12 essentials: what to see and do in Helsinki in 1 or 2 days

For many people the Nordic countries They arouse a very special attraction. That's been my case since I was very young.

That's when I visited for the first time Finland for a long trip to North Cape by highway.

Later, I returned to Finland a couple of times on professional trips, but until recently I had not had the opportunity to meet Helsinki.

A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to visit Helsinki, a city where I stayed for three days that, contrary to what may be usual, were completely sunny.

And more recently I have returned to Helsinki as a stage in trip to Finnish Lapland.

On both occasions I have enjoyed splendid days, as you can see in the photos, which enhanced the attractiveness of the city.

Specifically in summer, its streets and terraces were always very crowded, undoubtedly in search of enjoying the sun and light, which in Finland has a value equivalent to gold.

Thus Helsinki It appeared to us as a bright city, very pleasant to walk around and discover its most outstanding monuments and its neighborhoods where its numerous modernist buildings and its designer brand stores.

How to fly to Helsinki from Spain

For travel to Helsinki, every day you have direct flights from Spain for the flag company finnish, Finnair.

It should be noted that this company offers an on-board service almost from times gone by, which is appreciated on a flight of just over four hours from Madrid.

Also several days of the week you can fly from Barcelona with the low cost norwegian with the notable advantage of having Wireless free on the plane.

You also have the option of signing up for one of the Baltic cruises who from May to September visit Helsinki as one of their main destinations.

How to get from the airport to the center of Helsinki

Once you have landed, go from the airport to Helsinki you have the bus line Finnair (6,30 euros per ticket) that will take you to the city center in half an hour, specifically, to the train station.

One of the first things that will surprise you in Helsinki is to know that in Finland They have Swedish as a second language.

This is reminiscent of the many centuries in which that country was under the rule of Sweden before it came under Russian domination in 1809.

It was in 1918, after the Russian Revolution, when Finland finally achieved its independence.

Now, I will tell you that currently young Finns do not understand that they have to learn Swedish as an obligation in schools, as they prefer English as a second language.

However, don't be surprised to see indications everywhere, always in two languages, with information in Finnish and Swedish.

The best things to see and do when visiting Helsinki

as first Tip for your trip to Helsinki, I will tell you that it is a very easy city to visit.

The most interesting monuments, The most attractive neighborhoods and the busiest streets are concentrated around the main port located in the marketplace.

Therefore, it is a city that you can largely get to know on foot, except when you are going to visit the monument to Sibelius or house museum Seurasaari, north of the city, in the area of Meilahti.

When you arrive in this area of ​​the city, you will discover that just 15 minutes by bus you can see a typical Finnish countryside landscape of forest and lake.

Yes, I will tell you that Helsinki is a city of trams, which from my point of view makes it more attractive.

The long, brightly colored trams that run through the city center allow you to get from one place to another very quickly.

Therefore, if you Helsinki visit It's going to be a stopover Baltic Sea cruise, you must be calm because you will be able to see the most interesting things in the city in a single day.

Market Square in Helsinki

La marketplace It is a large space that opens in front of the Helsinki port, on whose front is located the Town hall, and it is one of the nerve centers of the Helsinki historic center.

The marketplace the small boats that make panoramic cruises through the islands of the archipelago Helsinki.

And it is also very close to the dock where the large cruise ships arrive or the large line ships that take you from the Finnish capital to Stockholm, in Sweden, to Tallinn, in Estonia, or San Petersburgo in Russia.

Front of marketplace is the imposing Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral, and from the square extends the small Tori neighborhood that unites it with the nearby Senate Square.

Esplanadi Avenue in Helsinki

The marketplace The main avenue of Helsinki also starts, Esplanades, which with its central garden area is perhaps the busiest and most cosmopolitan street in the city.

It is where the best hotels and restaurants, the most attractive terraces and the most expensive brand stores are concentrated.

But, above all, the marketplace It is, at least when the weather allows it, a meeting place to explore a market with a great diversity of products, from food, to artisanal or (without a doubt, aimed at cruise passengers) remembrances.

In my recent trip to helsinki I was able to see the great atmosphere that exists in said market, where there is no shortage of beach bars where you can eat and have a beer sitting on their terraces.

Helsinki City Hall

Another visit that you can make in the aforementioned square is the Helsinki City Hall, which is open to visitors, and where you can find Temporary exhibitions or sit down to do a query on a computer.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki

Along with the aforementioned marketplace you have the Uspenski Cathedral, of Orthodox rite, with its striking red brick facades and its golden domes.

Designed by a Russian architect, it was completed in 1868.

With a façade of characteristic Russian architecture, inside it shows a single nave with the characteristic Byzantine style and decoration.

Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral

From there through the streets of the so-called Tori neighborhood (Tori Quarter) you arrive at the large esplanade of the Senate Square.

You will be in the monumental center of the city, with the imposing and very white Helsinki Cathedral and the building of the Senate.

Of Lutheran rite, the building is neoclassical in style with a very bright white color, which was built between 1830 and 1952.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence in Helsinki

But the design, which will be the protagonist in your Helsinki visit, will be present in two other temples that, if you can, you should see in the Finnish capital.

On the one hand, the best known as the Chapel of Silence Kamppi, curious wooden construction that you find in one of the most central shopping plazas in the city.

Temppliaukio Stone Church in Helsinki

And on the other hand, the not very distant stone church Temppliaukio, One corners of Helsinki most visited by tourists.

Helsinki Design District

Following the aforementioned Esplanadi avenue you reach the so-called Design District, where many stores are concentrated where design is the protagonist, especially prestigious Finnish brands of clothing, furniture, glass or porcelain.

Tori hotel terrace in Helsinki

And very close you can go up to the terrace of Hotel Tori, a glass-enclosed cafeteria from where you have the best panoramic views of Helsinki.

Take note that this is one of the essential visits on your trip to Helsinki, and you will find this hotel in the historic center itself, next to the Kampi Square.

Boat cruise around Helsinki

In a city open to the sea, as it is Helsinki, during your visit you should not miss getting on a boat to take a scenic cruise which in an hour and a half gives you a different vision of the city.

During the cruise you will be able to see the small islands that surround it, as well as several of the ten leisure ports it has, with more than 10.000 berths.

If you do this cruise on a day as splendid as the one I enjoyed, it is hard to believe that in winter the sea is covered by ice, except for the sections opened by the icebreakers to allow the navigation of the liner ships connecting Helsinki with Stockholm y Tallinn.

Excursion to Suomenlinna fortification

If you have enough time on your visit and enjoy a good day, it is worth doing the Boat excursion to the Suomenlinna fortification.

It was built in 1748 and declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco as an example of European military architecture in its time.

This very pleasant walk through green fortified landscapes, between large canyons, and with several museums, like what the old one has become finnish submarine Vesikko, it can take you between two and three hours.

Tu Helsinki visit It will be incomplete if you don't go to one of its covered markets.

Helsinki Old Market

In the same port you have the Old Market, the main of these buildings, but you also have others of this type of market in a style very similar to the Ostermalms Saluhall in Stockholm in which very striking shops are combined with bars and tapas areas.

And next to them, some very busy street markets.

The prices in Helsinki They are expensive compared to Spain, although it has the advantage over other Nordic cities, such as the aforementioned Stockholm or Oslo, that you will pay in euros.

How much does it cost to eat in Helsinki

So, I will tell you that the price of a tram trip It is 2,20 euros, a coffee, 2 to 3 euros and a pint of beer, between 5 and 7 euros.

Eat in an establishment fast food (Chinese, pizza...) will cost you between 9 and 12 euros, plus the drink (if you are tight on budget, you will have in favor of the fact that it is a country where they give you free tap water).

If your budget is more generous, go for the main course of one of the numerous finnish restaurants, but also Italian or Oriental, you will have to pay between 18 and 28 euros, so a dinner will not go below 40 euros per person.

Of course, to eat (between 12 and 14 p.m.) the bars and many restaurants offer you a Lunch menu whose price is 10 to 12 euros, plus the drink. Enough to eat.

You only have left enjoy the visit of Helsinki.