Archives for “Relaxing” tag

As you might know, I love Töölönlahti, the part of the Baltic sea that stretches out to the city and is surrounded by the wonderful Hesperian puisto. The café on its East side, Sinisen Huvilan kahvila is a very popular spot, especially for the stunning view. Across the “lake” there is another little café that I’ve fallen in love with, “Tyyni” (calm). It is located right by the water, with a beautiful terrace and a small pier.

For those glorious Helsinki summer days it has been by go-to-spot for (an excellent!) afternoon coffee and some time in the sun with my book – preferably on the pier on a sunbed. When laying there it is unbelievable you’re basically right in the city centre, as you can see for example the railwaystation in near distance!

One of my favourite places in Helsinki Hesperianpuisto, for some reason. It’s not a particularly large park, but what I like is the “lake” which is actually a part of the baltic sea. Töölönlahti and the park are only about a 10 minute walk away from the main station, or easily accessible by trams. There is a 2.2 km walking path around the lake which I highly recommend you take! From the western side you have a beautiful view over the lake and some old wooden villas that overlook the lake, and you can also see the white cathedral from here (for me personally still the most beautiful and majestic building in the city).

The actual spot I wanted to get to, is a small outdoor café on the other side of the bay, the eastern side, which overlooks the Opera and the Finlandia Hall. It takes you about 20 minutes to walk there around the lake from the tramstop, and if you follow the footpath you can also not miss it. It’s only open during the warmer months. You can take a break from your walk, get a nice cup of coffee and enjoy the great view on the lake.

Finland is famous for its stunningly beautiful nature, and even when you’re right in the country capital, you have the most wonderful sites right around the corner. Recently I went kayaking for the first time, we went to Natura Viva kayaking centre in Vuosaari. Now that summer is coming, why not paddle around the beautiful coastline?

You can rent all the necessary equipment there (prices are very reasonable!) and get started! If you’re as lucky with the weather as we were, it will be an unforgettable experience. Sun, blue sky, the sea and great views on the islands and mainland shorelines around. It was one of the most relaxing trips in a while and it didn’t feel like actually doing sports!

How to get there: take the metro from the main station to Rastila and continue with Bus 96 or walk there. You can find a detailed description of the location (Ramsinniementie 14, 00980 Helsinki) on their website! In total it takes about 45minutes to get there.

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.

The 150 animal species and almost 1000 plant species are good reasons to visit Korkeasaari Zoo, which is the only zoo in Helsinki. The zoo is on a lovely green island in front of Helsinki and you can take a boat or drive over the bridge to get there.

It is open all year round and especially the big cats are more active in winter time. The bears are sleeping through the whole winter (lucky them!). They will open their eyes and get active during the early spring. Remember to check out the old teeny tiny bear cage where they used to keep the bears in the old times!

In the summer you can take your picnic gear with you and spend the whole day on the island!

There is always something going on and you should check what’s up before you go. The ferries leave from the Market Square and Hakaniemi. Single tickets by sea include admission fee to the zoo and return ticket to the ferry.

More great photos of the animals at Korkeasaari Zoo here.