It was 2012:) We were so young and bold, studied so hard, but still tried to find some spare time to see new city 🙂
This will be a short story of three friends. A blond, black and ginger one are going to visit Helsinki, capital of Finland!
We took a fairy from Riga to Helsinki and were trying to catch some sun on the upper deck:)
Walking trough the city center is the best way to be introduced to Helsinki, so we are exploring it on foot:) Neoclassical city center is full with wide streets. We’ll choose random direction and see what we can discover:)
Helsinki is quite expensive city, I clearly remind our small 0,5l Coca-Cola bottle, that we shared, cause we bought it somewhere in the city center for 5 euros :))
But still there are a lot of things to do and see there for free:)
We are on Kluuvikatu street 3! You can find here very large bronze sculpture, showing the stylized Karl Fazer symbol.
Almost everyone knows and likes Fazer chocolate and other products in my country! Here, you can find the first café opened by famous Karl Fazer near this large sculpture. Great place for a coffee and few sweets 🙂
There are really a lot of greenery in Helsinki, so many parks you can rest in, just right in the middle of the city.
Location???
If you like museums you can visit a lot of them Helsinki, but this one you can find in the heart of the city, on the south side of Helsinki’s Station Square. It’s the National Museum of Art, also known as the Ateneum.
Very impressive Neoclassical building where you can find not only the Finnish art, but also world known masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Marc Shagall and others.
By the way, there are a lot of occasions during a year with free admission option, just check it’s official website before you plan your visit:)
Whatever is the reason you are visiting Helsinki. This neoclassical Helsinki Cathedral is a must see! The Helsinki Cathedral is one of the city’s most impressive historic landmarks with it’s 5 green domes, whitewashed façade and 12 statues of apostles on the roof!
Till 1917 this Cathedral was called St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, in honor of the Russian Imperator Nicholas I, who was also Grand Duke of Finland.
You can find it on on the Senate Square, the main square of the city in the historical and architectural meaning 🙂 Locals says that, if you haven’t seen this Square, you haven’t seen Helsinki!:)
So, walk on the Senate Square, sit on the steps or climb the stares and visit the cathedral inside. Enjoy this majestic cathedral, marvel the architecture and take some photos 🙂 100% it gives you a feeling of the historic Helsinki!
There are plenty of nice cafes, Finish craft and design shops near the square, so if you wanna some cool souvenirs I really advise you walk around!
If you wanna to feel adrenaline and happiness visit the Linnanmäki amusement park! It’s only 15-20 min by public transport to get here from a central station!
It’s compact and very good amusement park with many attractions for all ages. It’s situated on a high point in the city, so you can get breathtaking views of Helsinki during your ride on roller-coasters or panoramic wheel 🙂
The nice thing is that you can enter here for free, but you must buy tickets to get to the rides. Pay attention, if you have small children, you can get some free rides for them 🙂
If you are not a thrill-seeker 🙂 you can just walk around the park, there are a lot off cafes and other entertaining stalls to enjoy 🙂
Here is very lovely atmosphere, lots of rides for a hole family, probably you can easily spend a whole day here, especially in summer time 🙂
Wanna to feel like a child, visit it! Nice area with a lot of nice and funny details 🙂
Honestly we came here not for a rides, but to enjoy Sea Life Helsinki, the world of the sea! You can find it just next to the amusement park 🙂
It’s quite small, but still has nice collection of underwater creatures to see and accurate information on all animals.
Some sharks, rays and local Baltic Sea fish could be found here 🙂 plus small café and souvenir shop 🙂 Nice place for underwater lovers!
We are back to the city center! Walking along the Esplanade park to the south harbor. Here you can find famous Havis Amanda fountain, so brilliant art Nouveau work. The female figure is risen from the sea, symbolizes Helsinki and the birth of the city! She is the one of the most famous statue in the Finland!
Here is large open plaza, facing the waterfront. It’s quite busy, plus there is a harbor-side big open air market next to it! We are very close to the harbor!
Heeeeh 🙂 That’s why we are here! We are going to take a boat tour! It’s a perfect way to see Helsinki and nearby islands!
The day wasn’t so perfect for a boat tour, no sun at all 😦 but lucky us, cause there were few tourists on the boat, so many places to sit 🙂 It’s very comfortable, cause it has open deck that gives you really best views as you travel. You can have a blanket if it’s too windy:)
The indoor deck is also very comfy, good seats and wide windows!
On our way back, the weather became more windy, so we enjoyed nature and our tour in indoor deck:)
Enjoy the sea breeze, enjoy beautiful shorelines of Helsinki, enjoy your life!
It’s really nice when you have an opportunity to travel!
That’s all for today.
Tomorrow will be new day and new emotions:)
See you tomorrow 🙂
Don’t sit at home. Travel! Travel with me! 🙂 Meaww!
go and travel with me 