I don’t know about all the residents of Russia, but for the majority of those who live in St. Petersburg, Finland is most often associated with cheap low-cost airlines that allow you to fly to Europe inexpensively, weekend shopping tours, cottages on lake in the summer and more or less good ski slopes in the winter.
But in reality, our northern neighbor is much more multifaceted and here you can find a lot of interesting things at any time of the year. In this article we will tell you what recreation options are possible in summer and autumn and what you can do there before it gets too cold outside.
Helsinki
It’s logical to start getting to know Finland from its capital, and if you come to Helsinki for the first time, then you should devote at least one or two days to this city. You should definitely take a walk through the Esplanade Park, look at the Sea Nymph fountain, wander among the rows of the Trade Square and go out to the Cathedral on Senate Square. Climb to the observation deck to the Assumption Cathedral, look into the modern Campi Chapel of Silence and the ancient church in the rock of Temppeliaukio; take a ride on the circular tram No. 2/3 and listen to the sound of the wind in the organ pipes of the Sibelius monument.
Interesting excursions from local residents in Helsinki
Suomenlinna Fortress (Sveaborg)
After the main attractions in the city have been explored, it’s time to go explore the seaside surroundings. Literally 2 kilometers from the coast (15 minutes by ferry) there is an island with the Suomenlinna fortress (Sveaborg),
which was originally Swedish, at the beginning of the 19th century passed into the hands of the Russian Empire, and then, by inheritance, went to the Finns. You can walk around the territory of the fortress, walk along its stone walls, or look into one of the 6 museums that are located inside. If you wish, by the way, you can even spend the night there – there is one hotel-hostel on the island.
Seurasaari Island – an open-air museum
Another interesting place near Helsinki is the Seurasaari open-air museum. Despite the fact that it is located on an island, you don’t have to swim there; a pedestrian bridge leads to it. This place is popular not only among tourists, many Finns also come here; here you can take a walk, have a picnic, and sunbathe on the beach.
The Seurasaari open-air museum contains all kinds of farms, houses, barns, mills from all over Finland, so if you want to get a little closer to the history of Finland and its architecture, this is a great place for that. And yes, don’t forget to bring nuts or seeds – there are a huge number of squirrels living in the park.
Sea tour of the archipelago
Well, if you want to see several hundred small islands around Helsinki at once, go on a boat tour of the archipelago. Such a trip is also a great way to see the city from the outside, look at the embankments, palaces and parks from a new angle and, perhaps, see something new that is not easy to see from land.
Aquapark Serena – the largest water park in Scandinavia
If you come to Finland with children, one of the excellent leisure options is visiting the water park, which is located 20 kilometers from Helsinki. This is especially true in the summer, since one of the main attractions of the Serena water park is its open-air part, where you can ride open-air water slides. In addition to the slides, in the open part of the park there are swimming pools, cafes and even sun loungers – in case the weather turns out to be so sunny that you want to sunbathe while the children frolic on the rides.
Well, when it gets cool, you can move under the roof – splash in the pool with artificial waves, lie in the jacuzzi, stand under a waterfall, warm up in the Finnish sauna or Turkish steam room, and, of course, check out the remaining slides; There are even more of them inside.
Linnanmäki Amusement Park
Another option for families with children is Linnanmäki Amusement Park, which has more than 40 rides, an aquarium, slot machines, a 3D cinema, a stage where artists perform, and many cafes and restaurants.
If you like this type of entertainment, then it is better to allocate a whole day to the park – with a ticket you can go around all the attractions an unlimited number of times, so all this will take a lot of time.
By the way, you can visit the park even if your budget is very limited – more than 10 attractions here are absolutely free, including the Panoraama tower, which offers a panoramic view of Helsinki, as the name suggests.
Haltia Nature Center and Nuuksio National Park
In the national parks of Finland, the infrastructure is well developed – marked routes, information centers, prepared places for recreation, including prepared firewood for fires in the parking lots, in general, everything that is needed for lovers of active tourism.
The closest national park to Helsinki is Nuuksio, which is located just 35 kilometers from the capital. The park has several tens of kilometers of marked routes and forest trails, both for hikers and bikers.
In Nuuksio Park there is something to do besides walking in the fresh air – for example, walk through the swamps in swamp shoes and ride on the lake in kayaks or a 12-seater church boat, master ax throwing and archery, visit a deer farm and play a forest quest, fish and take a steam bath on the lake shore.
Also in Nuuksio Park there is an interesting Haltia Nature Center, with many exhibitions and displays where you can see the nature of Finland in all its glory. By the way, the building of the center is interesting in itself – it is built entirely of wood, heated in winter and cooled in summer by 75% using the energy of the sun and earth – 15 geothermal wells were drilled into the rock under the center.
Island Örö
Well, for those who want to get away from civilization, Finland also has suitable places, for example, the island of Örö, which is located 180 km from Helsinki. Örö itself is a fairly small island, reaching 3.5 kilometers at its longest; however, compared to other islands in the archipelago, it looks like a giant. For a long time this island belonged to the military (first Russian and then Finnish) and was therefore closed to visitors, but is now developing as a tourist destination. The main attraction on the island is the 305-mm cannon from the Obukhov plant, model 1907, as well as fortifications, barracks and observation platforms. Entertainment options include sauna, fishing and bike rental.
Finnish cuisine
And of course, being in Finland, you can’t help but get acquainted with Finnish cuisine. Even though it is not as popular as Italian or Japanese, there are dishes here that are definitely worth trying. Among them:
- Karelian pies are open crispy baskets with potatoes or rice, this is practically the hallmark of Finland.
- Buckwheat pancakes – Finns don’t eat buckwheat in its pure form, but they really love baked goods made from buckwheat flour.
- Salmon is very popular and comes in all forms – grilled, smoked, salted, stewed over a fire and in soup, which is simply divinely prepared here.
- All kinds of game – this is completely normal in Finland, here you can try the meat of many forest inhabitants, from rabbit and pheasant to deer, wild boar and bear.
- Lapland cheese – it is also called “bread” or “squeaky” cheese because it squeaks on the teeth, creating a “rubbery” feeling. It is served fried, with a creamy sauce with cinnamon and fresh berries or cloudberry jam.
If we talk about Helsinki, there are quite a lot of interesting places where they cook very tasty food. For example, for breakfast it makes sense to visit the cafe at the Fazer brand store or the Ekberg restaurant – locals really like to gather here on weekends. For lunch you can go to the conceptual cafe Juuri or the iconic Kappeli, and for dinner – at the floating restaurant Meripaviljonki, stylish Ravintola Nokka or at Savotta with a view of the Cathedral.
Hotel booking will take a few minutes if you do it on the OneTwoTrip website or app.
