to the Kauppatori Market Square. It's Helsinki's most famous market that is located in front of the sea with yachts, sightseeing ferries and cute little bridges packed with love locks. It has souvenir stalls, food stalls, handicrafts and other local products. It is a great place to relax, unwind and enjoy the beautiful architecture of the city center.

Situated in the middle of the busy road is a fountain and a bronze statue of Havis Amanda. This is one of the most important and beloved sculptures in Helsinki.

Alongside the Square Market is the Old market hall. If you want to try traditional Finish foods and cuisines then you should not miss this old indoor market. It has pastries, dry foods and even fresh sea foods such as salmon and other types of fishes. This is a recommended place for take home presents though prizes are a bit more expensive.

This old market hall was opened in 1889 but underwent several renovations with the latest one in 2014.

Our next stop was the Esplanadi Park. This is located in the middle of the commercial buildings where people love to sit, chat and enjoy the vibe of the city. This is also the most famous park in Helsinki or in the whole Finland where concerts and local talents are often held. Restaurants, fancy shops, cafes and street foods can be found in every corner of the famous park.

During summer, this park is more packed with both locals and tourists. A monument of Finland's national poet is standing in the middle of the park surrounded with colorful flowers and sometimes performers. There's always an available bench for anyone to sit and eat take away sandwiches.

After having a long walk from Esplanadi Park, we arrived at one of the most important and notable landmarks in Helsinki, the Senate Square & Helsinki cathedral. The Senate square is surrounded by the Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, a part of the University of Helsinki and old buildings. It has a statue of Emperor Alexander II that was built in 1894.

The Helsinki Cathedral on the other hand, is a Lutheran Cathedral and maybe the most picturesque landmark in Helsinki. It was closed as well when we arrived but this never stopped us from staying and getting mesmerized by its massive size and unique architecture.

This plane white and simple architecture can be seen far away even from our cruise. The wide and great amount of stairs can be a short stopover for tourists who want to rest while having a great view of the old buildings. Reaching the top can be tiring for some but worth it for a good photo.

Our next stop was the commercial center of Helsinki - the Aleksanterinkatu. This vibrant pedestrian street is connected to the longest street in Helsinki and though it's one of the busiest areas in the city with many buildings and shops, it was able to maintain an old town vibe.

Visit Aleksanterinkatu Street, Helsinki — *Photo credits to Itinari.com*

Just a kilometer away from Aleksanterinkatu is the Kaisaniemi Botanic garden. This garden has a glass greenhouse that caters to a variety of flora. It has so many things to look around though there were less flowers during our visit and the glass house has an entrance fee. It has benches, geometric shaped flower boxes and a fountain. The garden was well-organized and every plant had a label which I loved checking.

Next on the list was Kamppi Chapel. This might be the coolest chapel I've ever seen. We were even hesitant when we saw it as it looked like a modern but elegant commercial building. It's right in the middle of the busy Narinkka Square. The wood architecture and minimalist design catches the eye of every passerby. If you want to meditate, relax and clear your mind then feel free to enter and experience the peace and warmth atmosphere of the Kamppi Chapel.

Another modern architecture we visited was the Temppeliaukio Rock Church. You will never know this is a church except that it has a small "cross" standing on the upper right of the main entrance. It is one of the top tourist attractions of Helsinki actually so we were so excited to enter and witness it's unique interior. However, we were shocked that it has an entrance fee (a place of worship is supposed to be open for all). It would have been better if they put donation boxes as the word "entrance fee" was a turn off for us.

We roamed behind the entrance and walked on top of the church instead. Here, you can see the dome that looks like a spaceship that landed on top of the rocky mountain. This is basically the church's roof lined with copper with the rock walls supported with beams.

Our final destination was the Sibelius Monument and Park. What's cool about this park is the floating Sibelius monument. It was really a cool sculpture but it was challenging to take a photo here without humans around.

The monument was shaped like hollow organ pipes dedicated to a Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The monument itself is made of 600 steel pipes attached together resembling a wave.

Around the park are picnic gardens and benches facing the sea. It's a perfect place for anyone, including kids to stroll and play.

*In front of the Kauppatori Market Square*

Overall, we were able to visit ten attractions in Helsinki for the span of four hours and thirty minutes. This includes having lunch and a little photo op on each of their attractions. We walked for a total of 12km though it was more tiring than our usual day trips because of the amount of effort we did to walk from one attraction to the other but it was definitely worth it. After the last attraction, we headed back to our cruise from a different route and we were able to pass by a museum and other beautiful old streets and buildings.