Helsinki trip
Finland’s capital is a sea-town through and through, an exciting and dynamic place. Water seems to be at least half of the city thanks to many bays, inlets and dotted islands on the coast. The heart of the city is actually the harbour and watching the giant ferries glide in and out of port is something of an essential experience to be had while on a Helsinki trip.
Helsinki is a bit of an odd duck as far as capital cities go, being cool but without being aware of it. Even its inhabitants don’t seem to be aware of this since they tend to go out just to enjoy themselves, not to be seen. A lot of the modern décor of the place is used more in an ironic and humorous way, Helsinki achieving stylishness by trying different things rather than trying hard to be like other places.
Helsinki may not be an ancient city, however its older Art Nouveau buildings and spacious cafes are some of its main attractions. It is also the place that is carefully preserving Finnish heritage and traditions in the dozens of museums and even restaurants that haven’t changed their menus nor their furnishings from the 1930s. All of these combined offer the city a particular type of charm, a bit of a quirky different atmosphere, which is in part due to the fact that before the days of ever-present information, Helsinki was pretty much the only point of contact with the rest of the world.
Considering the country and latitude that we’re talking about, one can get variedly different experiences depending on the time of year that one visits. The winter-time will have you wondering if you’re visiting a ghost town, but the spring and summer will show you that people do live and thrive here actually, packing all the available green space and outdoor tables to enjoy as much of the sun as they can.
The capital of Finland also features everything else that you might expect form a European capital to have, shopping malls and department stores, high-end hotels and restaurants as well as a great selection of actual record stores.