AN UNREMARKABLE CITY WITH EXTRAORDINARY NATURAL BEAUTY

Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland - and the northern-most metro area with over a million residents. While it can have cold winters, in the summer, it’s warm, sunny, and backdropped with pristine blue Nordic skylines.

In full honesty, I found the urban center itself uninspiring - and found myself thinking it was a place I wouldn’t come back to. The architecture often feels Soviet - block buildings, wide grids, a bit drab in aesthetic - which is why it was often used as a setting to film movies about Russia when Russia itself couldn’t be used. Then, I stepped outside of the urban core and found out the city was nestled in truly remarkable, pristine natural beauty - lakes, seas, islands.

I think to fall in love with Helsinki, you have to treat it like a national park. Explore the natural beauty - and then retreat into the city for good meals and nights out. I suspect that nature-city balance is probably a major reason why Helsinki is persistently deemed one of the most liveable cities in the world.

Take a Ferry to Suomenlinna Island

If you only have time to do one major thing in Helsinki, take the ferry to Suomenlinna Island from Market Square. The island is home to a Swedish military fortress built in the 18th century to fend off Russian expansion and it connects 6 islands together. Both the ferry ride there and the island itself have incredible natural views; once you’re on the island, there are hidden beaches everywhere, a small local economy, and a preserved military fortress built seamlessly into a stunning landscape. It makes for a truly exceptional day trip.

RELAX ALONG THE BEACH OR A LAKE

The urban core of Helsinki is surrounded on all sides by natural beauty.

• Head west and you can spend a day at a true sand beach (Hietaranta Beach), which interestingly has a beautiful cemetery between it and the city; the cemetery backdropped against the sea make for some of the more unique views in the city.

• Head north and you get to two lakes, each of which end up feeling like remote lake towns with few and far between houses. Here, you can kayak, paddle board, swim, or just look out onto the views.

• Head east, and you’ll get to Market Square, which has the ferries that lead out to Helsinki’s many islands.

• Head south, and you’ll get rocky sea views along Kaivopuisto Park. While it’s not a sandy beach, you can swim here.

I think the best part of Helsinki is jumping to one of these four and then retreating back into the city for food and drinks.

EXPLORE DOWNTOWN

Of course, you should explore Helsinki’s urban core. I think the best section of the city is centered around the Esplanadi. Head North of there and you can visit Helsinki Cathedral and Hakaniemi Market (the better of the two food markets, in my mind). Head south, you can see the commercial district Punavuori or eat at the food market Vanha Kauppahalli at Market Square. While the city has everything that you’d expect from the metro area and is very walkable, I wouldn’t expect to be blown away by its sights or architecture.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

If you still have some more time in Helsinki, here are some other common to-dos:

• Relax in a Sauna: All of Scandinavia is known for its sauna culture - and there are tons of public saunas around. Especially if you’re in Helsinki in the colder months, let yourself warm up like a local.

• Visit the Cathedrals: Helsinki has two standout cathedrals: Uspenski Cathedral and Helsinki Cathedral. To be honest, I found both of them unremarkable in a global sense, but both do stand out within Helsinki and make for beautiful views from a distance.

• Head to a Museum: Helsinki has a ton of museums you can head to, including an open air museum at Seurasaari Island, the National Museum of Finland, the Post Museum, the Bank of Finland Museum, the Helsinki City Museum, and the Design Museum. There are also several art museums.

• Eat Black Licorice: The amount of black licorice available in grocery stores is so abundant that it almost seems like satire - like a parody of Finnish love for black licorice you might see on SNL. If you’re feeling brave, try salty black licorice - which is popular locally. I managed to finish one piece - and I found it truly disgusting.

Overall, though, I stand behind my advice of treating Helsinki more like a national park near a city than as a city; if you pack your days with the urban sights, I think you may set yourself up for disappointment.