And this time it's Finland! I've been to its capital city Helsinki and small town Tampere what I'll cover later. And for this post, I thought I'd do just a small guide on what to do in Helsinki on a weekend. So let's begin :)


1 // visit Helsinki Winter Garden


To be honest, it's an amazing place, especially in winter. Just imagine a jungle island in the middle of the cold and windy city, that's how it looks. And there are also a few tables, in case you have some drinks or food and want to relax among exotic plants.
Entrance fee: free
Address: Hammarskjöldintie 1


2 // listen to some music in the Church of the Rock


Well, first of all, this church was built into a rock. I mean it. But if it's not big enough reason for you to visit it, it also has an amazing acoustic, so sometimes there are music concerts that you can attend. Just check its web page for schedule :)



Entrance fee: 3€
Address: Lutherinkatu 3

3 // lose your mind in Kiasma museum of contemporary art


I must say that I'm not a big fan of modern/contemporary art. But what else museum can you visit when you're in a city like Helsinki? And I also knew beforehand that they have those VR glasses (is that how it's called?) which was a totally new experience for me, so I just had to try that! But surprisingly there were a lot of other things to see!

For example, this exhibition by artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, that will remain till March 18, 2018. It's weird. But it's awesome. And it just blows my mind how much time and dedication the author has put in this work.


Entrance fee: adults - 14€, discounted admission - 12€, under 18yo - free
Address: Mannerheiminaukio 2

4 // and after maybe visit some other churches


like this one. But actually it's a cathedral and it's orthodox. Unfortunately, it was closed, but I can imagine how it looks inside since in Russia we have mostly orthodox churches. So if you want to visit something a little bit different and from another culture, you might want to come there - it's called Uspenski Cathedral. There's also some pretty view from there :)

Entrance fee: free
Address: Kanavakatu 1

But if this cathedral you can miss on your way, the next one is impossible to just pass by. At least because it's located on the major square and is one of the main tourist attractions in Helsinki. And it's Helsinki Cathedral.


Even though inside the cathedral you won't see anything special, it just does look beautiful. And from the top stair, you'll get a view of the entire square.

Entrance fee: free
Address: Unioninkatu 29

5 // take a boat to Suomenlinna island


Only about 15 minutes and you're on another island! Suomenlinna (or Sveaborg) used to be a sea fortress to defend Helsinki. But nowadays there live usual civil people and the island is visited by many many tourists for its historical value and cold nature views.


Boats departure from the Market Square (Kauppatori).

6 // eat like a local


Restaurants like this one are the reason why I love walking without a map and getting lost in a city. We found it accidentally, even though it's not that far from the city centre. It's called Kuukuu and it's such a cozy place! As anyone and everyone (as it seems) in Finland, the staff speaks English and they have a menu in English. But the place seems totally local, everyone there spoke Finnish or Swedish (sorry, I'm not exactly sure haha), dishes are huge and delicious and they make just amazingly tasty coffee. And prices (at least for lunch) are quite nice :)

Address: Museokatu 17 (Ravintola Kuukuu)

7 // take a walk in a park


There are lots of parks in Helsinki where you can relax and take a walk. Add to it some clean air and Finnish nature, and such walk becomes a must.


During Christmas holidays there also were that cute "meadow" full of decorated Christmas trees in the backyard of the National Museum of Finland (Mannerheimintie 34). Those trees were decorated by children from different schools, and it looked just magical!


Helsinki differs a lot from other European cities that I've been to. It doesn't have that "old town" or some breathtaking architecture to be amazed by. It's quite modern but still worth visiting. It's calm, cozy and very comfortable, and Finns are super friendly :)


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