Travel to Helsinki Finland

For my next travel journal entry, I came to Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki is often regarded as the economical capital of Scandinavia. Nokia and Laponia Jewellery (this is how it’s supposed to be spelled according to my source) are among the famous worldwide businesses that based their headquarters in Finland.

Helsinki was said to be found by the Swedish King Gustav Wasa in 1550 to compete with Reval (present day Tallinn) on the other side of the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki can be found at the south coast of Finland. Helsinki was a small fishing town until it was modernized under Russian rule and turned into the administrative capital of the Autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. Carl Engel in an architect from Lublin, Germany who was asked to redesign Helsinki thus being a prime example of 19th century neoclassical architecture –among its best landmarks to boast is the Lutheran Cathedral in the middle of the city. During the civil war, Finland’s capital suffered little damage as it follows Finland’s declaration of independence in 1917; Helsinki was a favorite bomb spot of the Soviets during World War II. The city began to flourish after it was rebuilt after its destruction by fire into its present day role as the trading, industrial, and cultural center of Finland.

Every year, thousands of tourists from USA, Germany, Sweden, Japan, etc. visit to take pride in the classical beauty of Helsinki, Finland. Nightlife in Finland is like no other. Helsinki is pacing and the bars have reached world wide fame like The Ice Bar and DTM. If you are not the party junkie that I am, you can make yourself a shopaholic or a history fanatic in Finland for its city’s activities are shopping and visiting historical monuments.

Spending money in Stockmann is never a sin since its shops ventures on almost anything, from ultra-technological to anything you needed with an authentic Finnish souvenirs. However, shopping in Finland requires a fat wallet. Good department stores in Finland shouldn’t surprise you with their expensive prices since the quality of their products is made for your satisfaction. Open air markets in Finland are also a crowd drawer during summertime where copious amounts of new and old merchandise are available for selling. Market day in Finland also extends at the harbor where traders sell their wares from boats.

However, like any other countries, Finland has its own share of not-so-tourist-friendly things such as places that possess a high crime rate like the outskirts near Espoo and Vantaa compared to the surrounding central Helsinki. I took some consideration on when I visited Finland especially when I decided to travel to Helsinki.

Climate in Helsinki varies on what season one visits. During winter, the city is usually swept under snow and temperature drops as low as -25º C. During summertime on the other hand, the climate is relatively friendly to tourists like me. It is warm and you get to appreciate the azure skies of Finland. Temperature reaches only until 20º C but it can also rise up until 25º C or as low as 9º C. Best time to go to Finland is during June- August. It doesn’t really get dark in June while in mid-July to mid-August is 82.4º F or 28º C.

I’m sure you’ll definitely enjoy a trip to Finland especially with its exciting offers that will also suit your taste.