Fabulous winter in Helsinki. What to see in Helsinki in winter and summer Is it worth going to Helsinki in winter
Only a particularly persistent traveler would want to go to Helsinki in winter. That's how I turned out. Probably because I went there without a particular purpose and didn’t expect anything special, so I decided that any time of year would be suitable for a one-day walk. Well, in December I took some interesting photos for myself, and at the same time I got wet and cold, but first things first.
A day earlier there was heavy snowfall in St. Petersburg. The roads were covered with snow, almost no one cleaned them, the maximum speed in the city did not exceed 30-40 km/h. At 9 pm the minibus to Helsinki started from Ligovsky Prospekt. To be honest, I underestimated the speed of the minibuses, because for some reason I was sure that we would only get to Helsinki in the morning, something had really bothered me about this. In Helsinki, despite the snowfall, we arrived at 3 am. You could stay and sleep on the seat, which I and a few other guys did.
At 3 am there was not a single sober person on the streets. Drunk Finns wandered home, some barely dragging their feet. Many walked in twos or threes, hugging each other, and still had difficulty standing on their feet. If anyone watched Jarmusch's Night on Earth, they probably remember how three drunken Finns slept on the street standing, each leaning on his neighbor - this is purely about Helsinki. One company tried to board our minibus: they pulled the door and trunk handles. The driver took our minibus away.
I got off the minibus at exactly 9 am local. The cold and humidity immediately made themselves felt. I passed the Mannerheim Line (just kidding, that’s just what the street is called, Mannerheim Street). At 9 am on Sunday there is not a single working cafe in Helsinki, the streets are not cleared of snow, the city is sleeping...
Christmas is coming soon.
I decided to go to the shore of the Gulf of Finland, since it was difficult to think of anything else to do in these early morning hours. As it turned out, I was not alone there. Below are a few photos.
Generally speaking, one of the events I would like to attend in Helsinki is the Christmas market. However, December 5 was too early for Helsinki to organize something like this. So far there were only half-built wooden stalls.
What turned out to be interesting is that for some reason, next to each street name sign there are also signs with animals. In my opinion, the distribution is somehow based on regions. Maybe someone in the know can tell me, I didn’t go into details. If I’m right about the areas, then it’s cool that you say the address: “I live in the unicorn area, green street, building 5.”
In my opinion, the only attraction in the center of Helsinki for tourists is the square where the monument to Alexander II and the cathedral stand. White cathedral in white snow against a white sky.
It's below zero outside.
Since there was absolutely nothing to catch in Helsinki itself, I decided to go to the island with the Sveaborg fortress (I’m afraid I won’t reproduce the Finnish name correctly). A small ship, like an icebreaker, makes its way through the waters. In the background is a cold northern sunset.
Most establishments here are closed during the off-season. And who will come here then...
Valhalla is the abode of the gods in Viking mythology.
After dinner I went to the station to catch the Leo Tolstoy train to Moscow. You could read about the ticket for this train and a little more from me earlier. Despite the fact that documents on this train are also checked during movement, the schedule has not yet been adjusted and the long stops in Vyborg and the border station on the Finnish side have not been removed. And so, soon, probably, it will be possible to safely reduce travel time by an hour. By the way, I haven’t been subjected to such biased inspection by border guards and customs officers for a long time. A Finnish guy, who stumbled into our compartment with a loud exclamation of “Preved!”, looked through my passport, decided that I was a very suspicious type and rummaged through my backpack for 5-7 minutes and was clearly unhappy that he did not find anything. At this time, his partner was once again leafing through my passport and curiously studying the stamps of Nepal, Iran and some other countries, which he might be seeing for the first time.
P.S. There is a skating rink near the station... It seems that this is all about Helsinki.
Winter Helsinki is beautiful and romantic: snow-covered parks and rooftops, Christmas lights, clean and uncrowded streets, bright shop windows of Aleksanterinkatu. If you decide to visit the capital of Finland in winter, you will not regret it at all; positive impressions and an interesting pastime are guaranteed. So, what does Helsinki have in store for its guests in winter? In this review, we will not dwell on the description of museums, theaters and various traditional attractions, but will devote all our attention exclusively to those features that are typical specifically for the winter season.
Winter Helsinki
Photos of winter Helsinki
Christmas shopping
The St. Thomas Fair on Senate Square will run from December 2 to 22. Here you can buy New Year's decorations, Christmas symbols, souvenirs, as well as handicrafts made of wood, birch bark, leather, ceramics, knitted items and homemade delicacies (like cloudberry jam, honey from the apiary and colorful gingerbread cookies).
The longest Amanda (Manta) fair will be held until January 9. Getting here is very easy, it is located between Kauppatori Market Square and Esplanadi Boulevard, around the Havis Amanda fountain. Here customers can expect different types of cheese, jams, roasted almonds, handmade candles and soaps, knitted items, toys and much more. You can also try traditional holiday dishes here, such as Christmas porridge and hot mulled wine.
And shopping lovers should not forget that from December 27, the sales season begins in department stores and shops in Finland.
Interesting family activities
From January 6 to 10, 2018, you will be able to witness a vibrant show called Lux Helsinki. Light installations will transform the city center. The performance can be watched daily from 16.00 to 22.00. You can find out more about the festival route.
On December 10 at 12.00 festivities will begin at the open museum on the island of Seurasaari. Prepare a homemade toy in advance that you can hang on one of the New Year trees. Event organizers also recommend bringing a flashlight to help you navigate in the dark, and a plate and spoon in case you want to try some real Christmas porridge.
From December 2 to January 7, the island of Suomenlinna invites children and their parents to go on adventures along the gnome trail. Details can be found.
What to try in winter in Helsinki?
In winter, it is especially interesting to get acquainted with Finnish culinary traditions. At this time you can try venison, burbot, pike perch, and lamb neck.
Among the traditional Christmas dishes, we note pork ham, various fish dishes, potato casserole, sweet rice porridge, ginger pastries and, of course, mulled wine, which in Finnish is called glögi.
And in January the pancake weeks begin. Although this dish came to Suomi from Russia, here it was transformed and absorbed local flavor. Finnish pancakes are more like pancakes, they are 2 centimeters thick, loose inside, and covered with a golden crispy crust on top. The most popular fillings for pancakes among Finns are vendace caviar, pickled cucumbers, shrimp skagen, salmon tartare, forest mushroom salad, beetroot and apple salad, honey and sour cream.
Material on the topic
Snow and ice
It is impossible to imagine a northern winter without sparkling snow and ice, without people skiing, snowboarding, skating and sledding. And in Helsinki, if you wish, you can easily find places where you can rent the necessary equipment and ride for your pleasure.
Ice skating
From the end of November to the end of March, Icepark, the city's ice skating rink, will operate directly opposite Helsinki Central Station. From Monday to Friday it is open from 12 to 21, on Saturday from 10 to 21, on Sunday from 10 to 19. The entrance ticket is valid all day and costs 6 euros for an adult and 4 euros for those under 18 years old , as well as for students. Skate rental costs 5 euros. Children under 12 years of age must wear a safety helmet, which is provided free of charge. It is possible to take several lessons from an instructor (one personal lesson – 15 € for 30 minutes). On the website you will find detailed information about entertainment programs: skating to live music, performances, etc. There is a cafe next to the skating rink.
A couple more addresses in Helsinki where you can go ice skating:
- Brahen Stadium (Brahen kenttä), Helsinginkatu 23, there is also a skate rental here, you can warm up with hot drinks and skate to the music. You can get there by public transport: tram 1, 1A, 3T, 3B, 8 or bus 17, 22, 23, 50 and 51.
- The skating rink in Käpylä, which is located at Makelankatu 70. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. from 8 am to 3 pm and from 4 pm to 10 pm.
On a snowboard
On skis
Next to the Serena water park is the Serena Ski ski center, where visitors will find 5 slopes, a snowboard slope, equipment rental and a cafe.
There are several ski centers in the suburbs of Helsinki. Here are their addresses:
- Alhovuori ski center is located on the Alhonkulma highway (Alhonkulma 45, 03810 Nummi-Pusula, Finland): 11 slopes, a park for snowboarders, a children's area, a cafe, a rental point;
- Solvalla-Swinghill center (Nuuksiontie 71, 02820 Espoo, Finland): 3 slopes, ski lifts, rental office, cafe;
- Peuramaa center (Peuramaantie 114, 02480 Kirkkonummi, Finland): 7 slopes, rental point, restaurant, snowboard park.
For lovers of skiing, a network of ski trails has been laid through Helsinki and its surroundings, its total length is about 180 km. You can ride, for example, in the Central Park (Keskuspuisto) or at the base in Paloheinä (Pakilantie 124), where you can get there by buses No. 66 and 66A, get off at the final stop.
Are you planning to visit Helsinki in winter? Are you interested in unusual sights, events and local cuisine? Read on for some tips to help you get the most out of your upcoming vacation.
The Christmas season begins in Helsinki on November 23 when the festive lights are switched on on Aleksanterinkatu Street. On the eve of the holidays, Christmas markets begin to operate throughout the city, attracting thousands of buyers.
Another way to immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit is by attending one of the many concerts of sacred or classical music. The end of the Christmas holidays comes on New Year's Eve, when mass celebrations begin on Senate Square.
Helsinki is ideal for activities such as ice skating and cross-country skiing. One of the largest skating rinks in the city, called “Icepark”, is located on the station square. After having a lot of fun here, you can take a sled and go to Sinebrychova Park or Kaivopuisto Park, where there are a large number of excellent slides. All the best outdoor activities in Helsinki are accessible by trams, so you won't have any problems with transport.
After a day spent outdoors, there is nothing better than rejuvenating and relaxing in an authentic Finnish sauna.
Be sure to try glögi (mulled wine) at local Christmas markets, and when you go to a café to warm up, be sure to order a mug of hot cocoa. The traditional Christmas table in Finland includes rossol (a type of vinaigrette), ham and vegetable casserole. All these dishes are offered to try in city restaurants and at fairs.
In January, the season of pancakes begins, which for the last 10 years have been an integral attribute of winter celebrations in Finland and are served in all cafes and restaurants in the country.
For 7 years now, in the darkest months of the year, the Lux Helsinki light festival has been held in Helsinki, during which the city is illuminated not just with garlands, but with unique light installations by Finnish and foreign artists. The installations, located on Senate Square and in Kansalaistori Park, will delight the eye from January 4 to January 8, 2015 from 5 to 10 pm. Some installations will be installed in the National Museum of Finland, as well as in Villa Hakasalmi. Lux Helsinki is perfect for a family holiday and is completely free.
“The weather outside is frightful...” - the words of the famous Christmas song ring in your head all day long, the first snowball is swirling outside, and you can’t wait to get out the tinsel and decorate everything around. Clearly, it's winter! Winter comes slowly to Helsinki, the city is in no hurry to cover itself with a blanket of snow, but everything around says that Christmas is coming.
About a week before the first day of winter, all central streets, shopping center buildings and windows of ordinary houses begin to be decorated with all kinds of glowing garlands, huge natural fir trees line up at Stockmann's, Christmas melodies sound from everywhere, and stores are filled with Christmas paraphernalia.
The main attraction and a favorite attraction for children is the Stockmann Christmas display. Two or three huge windows, behind which the real action takes place with toy animals in the lead roles, every year amaze children's imagination with new inventions of their creators. Children stick to the bottom edge of the display cases to get a better look and have time to press different buttons that activate the next action behind the glass of the display case. Viewing is open from 22.11. to 27.12.
Photo: https://stockmann.wikispaces.com/Saatavuus
Opposite Stockmann, the Three Blacksmiths Square is enveloped in the smell of roasted almonds in sugar, mulled wine and ginger biscuits from year to year. A great place to warm up with a glass of hot mulled wine (non-alcoholic version is also available) after window shopping.
The festive bazaar is located on Senate Square further down Aleksanterinkatu Street. It’s so nice to walk between wooden houses with all sorts of goods that accompany the spirit of Christmas: warm knitted socks and other items of clothing, traditional Christmas delicacies (such as kalakukko - a special holiday pie made from rye dough with fish), crafts made of wood and metal, toys and much more. other. Here you can take a photo with Jolupukki (that’s the Finnish name for Santa Claus), taste Christmas rice porridge with cinnamon, drink another glass of glögi (mulled wine), ride a free carousel, run around the huge Christmas tree in the very center of the square and even go to the sauna. The Christmas market is open from 2.12. to 22.12.
Photo: http://www.stadissa.fi/tapahtumat/33473/tuomaan-markkinat
The main store with souvenirs and a whole department dedicated to Christmas is Kankurin Tupa on Pohjoisesplanadi 35. Here you can find all kinds of decorations for Christmas and New Year, as well as everything related to Mumiy Trolls.
Every year a wonderful ice skating rink is built in the center of Helsinki. It is located right on the station square. Here you can rent skates or bring your own. The condition of the ice is carefully monitored and cleaned regularly. Music is playing, and the skating rink itself is decorated with glowing garlands. This is great entertainment for families with children and couples in love. During a break, you can go and warm yourself up with a cup of hot cocoa in the cafe, which is located right there. Opening 04.12.
Photo: http://www.jaapuisto.fi/info/media.html
Winter family activities include several forest walks in different parts of the city. If you want to get involved in the local culture and also breathe in the fresh forest air, then be sure to go on one of these walks. For example, on the island of Seurasaari, where in addition there is also an open-air museum. During this walk, children will be able to look into a fairy tale and learn how Christmas used to be celebrated. The island can be reached by direct bus from the center. Bus number 24 departs from the Lasipalatsi stop (next to the Sokos shopping center), and you need to go to the final stop. The walk will take place this year on December 10th. from 12 to 17 o'clock. This event is free.
Photo: http://www.stadissa.fi/tapahtumat/33277/seurasaaren-joulupolku
Suomenlinna Fortress hosts its own events. It will be interesting for children to follow the gnome’s path using a special map. The map is obtained from the Suomenlinna information center. Children will be given prizes for completing the trail between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.! You can take part in this specially organized event from 12/2/17 to 01/07/18.
On December 13, according to tradition, Lucia is crowned, who becomes a young girl with blond hair. She personifies Saint Lucy, who brings light and joy to everyone who needs it. Lucia's coronation will take place at the Cathedral at 17:00 and will continue with a procession through the center of Helsinki at 18:00. In addition to everyone else, the procession will include Christmas gnomes and horse riders.
One of the most interesting new products is the Moomin cafe chain. All cafes are based on stories about the Moomins, beloved by the Finns, and have a good play area for kids. Parents can expect coffee and desserts, and children can enjoy toys and books (about Moomins, of course!), as well as illustrations on the walls and dishes. The cafes are actually very nice, calm, small, and therefore uncrowded.\
When you need a real snack, the buffet comes to the rescue. With children this is the best solution, because... you can be sure that there is something for everyone. In the very center of Helsinki, on an inconspicuous small street next to the university, there is the Kaverna cafe. On Mondays and Tuesdays the price is lower than on other days.
In Helsinki, any restaurant will be well prepared to serve guests with children. Strollers are welcome, there are also high chairs for feeding, toilets are equipped with changing tables, and a separate children's menu is possible. You can safely ask for a half-eaten adult portion to take with you. Also, many restaurants (except for holidays) offer lunch according to the standard scheme: salad, soup, main course (usually there is always a vegetarian option too) and coffee/tea. You can apply everything yourself and don’t be shy about coming for more. All this is within 10 euros, but only during lunch. For children under a certain age, they may not charge an additional fee, or they may charge 1-1.5 euros for each year of the child’s age. So, if you see the word lounas, feel free to come in and find out what's on the menu today.
Weekend brunch has also become the favorite time to go to a restaurant with the whole family for many Helsinki residents over the past couple of years. Many restaurants offer it. It costs more than a regular lunch, but the choice of dishes is very large. Several appetizers, hot dishes, several desserts, drinks. The main feature of brunch, by definition, is breakfast combined with lunch. Those. there will be typical breakfast dishes - delicious cereals, granola, pancakes, waffles, smoothies; as well as more substantial delicacies usually offered for lunch. Everything goes slowly, relaxed, and most importantly - with the whole family. One of these places is the Köket cafe right next to Senate Square. It is also very suitable for visiting with children on other days, and on weekends it offers brunch. Attention, in many restaurants you need to reserve a table for brunch in advance.
Another restaurant that is well suited for families with children is Loisto. It is located on the top floor of the Sokos Hotel, which was built on the eve of the 1952 Olympics. A great view is guaranteed, plus the restaurant has a play area for children.
In anticipation of Christmas, many restaurants organize a Christmas buffet - a buffet with traditional holiday dishes. In Finland, they like to prepare a variety of vegetable casseroles for Christmas with a certain set of spices, which gives them the desired “holiday” aroma. Many different types of fish, turkey or ham, Rosolli salad (like a vinaigrette), a special type of bread, pate, berry desserts are favorite Christmas dishes. Ask and look for Joululounas.
Local residents love Christmas very much and celebrate it with their families; many go to Lapland and other parts of Finland, to the outback, where the grandparents of Finns who moved to the city still live. Those who remain can visit the church on Christmas Eve, where the festive service will be held: a solemn and beautiful event that is held in all large and small churches. In general, throughout the entire month, church hymns in honor of Christmas will be held throughout the city, performed by a church choir, often a children's choir. Even people far from religion will find this very interesting.
During the Christmas holidays, everything in the city is quiet, shops are closed (with the exception of some grocery stores), and transport runs on a special schedule. In Helsinki, this time is perfect for leisurely walks around the city - without the noise of cars and crowds of people. If you're lucky with snow, you can have fun in the park, sledding and playing snowballs. Buy plastic sleds in advance; they are sold at any sporting goods or home goods store. Some restaurants will be open. Weekends 24, 25 and 26th December.
Sales will begin in stores immediately after Christmas. The city will come to life again, but Christmas will be left behind. In Finland, Christmas is a much more important holiday than New Year. Santa Claus brings gifts for Christmas, a festive feast and all events in the city - for Christmas. The arrival of the New Year is also celebrated solemnly, but in a completely different way. This is a day to meet friends, party, go out, celebrate in restaurants and bars (queues will be very long), and it is also the only day when fireworks are allowed. The main place for celebrating the New Year in Helsinki will be Senate Square. A concert is held here every year and the largest fireworks display is launched. There is a children's program from 16:00 to 17:30 with a small fireworks display at the end. The program for adults starts at 22:00.
From 26.12.17 to 07.01.18, the largest indoor amusement park will be organized at the Messukeskus exhibition center. Several similar establishments, but much smaller in size, operate all year round and are an excellent salvation for active children in bad weather and more. In the exhibition center, on its huge area, there will be various trampolines, bouncy castles, sports equipment, play areas, as well as an area for the little ones.
I always strived to be independent, wanted to explore the world and was not afraid to try something new. All this brought me to Finland 10 years ago. I love this country for its honest and straightforward people, for its security, restraint in everything and cleanliness. This is where I met my husband and we are raising two wonderful kids. Besides this, I love my job - I offer accommodation in apartments in the center of Helsinki. My apartments can be found at www.mckapartments.com. You can also book them and read over 800 reviews on airbnb.
Helsinki is a big city that does not boast of its size. The compact city center, which would be very reminiscent of St. Petersburg, if not for the inclusions of distinctive modern architecture, can be explored on foot, and the sights scattered across the islands and suburbs simply cannot be noticed...
For the time being, of course, because it’s impossible not to notice them if you come on vacation with children to Helsinki.
Which child would refuse to cross to the island where the old fortress is located? Who would miss the chance to see polar bears and snow leopards at the zoo against the backdrop of real, not painted snow?
And who, tell me, will remain indifferent to the fact that near the capital of Finland there is a cottage of Santa Claus himself?
Well, adults will also marvel at the fact that Helsinki has beaches that are full of people in the summer, and that winter in southern Finland is not as harsh as it seems. Do we need any more arguments to prove that Helsinki is suitable for a family holiday? Kidpassage is ready to provide them.
Where is Helsinki
The city of Helsinki is the capital of Finland, the largest city in the country with a population of 630 thousand people, the center of the province of Uusimaa and a regular in the top ten cities with a high quality of life.
Helsinki is located in the southern part of Finland, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Distance from Helsinki to Tampere - 178 km, Jyväskylä - 269 km, - 811 km, St. Petersburg - 387 km, Tallinn - 87 km, Stockholm - 483 km.
Holidays with children
Before making a real trip to Helsinki, open a map of this city with your children. What do you see? Instead of a neat polygon, the map reveals a scattering of islands of different sizes.
The peninsula and 330 islands are the territory of the capital of Finland. Some areas of land in the Baltic Gulf are uninhabited, but suitable for walking and fishing.
Others are built up with residential buildings and hotels. And on the third are the most interesting places in the city - the zoo, open-air museum, natural parks.
If you come to Helsinki with children in the summer, try to set aside at least a few days for your vacation so that you can do everything: visit the best museums (go back in time, look into a black hole and scratch behind a mammoth’s ear), go to a water park, and licorice Buy some candy as a gift for all your friends.
And, of course, take a walk: in quiet parks you can relax with your baby, while preschoolers are enthusiastically playing around on the playgrounds. And if you come in winter, you can add a meeting with Santa to the usual entertainment - he has a residence in the south of Finland, and he also visits the capital on the eve of Christmas.
When planning a vacation with your child in Helsinki, take care of warm things in your luggage. Despite the fact that the climate in Finland is even milder than in St. Petersburg, it can get significantly colder here in the summer. A waterproof jacket and shoes will also come in handy - rain is not uncommon in the country.
An important detail: you should plan your holiday in Helsinki in advance, since the city's hotels are almost always full.
When is the best time to go?
The tourist season in Helsinki does not have pronounced peaks, but still the demand for hotels increases in the summer and on the eve of the New Year holidays.
It’s still better to come with a child in the summer - there’s a better chance of seeing all the open-air attractions without haste and even finding out whether you can sunbathe on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
A special period is pre-Christmas. If the frost is not too severe, it is good to walk along the festively decorated Aleksanterinkatu street and buy “Christmas stars” made of puff pastry and shaped “piparkakut” gingerbread cookies at the fairs.
Weather and climate
Finland is associated with snow and frost only among those who have never been to this country. Yes, in Rovaniemi, above the Arctic Circle, it is not particularly warm, but in the south, summer is like summer, and even the heat sometimes overtakes travelers who prefer the northern seas to the southern ones.
The climate of Helsinki is defined as temperate continental with a transition to maritime. The most suitable time to relax with children is summer.
Residents of the country value this time very much: the weather in Helsinki is wonderful, the sun is warm for a hundred days, and the thermometers do not drop below +20°C.
In June it can be a little colder, but in July-August you can sometimes find the heat up to +30°C. But more often than not, Helsinki is mildly warm, and tourists would benefit from a light jacket in their backpack.
The Finns themselves do not warm themselves during this period and, if there is no rain, sunbathe on well-kept sandy beaches. Imagine that water parks also have outdoor pools where children swim with all their might in the summer.
Summer is also a period of white nights. Daylight in the second half of June lasts 19 hours, and evening twilight smoothly turns into dawn.
The peculiarity of the weather in Helsinki is winds in any season. The wind is especially felt in coastal areas.
September brings noticeable coolness. Prepare for the fact that the temperature will not exceed +15°C, and by the end of the month it will become colder, about +10°C. In October, the temperature is still low above zero, but by November thermometers will most often show 0°C.
From December to March there is a frosty winter in Helsinki. The average temperature during this period is -3-6°C, but in January there are even stronger frosts. Fortunately, temperatures dropping to -20°C are rare. Winters in Helsinki are snowy, with peak snowfall occurring in December-January.
A characteristic feature of winter is very short days and long twilight: this is due to the proximity to the Arctic Circle. But the reward for those who come to Finland in winter is the opportunity to see the northern lights.
If March is considered a winter month in the capital of Finland, then the weather in April is already a little like spring. Temperatures are increasingly staying at above-zero levels, and by the middle of the month the figure will reach +8°C. Cool May is reminiscent of September, but after winter +15°C seems like real warmth.