One Massive Day in Helsinki

We landed at 6am and went to our hotel, the Scandic Grand Marina. This hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the city center and has very lovely and spacious rooms. They were very accommodating and allowed us an early check in, which was very much appreciated.

After a quick freshen up, we hit the streets in search of adventure in Helsinki. Our amazing Finnair host took us straight to the Karl Fazer Café. This place was not only a sensory overload with it's cakes, pastries, biscuits, breads, chocolates and coffees, but also a place with intriguing beginnings, starting in 1891. The buffet breakfast is highly recommended and is great value for your money.

We then took a ferry over to Suomenlinna island, an 18th-century sea fortress and world heritage site. This is well worth a trip as it provides beautiful scenery and has a lot of military and maritime history. The island's museum has different exhibitions all year round, so be sure to check out the website to see what is on. And although we didn't get there, there is also a brewery on the island. Brace yourself if you go in winter, the winds have an icy chill to them!

We had a quick wonder around the shopping area (and maybe a cheeky cheeseburger), explored the Helsinki Cathedral and stumbled upon this cute little restaurant called Savotta. After checking out the menu, we decided to book a table for that night. On the way back to our hotel to get ready for dinner, we saw some locals walking in their swimmers from a sauna to a freezing cold outside pool for a quick dip...one look and we all decided we weren't keen on joining in on this Finnish past time.

Dinner at Savotta was divine and it got quite busy, so a booking is definitely recommended (try and see if you can book a table near the front windows). The restaurants tag line is 'Real Finnish food and nostalgic atmosphere' and boy do they deliver! From Finnish fish, bear stew to roast reindeer. Plus the atmosphere was warm and cozy and from the restaurant's windows you are treated to an amazing view of the Helsinki Cathedral lit up at night. I had the fish soup, which was laden with large chunks of salmon and the apple pie for dessert. Both highly recommended.

IMG20171117183651

IMG20171118011047

I'm sorry to say that due to our early start and massive day sight seeing, not to mention the cold and how early we needed to get up the next day, we didn't explore Helsinki's night life. Something for next time I suppose...

To read all about the rest of this trip, view the blog post 'An Imperial Escape - Budapest, Vienna & Prague'.

Published 16 Nov 2017