Once in the capital of Finland, tourists in a couple of days start thinking about where to go from Helsinki. The city can be explored in sufficient detail in a short time, and you want to spend your vacation rich, active and varied.
To old Tallinn
Going to Tallinn for a day is a nice idea. The Estonian capital is full of medieval charm and it is quite possible to wander through its narrow streets if there is a day in Helsinki free from local excursions.
The most convenient way to get to Tallinn is by ferry. The summer schedule starts in mid June and ends in the second half of August. During this period, the first ferry will start at 10.30 am and the last one at 9.30 pm. In the rest of the year there are only two flights per day and their schedule changes. A detailed schedule is available on the website www.vikingline.ru.
The ferry is a kind of entertainment center with live music in restaurants, bars, saunas, nightclubs and playrooms for toddlers. Arriving in Tallinn, you can book a cabin for the night by ferry to get to know the city in detail and at your own pace.
Ancient bastions
One of the main attractions in the vicinity of the Finnish capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Suomenlinna Fortress was built in the mid-18th century to fortify eight rocky islands off the coast, called the Wolf Skerries. Five of them are connected by bridges or braids, the rest are isolated. The fortress houses several museums, a naval academy and even a light-security prison, the guests of which maintain order and cleanliness in Suomenlinna.
You can get to the fortress by ferries and water buses:
- Ferries leave from the pier at the Market Square of the capital. The first flight is at 6.00, the last one is at 2.20 at night. The interval between ships is from 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the time of day. The journey takes a quarter of an hour, the price is about 5 euros. Tram lines 1, 1A and 2 will take tourists to the Market Square. The stop is called Kauppatori.
- In summer, you can sail to Suomenlinna by JT-Line water bus. The ticket price for it is 7 euros.
For holders of the Helsinki Card, visits to the fortress museums and a ferry ride are free. The card is sold at tourist information centers and allows you to receive benefits on public transport and discounts at some restaurants and museum ticket offices.
City of red barns
Only fifty kilometers separate the capital from Porvoo, and this city will certainly be in the zone of interests of tourists who decide where to go from Helsinki on their own for one day. Its visiting card is the old red wooden barns on the banks of the river, against which all guests love to take pictures.
Porvoo is the oldest city in the country after Turku and its authentic atmosphere attracted Leonid Gaidai, who shot his picture "Behind the Matches" here. The old town hall has been preserved in the town and the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary is of undoubted interest for fans of Scandinavian architecture.
