Cruises from Helsinki

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a bit unusual for a capital city in that it has the look and feel of a small town. There are no high-rise buildings or skyscrapers, and you can easily get round town on foot or by bicycle, though many Helsinki locals and tourists prefer to explore the area on roller skates!

Helsinki is located near the Baltic Sea and so the climate is milder than the rest of Finland. The best months to visit Helsinki will depend on what you want to do when you get there. If it’s fun in the sun you want, July is the time that the local offices close and the locals retreat to their summer beach houses. The entertainment kicks up around the beaches at this time, and the markets and cafés are bustling.

If you are a lover of the arts, extend your stay into August and September. The year’s biggest event in Helsinki is the Helsinki Festival, an arts festival that begins towards the end of August and runs into September. You won’t want to miss the festival’s highlight, the Night of the Arts, where there are over a hundred free entertainment activities to enjoy.

Another fabulous arts festival in Helsinki is the ‘Art Goes Kapakka Festival’, which means art goes to bars. During this festival, local pubs are taken over by artists such as poets, dancers and musicians.

There are more than a half a dozen different types of museums and art galleries to visit while you are in Helsinki. One of the most interesting museums in Helsinki is the Museum of Photography, which houses cultural photography as well as photography of the artistic sort. Another museum you won’t want to miss is the National Museum of Finland, which is housed in a 1916 Gothic style building reminiscent of an old church. Each of the different rooms in the National Museum of Finland covers a different period in time.

The City Winter Gardens is the place to see the plant life that is native to Finland all in one place. Take a stroll through the gardens and then have coffee at the Garden café. Coffee is a favourite in Finland; you will be hard pressed to find a spot in Helsinki without a bustling café full of coffee lovers. If you are a coffee lover too, then you have come to the right place.

Near the City Winter Gardens is the Olympic Stadium, built for the 1952 Olympics, which now houses a sports museum. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, make a stop at the Olympic Stadium and climb the 72-metre tower from which you can see almost the entire city of Helsinki.

Be sure to convert plenty of your cash to Euros before your trip. In 1990, Helsinki was declared the world’s most expensive destination. Prices have come down a bit since then due to a recession, but it’s still not cheap. You do get what you pay for and Helsinki is well worth the cost.