A Postcard From Helsinki
By Rosie Buddell
A Postcard From Helsinki
by Rosie Buddell
Arriving in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, I dive straight into the city’s innovative food scene. The first stop is YesYesYes, a perfectly Instagrammable and bustling bar and restaurant in central Helsinki. The vegetarian menu changes seasonally, so whenever you come, you can count on the freshest and most delicious food sourced from local farms. Given that I visited in May, there are a lot of strawberries and asparagus on the a la carte menu.
I stayed at Hotel Marski by Scandic, and it’s both well-priced and well-located, just moments from the central train station. After a hearty breakfast of porridge and Karelian Pies, a rye pastry filled with a savoury rice pudding and topped with hard-boiled eggs mixed with butter and washed down with a glass of blueberry juice, I head out for a walking tour of Helsinki with Kristina Kajaani-Kurki, an official Helsinki tour guide.
Helsinki is one of Europe's greenest capital cities - 40% of it's land is covered in nature
Our first port of call is the Oodi Public Library, built in 2018 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence. A shimmering gold swath of a building topped with a sweep of glass, I’m struck by the volume of free-to-use equipment and resources available here.
Kristina tells us Helsinki has Northern Europe’s largest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings, and we also pass a Russian orthodox cathedral and a mid-century collection of restaurants, built for the 1952 Olympics.
Over 300 islands are in Helsinki's archipelago - you'll find lush forests, sandy beaches, and bars
From the harbour, we take a ferry to visit Suomenlinna Island, a few kilometres southeast of the city centre. Suomenlinna translates to ‘Finnish Fort’ and has a long military history. It often changed ownership between Sweden, Russia and Finland – all of which left their mark on the structures and buildings on the island. Today Suomenlinna is a perfect place to escape the bustling city for a picnic in the sun, with a cold Long Drink – a Finnish favourite of gin and flavoured soda water – and to reflect on this beautiful city full of friendly people and good food.
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This is a feature from Issue 17 of Charitable Traveller.
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