Discovering Helsinki

Photo from Flickr by Peter Gutierrez

Helsinki lies on the southern coast of Finland and is its largest city and capital. In recent years, Helsinki has experienced a resurgence of tourism. Rightly so, as Helsinki has so much to offer visitors.

Many people may initially be put off a visit to Helsinki as they conjure visions of the Scandinavian winter. Long nights with overcast days and bitter cold are the common perception of Finland. Helsinki does experience the extreme daylight fluctuations of the far north but is much warmer than much of the country, owing to the coastal influence of the Baltic Sea.

The latitude makes for extremely long summer days (about 19 hours at the summer solstice) and cool, pleasant temperatures in the summer. Winters are certainly chilly but this is a great time for skiing and seeing the aurora borealis, a common sight in Finland.

With one of the best rated public transit systems in Europe and easy access on foot, getting around in Helsinki is a breeze. This will help as you check out the must see attractions like the Sibelius Monument, Temppeliaukio Kirkko (the Rock Church), and the Suommelina Fortress. The world renowned architecture of many historic buildings also fascinate visitors.

Of course, Helsinki could be just the beginning of adventures in Finland and neighboring countries. The natural wonders of Finland include the vast Lappland and territory within the Arctic Circle. Helsinki isn’t far from Russia, Estonia, or any Scandinavian country. With such close proximity to other destinations and the ease of travel to and from Finland, it only makes sense to check it other locations.

Helsinki rates as one of the more expensive cities in the world to travel to. The cost of living in Scandinavia is high. Combined with the increasing cost of air travel, a trip to Helsinki could set you back more than a few dollars. You might want to set aside some money before planning a trip.

You might also consider winning a lottery, such as Euromillions. While it might be a long shot, winning the lottery could be the starting point for travels to Finland and beyond. Try Euromillions.com for an easy way to play. International travel isn’t always cheap but this shouldn’t limit anyone trying to make a trip to Helsinki. Many websites offer amazing travel deals to Finland so that you won’t have to win the lottery to make your trip an adventure that you’ll never forget.

Aaron Bradford has written 106 articles. Aaron is the leader, mentor and chief geek of the Happytime team. He put together this crack team of travel writers known by codename “The Firm“. Twitter: @b4ubackpack | Google profile | More articles by Aaron