Helsinki, Finland

Cruising through Helsinki's island archipelago is absolutely beautiful - you'll want to have your camera ready for this experience.

We docked at West Harbour, which is the port created for larger ships. From here it takes about 15 min by taxi to the city center. Instead we opted for the Hop Hon Hop Off Bus which left from right there by the terminal, took us to all major touristic spots and also included a boat tour.

Helsinki sits on a granite peninsula on the north coast of the Gulf of Finland, facing the Baltic Sea from three sides, so it's all about the water. In summer, the city's waterfront is the liveliest place in Finland -- whether you're soaking up the sun at a harbour cafe, riding the ferry to the island housing the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, or taking a boat tour of surrounding waterways. We took the bus to the city center and got off at Market Square (Kauppatori), the main planned and paved square in central Helsinki, which is also one of the best-known outdoor markets in northern Europe. Bordering the Baltic Sea, at the eastern end of the Esplanadi, it is full of stands selling Finnish foods, flowers, and tourist souvenirs, and there are often fishing boats lined up in the water selling seafood directly from the boat. We bought some fresh strawberries and then proceeded to board the boat for our boat tour of the Helsinki waterways. This was easily the highlight of our day: Helsinki occupies a peninsula close to an archipelago of hundreds (!!!) of islands. Cruising through this mass of tiny pieces of land by boat was a gorgeous; a natural and scenic feast for the eyes, especially on this bright sunny day with blue skies. It made us want to visit every single tiny island. We saw Suomenlinna , the famous an 18th-century sea fortress and nature area with centuries-old artillery and defensive walls, spread across 6 linked islands. The staff on the boat was lovely too and they had a small restaurant - we had an amazing meal with fresh fish and a plateful of cold Nordic appetizers.

After the boat ride we continued walking through town, saw many pretty Art Nouveau buildings, the imposing Uspensky Cathedral and ended up on Senate Square, the oldest part of central Helsinki. Most famous landmarks and buildings are right here, including the incredible Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki, and Sederholm House, the oldest building of central Helsinki dating from 1757. We spend a bit of time relaxing here before hopping on the bus back to the terminal.

Baltic Cruise - May 2018