Touring Helsinki!!

 

In just our first month in Finland, we’ve already visited Helsinki many times. Sometimes it’s for practical things like catching a train or taking care of paperwork, but mostly it’s to wander, eat, and enjoy the city. Each visit shows us something new, and I’m realizing how much there is to discover here. Here are a few fun facts, a bit of history, and some first impressions—sprinkled in with pictures of this wonderful city!

Even though Helsinki is a big, bustling city compared to Laramie, Wyoming, it has a small city feel to it that I enjoy. About 690,000 people live in the city itself, with over 1.6 million in the greater metropolitan area. It sits on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Tallinn, Estonia; 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Stockholm, Sweden; and 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of Saint Petersburg, Russia. 

    The city was founded in 1550 by Sweden but remained a small village for centuries. Its importance grew in the 18th century with the construction of the Suomenlinna fortress, originally named Sveaborg by the Swedes, and was built to defend against Russian attacks. Despite these efforts, the fortress was surrendered during the Finnish War of 1808, and Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire. 

In 1812, Russia moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki, sparking rapid growth and modernization. This shift gave the city much of its character: wide boulevards, neoclassical buildings, and a layout that still shapes Helsinki today.  

 The city became the center of political and military events in the early 20th century: the declaration of Finnish independence in 1917, the civil war in 1918 between the Red Finns (Socialists) and the White Finns (Conservatives), and three conflicts during World War II (the Winter War of 1939, the Continuation War against the Soviet Union, and heavy bombings from 1941–1944). After independence, Helsinki truly became the heart of the new nation.   

After World War II, Helsinki reinvented itself as a modern hub for design,  technology, culture, and sustainability. It hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1952, was named a European Capital of Culture in 2000, honored as World Design Capital in 2012, rated the busiest passenger port in the world in 2017, and listed by Time magazine in 2021 as one of the world’s greatest places.

               

Weather-wise, winters in Helsinki are milder compared to northern Finland, with shorter snow seasons and temperatures that rarely drop below –20 °C (–4 °F). The coldest recorded temperature was −34.3 °C (−29.7 °F) in January 1987. Summers are comfortable, with average highs between 19–22 °C (66–72 °F). The hottest recorded temperature was 33.2 °C (91.8 °F) in July 2010. 

One of the most striking features here is the daylight. Around the winter solstice, there are fewer than six hours of daylight. We’ve been warned about the challenges this brings, but we’re ready with vitamin D and a good exercise routine. On the flip side, summer brings nearly 19 hours of daylight, which I imagine will make for some incredible late-evening adventures—if we can manage to stay awake! 

                                                   

So far, I’ve enjoyed every visit to Helsinki, no matter the reason. Each time, I discover another spot I want to come back to explore. I doubt I’ll see it all in our three years here—there’s just too much! Still, it’s easy to see why Helsinki is called the heart of Finland.