Helsinki, Finland

The capital city of Finland, Helsinki is one of the biggest tourist hotspots in Europe. The city was founded in 1550 and has undergone several expansions and renovations. It experiences a long winter and short but pleasant summers. The city is very compact in its layout and is easy to explore. Helsinki is home to a large number of tourist attractions that include historical neo-classical buildings, museums and shops.

Amongst the first things I wondered about is tap water. I was wondering if tap water is drinkable. We asked the reception and they said yes. Later, I came to read that Helsinki has some of the cleanest tap water of all big cities in the world! Amazing!

Finland is one of the few countries in the world where lost wallets and mobile phones get returned to their rightful owner. People feel safe walking alone in city parks or use public transport regardless of the hour.

I also recommend Finland for solo travelers!

That said, here are things you could do when in Helsinki:

(Keeping in mind, I visited in winter time! There are some activities that are available in summer only so make sure you check before hand).

• See Sibelius monument
• Get lost in the streets.. Its amazing!
• Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral (The largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe and one of the best examples of Russian influence on Finnish culture)
• Market Square
• Old Market Hall
• See Suomenlinna Island
• You could also visit Estonia (Tallinn) via Cruise: The Tallinn Day Cruise from Helsinki we took was on Viking Line, and it costed us around 22 Euros per person
• You could do a sightseeing tour by bicycle
• Private Bike Tour in Helsinki Forest
• Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma

On another note, the amount of restaurants and cafes i’ve seen were just wow. So, make sure you try as much as you can!!! I sure did not try enough 🙂

Here are some recommendations:

• GoodLife Coffee
• Kaffa Roastery
• Johan & Nystrom Concept Store
• Maja Coffee Roastery
• Mad Possum
• Kuuma
• El Fant

Places to eat:

• Boulevard Social (opens at 11:30 am)
• Tanner (find it on instagram @ravintolatanner)
• EarlyBird (Coffee & Breakfast)
• Pizzeria Luca (pizza)
• Skiffer (Pizza & Flatbread)
• Naughty Brgrs

Here are some places that I found online, wanted to go but just didn’t have the time to: 

• Cafe Regatta (they say they have the best hot chocolate and cinnamon buns in Helsinki, its a cabin-turned-café and very instagrammable!)
• Check the views from Solo Sokos Hotel Torni
• Uspenski Cathedral (beautiful pink church)
• Allas Sea pool (Finnish sauna)

Finally, I stayed in Hotel F6, which had an excellent location, a great modern boutique design and a great service! I would also recommend you get a pre-paid sim card from the airport, the plan is unlimited for one week for around 5 Euros.