Archives for “island” tag

When it is getting colder outside, it is lovely to take a ferry to a windy island and drink some hot mulled wine in the cosy restaurant on it.

Uunisaari has the cutest little beach in the city. It takes only two minutes by a little ferry to get to the rocky island where you will find a restaurant, café, beach and adorable old-fashioned changing rooms.

The island itself is also small. It is right in front of the city but when you are on it, you will feel like you are miles away from the city dust! It is accessible around the year: in winter there is a bridge from the mainland. You can also walk on ice to get there!

Uunisaari has been a recreational place for the city-goers for centuries. There used to be a “sea spa” hundred years ago. The beautiful main building, made of bricks, on the island used to be a pain-factory, but it has been a restaurant for more than twenty years by now. There is a children’s playground and a few saunas. No wonder it is a popular place to arrange weddings and different kind of parties.

One of the best outdoor-things to do in Helsinki is to go to one or many of the islands in front of the city. Seurasaari is an open air museum: there are 78 old wooden buildings from all over Finland. The cottages, farmsteads and manors are from the past four centuries. You can get a guided tour if you want to or just walk slowly on your own through the green area. The houses are open only in summertime, but the island is worth of exploring in winter as well.

There are also beaches and one of them is for the nudists. You can swim there in wintertime as well (Mind you the water is freezing and you have to jump into the hole on ice! There is no sauna or shower before or after the swim!) If you are hungry or thirsty there is a restaurant, café and kiosk. Oh and don’t forget the teeny tiny ones: Bring some nuts to feed the tame squirrels!!

How to get there? Seurasaari is only 5 km from the city central. You can take a bus from Lasipalatsi or a boat from the Market Square.