Helsinki and Tallinn - July 2022

On the third leg of our Scandinavian tour we arrived in Helsinki on the overnight ferry from Stockholm. It was a really nice boat ride - a nice room, nice beds, a reasonably good restaurant for a nice meal, a calm crossing - what more could you ask. We traveled on the Silja Line which is supposed to be slightly better than the other lines serving that route.

Helsinki

We docked in Helsinki around 10:00 am and it was a short walk to our hotel, the Hotel Klauski.  Helsinki looked very welcoming - perfect weather, not too many people, clean and tidy streets and great public transport. 

After leaving our bags at the hotel we walked down to the Esplanade Park and then on to the harbor.  There was a Jazz band playing in the Esplanade outside the Cafe Kavelli - just perfect for a sunny afternoon. 

Nicholas and Alexander Memorial

Down at the harbor there is the statue of Nicholas and Alexander.  Once upon a time they liked Nicholas and Alexander and Russia in Finland (probably the1870’s) but not so much anymore.

Helsinki Lutheran Church

On a hill just up form the harbor is the Senate Square dominated by the large white Lutheran Church on top of the hill. Alas it was closed for a wedding.

Saarinen's Helsinki Railway Station

From there we moved on up to the Railway Station - one of my favorite buildings in the city, designed by Saarinen - an art nouveau masterpiece.

The Rex Museum

At the Rex Museum there is an interesting art installation - a cascade of chairs and furniture falling down on the outside of the building. There are interesting mounds in the area behind the museum too as well as the Silent Chapel - a beautiful work of art in wood and a quiet meditative space inside that is always open.

The Silent Chapel

Across the road from the Rex is the new central library which was an amazing building.  It was built for the centenary of Finland's Independence and it is a gorgeous piece of architecture (again more wood). The facility, known to the Finns as Oodi, was just as amazing - great spaces to read books, coffee shops, equipment rental, instrument rental, recording facilities, video facilities, cooking facilities.  Just what a modern library should be.

The new Helsinki Library

Inside the Helsinki Library

Further on from the library was the Music Center - a very nice modern concert hall.  We checked it out and decided to return for a concert later that afternoon.

The Alvar Aalto designed Finlandia concert hall, which was further along the road, was sadly undergoing restoration so we couldn’t see much of that architectural masterpiece. 

The Finnish National Museum

Murals in the National Museum

The National Museum is across the street and we took a brief look inside. There are some nice murals on the ceiling of the entry hall and we took a quick look but didn't go around the museum.

The Church of the Rock

Up the hill from the National Museum is the Church of the Rock (Temppeliaukio Church), a unique church excavated out of a solid rock hillside.  The domed roof is made of copper (copper wire I think) and the walls are bare rock.  It is quite a wonderful space inside and the acoustics are apparently very good.

Hanna Rynnanen and the Kantele

Moving back down the hill to the Music Center we listened to a concert on the patio outside of the hall.  The music was performed by Hanna Ryynanen on the traditional Finnish instrument, the Kantele.  She performed several of her own pieces that were quite improvisational.  Accompanied by a glass of wine, it was a nice way to spend an hour in the afternoon.

In the evening we walked down to Cafe Cavelli near the harbor and had a very nice meal.  Salmon Soup, which appears to be very much a local delicacy, followed up by reindeer steak for me.

The next morning, Sunday, I got up early and did a tour of the city on the trams while Mary Ann exercised in the hotel gym.  I bought a ticket that was good for a couple of hours and then traveled on a loop around the city.  Nothing too remarkable but a nice tour of the suburban areas.  Helsinki would be a very nice city to live in.

Orthodox Cathedral

Orthodox Cathedral Interior

Back to the hotel for another breakfast before setting off to walk around town.  We first visited the Orthodox Cathedral - a large Cathedral sitting on the top of a hill overlooking the harbor with a beautiful interior. 

Lutheran Cathedral Interior

We walked over to the Lutheran Cathedral again and it was open so we had a look inside.  More restrained in its decor because, again, it is Lutheran.

In the Rex Museum

What is under the blanket?  At the Rex.

We walked back over to the Rex museum and went inside and viewed the permanent collection of architect Sigurd Frosterus' collection and then the more modern "Subterranean Exhibit".  The latter had some quite interesting sculptures, tree roots growing out of the ceiling, a headless hippo with workers investigating its insides, a brass rubbing of a missile, some apparently terrible pictures which in order to see you had to crawl under a large blanket (I didn't go under).

The Helsinki Art Museum

Next we walked up to the Helsinki Art Museum.  This museum has the head of a large seagull on the entryway - I liked that.

Greta Hallfors

Tove Johansen

Inside there were a couple of nice exhibits - one of Greta Hallfors and another of Tove Johansen.  Nice artwork.

In the afternoon we had an appointment for a sauna.  The Loyly Sauna was a short tram ride out of the center.  It has a restaurant and a bar and three large saunas.  It is on the sea so you can heat up in the sauna and then cool down in the sea.  It was terrific.  We had a two hour appointment slot and it was most enjoyable.

In the evening we had dinner at a Finnish restaurant, Kulki.  I had the Salmon Soup again - Lohikeitto.  It is wonderful - I should make that when I am back home.

On Monday morning we had tickets on the ferry to Tallinn in Estonia.  We took the tram to the port and joined the huge crowd of other passengers waiting to board the ferry.  There is a lot of ferry traffic from Helsinki to Tallinn - many sailings each day and they are big boats.  We boarded our boat, the Megastar - Tallink and once the very cool vacuum powered mooring devices were released we were on our way.  Who would have realized you could moor a large ship just by pulling a vacuum on a large pad. 

It was a relatively smooth 2 hr crossing to Tallinn where we were deposited at the port near to the old town.

Beautiful Buildings on Pikk Street

We walked up through the old town taking in the sights - the Ferry Disaster Memorial, the Fat Margaret Tower, the old City Gate and City Walls, Pikk Street, the Three Sisters houses, the KGB building, the old market square.  We stopped for coffee and a cake across from the Russian Embassy. 

The Russian Embassy

There were all sorts of placards outside the embassy protesting against the Ukraine invasion and there were police keeping watch on the place.  The Estonians are not huge fans of Russia - below is  a sign outside a restaurant.

Sign outside a restaurant in Tallinn 

We walked further on across the modern new square and up the hill to the Orthodox Church and Parliament Building and then on to the overlook of the city below.

Orthodox Cathedral, Tallinn

From there we went downhill again to the station and the market area where we had a beer before eventually making our way back to the boat.

The old city, Tallinn

A great day out in a lovely city.  On the way back to Helsinki all the Finns were buying duty free alcohol on the boat.  Judging by the quantities they were buying it must be quite a saving.

Old Docks, Helsinki

The next morning, back in Helsinki, I got up early and walked around town.  I ended up a long way away, over by the old port area.  I rented a Lime scooter to get me back to the hotel.

For our final part of our time in Helsinki we visited the Design Museum.  The Finns have designed some nice buildings, nice furniture and nice tools.  All were recognized in this museum.  I particularly liked the furniture section and the making of laminated bent wood chairs and stools.

We picked up our bags from the hotel and took a tram to the railway station.  From there we caught the train out to the airport - a nice, modern, fast and frequent train service. 

 

In the airport we got to go to the Finnair Lounge thanks to Mary Ann’s status with partner airline American Airlines.  It was outstanding; probably the best lounge experience I have ever had.

Helsinki Airport is modern and clean and not at all crowded.  Arriving in Manchester was like landing in a third world country - old, shabby and tired buildings with long lines at customs and long lines for car rentals.  Welcome to the UK.

There are more Helsinki photos here and more Tallinn photos here.