It wasn’t my first choice. I had wanted to travel somewhere else. It wasn’t even on the top of my list of places to visit. But Helsinki charmed me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I arrived at night, which is always difficult. Everything is dark, it’s cold, things are closed. I had no idea what to expect. When I awoke the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised. Helsinki is cute.

A Bit of Helsinki

Helsinki isn’t full of history. Just 200 years ago, it was a small village of 4,000 people. Families didn’t want to move there; it was just going to be a temporary stay for them. For those who don’t know, Finland was ruled by Sweden for 600 years. Because of that, Swedish is one of the official languages of Finland. There are even Swedish-speaking Finns, and all the street signs are in both Finnish and Swedish.

Then, in the 1800s, Russia took control of Finland. They granted more freedom (weird, huh?) to the Finns, and they were able to create a parliament. Down by the port is Parliament Square, with the Helsinki Cathedral as the crown jewel. Fun fact: 70% of Finns belong to the Lutheran Church! The cathedral can be seen all around the city, as it sits high on a hill.

Another fun fact: there are a small percent who belong the Orthodox Church, but there is a huge Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki. Strangely, this houses a lot of artwork by a Russian artist (whose name I don’t remember) whose artwork was destroyed throughout Soviet Russia. Finns have a good relationship with the Russian people to this day, but they don’t agree with their form of government.

The Port

I came to Helsinki at just the right time. The weather was mild and sunny, and it was the last week of the market season. There were markets set up along the port with lingonberries, moose meatballs, trinkets, reindeer furs, and so much more. The fishermen were also in town for the week, selling their fish and seafood to make more money before the Christmas season. They were selling their goods from their boats, adding a little extra charm.

From the port, you can take ferries around the Baltic. Helsinki’s port has now become the largest port in the world because of all the ferries going in and out. There are several ferries that go to Tallinn, Estonia. Finns will often take this ferry to go buy cheaper liquor in Estonia. You can even take a ferry to Stockholm. I took the ferry to go to Suomelinna, a former naval fortress under the Swedes and Russians.

Suomelinna

Suomelinna is easy to reach. It only takes 10 minutes or so by ferry, and ferries leave the port several times an hour. It’s €5 for a 12-hour pass. There are museums, cafés, and fortresses around the island.

At first, I was a little irritated by all the tourists. Then, I got to the part with less tourists and it was much so much better. I walked along the outside of the island along the rocks. There was a couple taking their wedding pictures there because it was so beautiful. There weren’t many people around. All I could hear was the lapping of water against the rocks. It was truly peaceful.

I spent about 2 hours here just walking around, but you could spend so much more time there. I made sure to stop for a coffee – Finns are known for their coffee. They consume more coffee per capita than any other country. The average adult consumes anywhere between 9-12 kg of coffee each year.

Eating in Finland

Ok, I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t eat a lot of Finnish food. I had a cold and I didn’t really have much of an appetite. For lunch, I did eat from the market. I ate shrimp, potatoes, and vegetables. The shrimp tasted different, saltier than what I’m used to. Although I wasn’t very hungry, I made sure to have eat good breakfasts.

Café Ekberg is a classic in Helsinki. I arrived expecting a long wait. Many tables were reserved for later in the morning, so arrived just after 9 was good on my part. It’s looks fancy inside, and there is a bakery portion next to the restaurant if you want to take things to go. It was quite expensive, though. Compared to what I pay in Madrid for a coffee and a croissant, I could buy 4 of those for less than the price of my coffee and pastry from Café Ekberg. That’s Finland for you, though. It’s super expensive.

I was recommended by somewhere who spent time in Finland to check out Café Regatta. This is a 30-minute walk from the city center, but it’s so worth it. Café Regatta is nestled along the banks of the water. It’s a small shack with some tables inside, but outside there is seating available. It was a little chilly, but it was so enjoyable to eat my cinnamon roll and hot chocolate while watching Finns kayak across the water. Don’t expect fancy service – they only make coffee by filter, meaning no cappuccinos.

If you are braver than me, the national dish of Finland seems to be reindeer stew with potatoes and lingonberries. It just seemed weird to me to eat an animal that guides Santa’s sleigh. Speaking of Santa and Christmas, there’s a cute shop along the Espalande that has a Christmas shop in the basement. It’s so adorable and made me want Christmas now!

Visit Finland

Helsinki isn’t on the top of most people’s travel lists. It’s overshadowed by Sweden and seen as too cold. Their language isn’t easy to navigate either. The Finns aren’t a warm people, exactly. They don’t like small talk and hate when people sit near them. I saw a guy on a bus with crutches who nearly fell over when the bus moved trying to get to a seat with nobody next to him. (These are my kind of people).

Yet, Helsinki is enchanting in its own way. There is a crazy obsession with saunas (nearly every house has one). There are plenty of parks and trees to break up the city life. I think that’s what really drew me to Helsinki. It’s a capital city, but it’s quiet and picturesque – a great weekend from the busy, hectic streets of Madrid. For sure I will be going back to Helsinki one day, and hopefully to explore more of the wilds of Finland. I love the Nordic countries. They are for sure part of me genetically, and also a part of me for my experiences. So what are you waiting for? Go visit this hidden gem in the North! (But probably not in winter.) Don’t forget to pick up a Moomin while you’re there.