City Rating: Helsinki
Population: 620’000
Date of visit: June 2018
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: 2/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Helsinki is the dark horse among the Nordic capitals. Many people prefer Stockholm or Copenhagen over the Finnish city. While Helsinki is not as charming as its counterparts in Sweden and Denmark, it is definitely an underrated city with some beautiful spots, good nightlife and even better value for money than the other Nordic capitals.
Where to stay:
Staying South of the railway station is the way to go. The area around the Hard Rock Cafe/Stockmann shopping centre is the liveliest area in the evenings with many restaurants, bars and pubs.
The Good:
Helsinki is rather an overlooked destination, which is a shame. The city has a beautiful city centre with a nice harbour and you will see the typical Nordic architecture that you also see in the neighbouring countries.
The city’s most important sights are the Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral and the harbour. Moreover, a ferry can take you to Suomenlinna, an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands. The trip by ferry takes 15 only minutes. People who are not interested in sights can spend their time in the shopping district. Helsinki has plenty of shopping centres and shops with all renowned international fashion brands.
When the sun sets (although that doesn’t happen in summer), the city gets vibrant around the railway station. There are plenty of bars, pubs and nightclubs without strict door policy. Most of the venues are open until 4-5 AM and the Finns love to party. That makes Helsinki an interesting destination for night owls.
Another advantage of Helsinki is that the city is rather a small one. That means you will spend little money on transportation. The train ticket from the airport to the central railway station costs 5€, the bus ticket for the same route 6.20€, which is a fair price if you consider that the rides take longer than 30 minutes.
The Bad & The Ugly:
The city might be better value for money than the other three Nordic capitals, but it’s still an expensive city. Expect to pay 7-8€ for a pint and 15-20€ for a normal main course in a restaurant. The biggest rip off is the rooftop bar in Hotel Torni. Although the view is beautiful up there, the prices of the drinks aren’t. A coffee costs 6€, a small beer 8.50€ and a cocktail more than 17€. Don’t count on cheap hotels, as most centrally located hotels charge around 250€ per night for a double room.
Needless to say that Helsinki’s weather can be rough so that the city is not a year-round destination.
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