Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Suggestions for a second time visitor to Helsinki

My family and I were in Helsinki for four days in 2007 and will be returning for five days in October. We have seen many of the major sights.





Do you have any suggestions for 2nd time visitors? What do locals like to do? Also what is the new Natural History museum and cultural centre in Toolo like?




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Depends on what you did the first time, of course, but you might (if you haven%26#39;t already)to Nuuksio national park or Lake Kuusijärvi, both in the Greater Helsinki area, for a taste of the wilds. Day trips are also a good idea, possibly to Porvoo, Hämeenlinna or Tampere.



The recently renovated Natural History Museum is, well, a natural history museum. It contains specimens of Finnish and other species in an imaginative display. It%26#39;s quite a good way of learning about the local bioenvironment. You might also check out the island zoo, which has living animals.



Sydenysiders will find Helsinki pretty damn cool in October, so dress accordingly.




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Kiitos. Your suggestions are very good. We would like to experience some Finnish nature and visit some other towns close to Helsinki. Driving on the right side of the road is a little frightening so we will probably limit our travel to the places that can be seen by public transport/tour guide.





Last time we took a 1/2 day tour of the city, a ferry ride to the zoo and Suomenlinna, and then just pottered around the harbour, visiting a few museums. We travel with two small children so the pace of sight-seeing is much slower. Are there any cafe%26#39;s and shops that the locals like to visit in Helsinki?





My children love animals (dead or alive) so the Natural History museum is compulsory for us.





Brrrr, the cold. Yes, we will pack our thermals and put the hotel sauna to good use.





Thanks again for your help.




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Ah, children. Buy a bag of unroasted peanuts from a supermarket and take bus 24 (From the Swedish Theatre on Mannerheimintie, the big, white, round building at the top of Esplanadi park) to Seurasaari, the outdoor museum island. This is a very pleasant park island to stroll around in decent weather, has examples of old timber houses from all over Finland, and (most importantly) is crawling with remarkably tame red squirrels. Most kids love it, although be warned that some have a screaming terror of over-friendly rodents.



The Fazer café on Kluuvikatu is hugely popular with locals. I like to seat visitors in the dome section, which has an odd whispering-gallery effect. This might not be a good idea if your kids are inclined towards yelling. Fazer is as famous for sweets as for baked goods, which is a plus with kids of all ages.



Speaking of which, a day trip to Porvoo could be good. There%26#39;s a pretty medieval, mostly wooden old town with the kind of traditional buildings that have pretty much been eradicated in Helsinki, a historical cathedral where the conquering Tsar of Russia famously declared Finland a %26#39;nation among nations%26#39; 200 years ago, and the Brunberg confectionery maker%26#39;s factory outlet. Brunberg%26#39;s chocolate kisses are usually a hit, not least because of the curiously antiquated illustration on the packaging (these products were - no kidding! - known as %26#39;negro kisses%26#39; until a few years ago. You can see a pic on the link). The factory shop is better stocked but there%26#39;s a more convenient outlet in the old town. http://www.brunberg.fi/en/index.html



Unfortunately the coastal ferry will have shut down for winter by then so it%26#39;s a 1-hour bus ride to Porvoo.




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I will definitely put Seurasaari, the Fazer Cafe and Porvoo on our itinerary as well as some of the places you mentioned earlier. I think the red squirrels will be a real winner with the kids and who can resist Karl Fazer chocolates? Now I only wish we had more time to see more of Finland.





Thank you Johnthefinn for your advice. I look forward to visiting your beautiful city again soon.





btw I had a chuckle at the %26#39;negro kisses%26#39; webpage - i%26#39;m so glad they dropped the name!




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Hi Annika,





We enjoyed visiting Porvoo - it makes a perfect day trip from helsinki.





Click on the threads below for additional info.





tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g315777-r604…





tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i19176-Getting_…




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Thanks Ellemay, Porvoo does look lovely. We%26#39;ll definitely spend a day there. What%26#39;s 1 hr on the bus after 20+ hrs on the plane from oz, right?





Thanks also for your article about Helsinki. I agree that it%26#39;s a much more pleasant way to enter Europe than Heathrow. Last time we broke the journey up with a stopover in Asia. I can%26#39;t tell you what a relief it was to spend a few days in cool, still, charming Helsinki after steamy, hectic Hong Kong.

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