This trip to Helsinki completely changed my attitude to the city! It opened up to me from a completely different perspective. The weather was overcast, of course, but it was very sunny for almost two whole days! We found a wonderful district reminiscent of London, stumbled upon a delicious bakery that turned out to be the oldest in the city. All in all, if you don’t like Helsinki as much as you think you do, I suggest you check out the post and want to come back to this city at least one more time!
The city’s waterfront is a must-see destination. Snow-white yachts and stately homes on both sides of the bay. The best place for evening strolls!
And this famous cafe – Kappeli, we did not like it as soon as we entered it. The disgusting smell of the dining room, the dirt, the smell of tobacco. We didn’t give it a chance, just couldn’t because of the odors. And the place is very beautiful!
Strolling through the city’s stores is one of the highlights of a trip to Helsinki. There are an incredible number of stores where you can buy Scandinavian-style interior items. One of the most famous Finnish stores and concerns is Marimekko!
And here’s another list of Finnish stores and brands to look out for!
- Iittala – designer glass interior items (vases, jugs, glasses, etc.)
- Arabia – lovely Finnish tableware brand (especially children’s tableware with pictures of Mummy trolls), part of the Iittala group.
- Finlayson – stylish bright prints of cushions, towels and other home accessories, very untypical for Scandinavian design!
- Lumi – leather bags of strict and discreet styles! If you don’t like stylish trendy accessories, you will like this brand!
- Kauniste – bright stylish clothes and accessories made of ecological materials!
Also, I advise you to look at the COS store! It is an analog of H&M clothes (actually it is their department), only from natural fabrics and with chic not teenager models! Prices here are of course higher, but things are really not bad! In Galleria Esplanad, COS occupies 3 floors!
And what a promenade the city has. In sunny weather it is especially cozy here!
Well, not to take a couple of photos near St. Nicholas Cathedral is just sacrilege!
Esplanade Park and the incredibly beautiful houses along the street !
And this is the library. It is located in Kaisa’s house. It is the main library of the University of Helsinki and is considered to be the largest scientific library in Finland. Selina Anttinen and Vesa Oiva were responsible for the layout of the building. Anyone can get in here!
Well we finally made it to the most beautiful district in the city! It runs along the bay of Merikatu Street and the waterfront.
Its district is partly reminiscent of “Riga’s Jugendstil”, partly London’s Chelsea! Red brick houses, colorful yellow and pink. There are so many variations! With bay windows, without bay windows, with carved facades and dormer windows. Incredibly beautiful and bright neighborhood! I don’t know how it looks in cloudy weather, but in sunny weather it’s magical! The most beautiful streets in the district are Huvilakatu and Pietarinkatu! Would you live in one of these houses? I definitely would!
And this is Ekberg Bakery. Here they make the best pastries in town and a legendary brunch. Ekberg is divided into 2 parts, the bakery and the cafe. I suggest you check out both parts! Address: Bulevardi, 9. Finns love buffets (buffet style), so breakfast is often served that way. At Ekberg, you pay about 11 to 18 euros (cheaper on weekdays, more expensive on weekends) and eat and drink as much as you want. A great format for Helsinki!
I really hope you enjoyed my findings. And maybe you’ll want to come here or come back if you’ve been but haven’t seen everything!
