Eva Kiviranta is one of those people that you smile every time you think about her and you’re happy that you have the pleasure to know such an amazing girl. Eva, like many other Finns, is the reason why Fotostrasse loves Finland the way we do.
Eva Kiviranta works for Visit Finland and we had the pleasure to get to know her on our NBE trip to Finland. Do you remember all the posts about Finland we had during this last winter and summer? You have to thank Visit Finland for the major help!
Eva may be the perfect person to talk about Helsinki and here is her favorite places in this wonderful town!
The many Islands
As Helsinki is surrounded by water from three sides, you can never go too long without seeing the Baltic sea. I make a habit of seeing a large body of water at least once a day, and that’s just about enough to keep me sane. The islands Helsinki has are definitely one of the best features the city has, and most of my summers I spend exploring the different islands.
My personal favorite is Seurasaari, where I go to hike and swim. The island has marked beaches but also more secluded places by the water, which make perfect spots for swimming and admiring people paddling by.
Other nice islands to feel the sea breeze:
Hoochie Mama Jane
Helsinki is wonderful for those in search of vintage gems. The crown jewel (totally objectively speaking) is Hoochie Mama Jane in Kallio. The store is packed with amazing vintage pieces and never have I ever in my life received better customer service than there.
You may want to start saving right now.
PS. On the other side of the park is cafe Bergga, which is also worth stopping by.
Puu-Vallila
I don’t actively dream about buying a house, but a visit to the puu-Vallila (wooden Vallila) district will give me a serious urge to buy a house from the district right now! About 15 minutes from the city center lies a few blocks of charming pastel colored wooden houses that make a perfect destination for a leisurely stroll. Take tram 1 or 7A/7B and get off at ”Mäkelänkatu” to enjoy the wooden houses and one of the few similar neighborhoods in Helsinki.
The neighborhood also has a lovely cafe Suvanto, which makes a perfect place to visit as well.
Breakfast places
The biggest brunch wave took over Helsinki and new places opened everywhere. Now most of the places focus especially on breakfast, which is fantastic as there is no better way to start the day than with breakfast in town. I have a special soft spot for Tin Tin Tango, which is known by travelers and locals alike.
The place serves breakfast platters throughout the day and has a nice central European feel. Years ago I used to live around the corner, and would go to Tin Tin Tango whenever I didn’t feel like cooking. That was fairly often and Tin Tin Tango still feels like my second living room. The place is open almost always and has laundry facilities for those in need!
Movies!
This is a good city to be for a film buff as Helsinki has an active film scene. Love & Anarchy film festival brings Finnish and international films to Helsinki in late September and many people consider taking those days off from work to be able to see as many films as possible.
DocPoint in January offers a really good selection of documentaries throughout the city. My personal favorite is Orion, which has films running throughout the year. Lately their successes have included a series of 90’s films and Grease sing-along screenings. Because there really isn’t anything better than singing Grease songs with a theater full of strangers.
If you’re planning to visit Helsinki, please let us know! Always remember that if you have any questions about there (or any other city what so ever), ask on us on our Facebook group – a safe harbor for travel lovers and more. We can give you tips and send you to cool places that you can’t find in your local travel guide. And if you can, book your hotel here, this way you can support this blog and make sure we keep showing you the other side of all the cities you want!
Going Local is a series of interviews that we are doing with people that live and enjoy the cities they live in. You can read more interviews filled with tips here. And if you want to be featured here, this link will tell you how.