Helsinki in 36 Hours

On Suomenlinna

Sure, we had slightly more than 36 hours to enjoy Helsinki. But considering the amount of time we wasted trying to locate our luggage, shopping at convenience stores to replenish things we needed from our lost luggage, etc., we didn’t have a lot of time.

So I’ve highlighted the major sites we made sure to enjoy during our long weekend in Finland.

1. Suomenlinna: This sea fortress, built on six islands just a short boatride from a Helsinki harbor, was built in the mid-1700s and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was run by the Swedes, then the Russians, and finally, of course, the Finns themselves, after they gained their independence.

The huge fortress

The island also offers great views into the Baltic!

 

2. Uspenski Cathedral: Built in the 1800s, this Eastern Orthodox Church towers over the central part of Helsinki. If you go between the hours of noon and 3 p.m., you can take a peek inside, too, and  see the ornate decorations.

Uspenski Cathedral, from the street level

 

Inside of the cathedral...

3. Senate Square and the Lutheran Cathedral: The main “plaza” of Helsinki, this square is home to the Parliament building, a large university building AND  the Helsinki Cathedral,originally built as a tribute to Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia, and until the independence of Finland in 1917, called St. Nicholas’ Church.  It’s also a block away from the Helsinki City Museum, which is free for visitors.

I’d suggest going to the tourist office, where you can purchase a guide of 7 self-guided walking tours for 2 euros. If you do, you can quickly learn about all the buildings surrounding Senate Square, as well as get ideas for some other interesting walks.

Senate Square

 

Helsinki Cathedral

5. Kauppatori Square: This market square is right next to the sea, and there’s pretty old (indoor) public market building right there. Inside, you can grab a cheap falafel or a reindeer kebab sandwich, buy souvenirs (cloudberry jam, reindeer jerky, smoked trout) and even take a look at some fish.

We couldn’t get over how much salmon there is there, all marinated in different ways (some with ligonberries, rosemary, pepper, etc.). We  purchased two rye bread open-faced sandwiches pictured below. One had trout roe, the other had shrimp. They were about 2.50 euros each.

The open-air market adjacent to the building is a typical farmer’s market, and it operates from morning to early afternoon. The indoor market is open until 6 p.m. on weekdays, 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

A salmon stand at the public market

Our rye bread sandwiches from the market

6. Hotel Torni: This is one of the tallest hotels in Helsinki (it’s a low-rise city, so that’s not saying much) and it has a bar with a beautiful view on the 14th floor. Not only are the walls glass, the sides of the bar are patios enclosed in glass, too.

Helsinki at night.

8. Museums: Between the National Finland Museum, Helsinki Museum, Design Museum, etc., there are plenty of places to see on a rainy – or cold- day. When we were visiting, the Helsinki City Art Museum was running an exhibit called “Good Grief! 50 Years of Peanuts in Finland.”

Helsinki City Art Museum

Tomorrow: Food in Finland…