An island fortress, a rock church, and plenty of fun for the kids, Helsinki is a suitable family destination with long daylight hours in the summer.
Located in the central Senate Square, the Lutheran Cathedral was completed in 1852 and is a symbol of Helsinki. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Our first glimpse of Helsinki was gloomy and grim.
It was raining and we’d arrived at the central railway station, an imposing mostly brown building clad in granite, dragging our luggage.
The Uspenski Cathedral is a classical onion-domed Russian church that sits majestically on a hill overlooking the Market Square by the harbour. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Our mood improved as the weather cleared up.
Sunshine really makes a difference, although it was to rain intermittently over the next few days.
Hitting the sights
One of the most impressive sights is the Temppeliaukio Church, otherwise known as the Church of the Rock, because it was carved out of solid rock.
The Church of the Rock was consecrated in 1969. Photo taken with a Samsung NX300 with an 18-55mm kit lens.
The rough hewn walls and the large dome overhead give the church a primitive feel.
Needless to say such an awe inspiring and unusual building was teeming with tourists, which took away some of the peace one should enjoy in a church.
The Lutheran church also serves as a concert venue because of the good acoustics of the exposed rock surfaces.
Another landmark in the city is the Uspenski Cathedral, designed by a Russian architect, with claims to being the largest orthodox church in Western Europe.
Suomenlinna also makes for an interesting ramble.
The maritime fortress was built during the Swedish era as a base for the Archipelago Fleet.
Breathtaking view from Suomenlinna, the fortress island that was the Raison d’être for Helsinki. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Work on the fortress was begun in the mid-18th century.
From the early 19th century to the early 20th century, Suomenlinna was part of Russia along with the rest of Finland.
Not surprisingly, the beautiful island makes an ideal setting for wedding photographs. We chanced upon this happy couple on the island and barely had time to fish out the camera to take a quick snapshot before they breezed on to their next shooting location on the island. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
After Finland gained her independence, Suomenlinna became home to a coastal artillery regiment, a submarine base and the Valmet shipyard.
Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a permanent population of more than 800.
A quick meal from fast-food chain Picnic in Kamppi Shopping Center in Helsinki. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
The island fortress is reached by a 15-minute ferry ride and offers an easy walk with walls, cannons, tunnels, a submarine, museums, cafés, a library (complete with Wi-Fi access if you need a quick fix) and even a brewery along the way.
Fresh vegetables at the market stalls that can be found at Kauppatori or Market Square and Hakaniemi Market Hall. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
We made sure we were armed with a torch to explore the short but dark tunnels which thrilled the kids no end.
A stuffed reindeer outside a shop along the streets of Helsinki. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Fun for the kids
Needless to say since this was a family holiday the kids also had to be entertained and they got their share in Sea Life Helsinki and an adjoining amusement park Linnanmaki.
Sea Life has some interesting animals like sharks, piranhas and poison dart frogs.
Linnanmaki has fun rides including a scary-looking rollercoaster and a lovely carousel.
The amusement park also has various food outlets ranging from more pricey restaurants to basic fast food chains.
The kids also loved the Natural History Museum, which is actually a research institution under the University of Helsinki.
Shopping
A holiday also wouldn’t be complete without some shopping and Finland is home to brands such as Marimekko, Iittala and Arabia.
Splendid purple flowers at the Hakaniemi Market Hall. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
It’s also well-known for its design aesthetics, which translates to a little bit pricey.
The Kauppatori or market square is right next to the harbour and is filled with craft and food stalls.
One of many seagulls that accompanied us overhead on our ferry ride to Suomenlinna. They are also experts at stealing food from right off your fingers. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
We bought some fish and octopus to try before our ferry ride and it came with a warning to watch out for the birds.
True enough, a gull snatched a piece of fried octopus right out of our son’s hand. It must have smelled irresistible!
Hakaniemi Market Hall has a homely feel around it. This young Finn spotted me taking a picture of his store and spontaneously posed for the photo. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
A quieter and less touristy destination would be the Hakaniemi Market Hall, an indoor market with food stalls on the ground floor and shops selling touristy stuff on the first floor.
It’s not a very big market but it had a homely feel. Lots of fresh fish and meat, chocolates, local produce and a lovely soup stall.
The bright cheerful coloured fabric of Marimekko. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
The second floor has a small Marimekko outlet, which had some products on sale, though not all. It appeared to be a favourite of savvy Japanese shoppers.
And for more shopping especially for homeware, the Arabia factory area is a good bet. Here Ittala and Pentik have many items on sale.
Iittala crockery featuring Finland’s very own favourite comic character. The Moomins are an adorable family of fairy tale characters that resemble hippopotamuses. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
And by the way, if you can tear yourself away from the shopping, there’s an Arabia museum which explains the history of the brand.
The area surrounding the Arabia factory has large open parklands with joggers and cyclists. It makes for a nice evening walk.
The Arabianranta or Old Town Bay area was where Helsinki was originally founded in 1550 by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden. Now it’s a tranquil park and bird sanctuary. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
The area encompasses Old Helsinki, where the city was originally founded in 1550.
Next up: Tallinn – capital of Estonia.
Getting around in Helsinki
The transport system in the city is easily navigated. Finns speak excellent English and whenever we approached someone, we invariably had help. We took the trams throughout our 4-day stay in Helsinki.
The airport transfer drops you off and picks you up at the central railway Station (€4.50 Euros one-way for Bus 615 every 15 min). Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
For travelling within the city, you can purchase a Single ticket that allows you to peruse almost all the local public transportation (buses, trams, trains, metro and ferry to Suomenlinna) with unlimited transfers within one hour of purchase.
This is the golden sunset in our apartment in Helsinki around 10pm which lasted for a few hours. It was still bright at midnight and we turned in for the night. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
The ticket costs €2.80 if you purchase it from the driver but if you want to save some money, you can buy it for €2.20 from a machine (available only on selected stops).
Children under 7 travel free, while those under 16 pay half price.
Don’t try to cheat on fares even though there’s no conductor and the driver doesn’t check on passengers who get on with pre-purchased tickets.
Throughout our stay, we encountered only a single check – four burly inspectors got on and checked everyone in a matter of minutes.
It took me some time fishing around various pockets among old tickets before I stumbled upon the ones valid for that journey, and throughout the wait, the lady inspector stood there waiting patiently but looking totally impervious.
No friendly banter but no rude restless gestures either.
* This post is part of a series of travel articles documenting our family vacation in Finland, Tallinn in Estonia, and St Petersburg in Russia. It includes a selection of photos taken in Helsinki. I will be adding more photos in the POTD series over time.
Tags: Arabia, Europe, Finland, Finland 2013, Helsinki, holiday, Iittala, Marimekko, Suomenlinna, travel, vacation
Did your apartment come with cooking facilities? I’m bringing my family from London end August. Looking for one at a convenient location, preferrably with cooking facilities. Can you share where you stayed and whether you’re happy with it?
Yes Rose. It was pretty big for the price, and comes with kitchenette and fridge. But they don’t provide crockery/utensils!!! I believe you can borrow/rent from them on the spot. We didn’t do any cooking this time round. Just enjoyed the spaciousness and location. emailed you the address and the rates.
Did you get the wedding couple to pose for you? They look so natural… and happy.
Gosh no, they had their own pro photographer and they seem to be in a great big rush. Probably wanted to take as many shots as possible at as many places as possible. I’d barely got a few shots in when they moved on. We didn’t want to harass them, so I just ran with what I snapped.
Wow, a real Rock church! I mean, it’s really made out of rock!
Yeah, the church had a lovely ambience. They let me in there when they were having a service for the locals and it wasn’t open to tourists (provided I didn’t take any pictures). When the time came when tourists were allowed in (and photos were allowed), it was a hullabaloo and I could barely get a shot in without unruly tourists trampling about and flashing all over the shop).
These photos look like postcards. Maybe you can try selling them!
Thank you Mary! Don’t think I can make a living off that unfortunately though 🙂
I like the cover picture of the cathedral, especially with the bird. Just curious, was that added post processing? Love the other photos too!
Thanks. No. The bird was circling around the cathedral, so I framed the cathedral and stairs and just waited for the bird to fly into the frame. Unfortunately it didn’t get any closer than to the cathedral, so it’s still pretty near the edge. But I got the effect I wanted anyway 🙂
Hey i like the shot of the island Somenlina. Is it HDR?
No it’s not from a merging of multiple bracketed shots if that’s what you meant by HDR. It’s from a single exposure and I used Adobe Camera Raw to tone down the glare of the sun in the horizon. Apart from that, didn’t have to do any other adjustments, except to resize and add watermark. Glad you like it.
The guy who posed is so sporting! Are they all so friendly?
The guy was really spontaneous! But my experience of the Finns (from some personal friends and those we met during this trip) are that they’re a bit reserved and don’t come forward unless it’s necessary or when you approach them. But when you do need help or approach them, they’re really helpful, and not stingy with their help. And there’s no racism or bigotry at all.
Like the water cascade. Looks so tranquil.
Yeah, the whole area is really tranquill. We enjoyed our evening stroll there.
Awww, the wedding couple looks so romantic!
Yup! They were really cheerful and enjoying themselves. It did lend a romantic atmosphere to the whole place when they were around.
Love those violet flowers. Gorgeous! were they expensive?
Everything was expensive in Finland! Just joking. Don’t think they were that expensive. We saw plenty of normal looking local folk buying the flowers. So don’t think the prices are steep or anything.
ohh Moomin – I grew up with that. Brings back such fond memories!
Yeah, my kids loved the Moomins too. They look so adorable!
Ooooh, I love Marimekko, if only they have it in Singapore. The closest branch is in HK.
Their prints are so vibrant and bright! I didn’t know they had a branch in HK. i have a friend who absolutely loves them. And the Japanese tourists we saw were buying loads of stuff from the Marimekko outlet.
I like the bird too, ha – the one of the seagull. Lends a sense of depth, rather then the typical flat lone bird close-up shot.
Thanks Sam!
The reindeer looks so mottled and moth eaten? Must be a very old specimen?
Yes it probably was an old specimen. But you’ll be surprised that the real reindeer can look like that too. Apparently they shed before growing a new coat (every year?) in summer. Those we saw alive looked pretty similar to this stuffed one. I suppose only in Winter do they look like those you see on X’mas cards.
Why’s everyone so obsessed with the birds? Actually I agree the one with the church does make the shot more dramatic. And the prople in the Upsenky photo adds life to the photo as well.
Yes. I included the people to add a sense of scale and like you pointed out, to add some life to the photo.
[…] As we step into the first day of 2014, here’s wishing everyone a great year ahead! Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens, at Suomenlinna, Finland. […]