I wasn’t sure what to expect from a day in Helsinki from my Baltic Capitals cruise.
In the words of one friend, Finland’s capital is “boring, boring, boring.” How damning!
But another friend told me, “I loved it and I think that you will too.”
Helsinki, also known as the “Daughter of the Baltic”, occupies a peninsula and a fringe of several small islands. Surrounded on three sides by water, this natural seaport was founded by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden (to which Finland belonged for many centuries) as a new trading post in southern Finland in 1550. The aim was to woo trade from the Estonian city of Tallinn, thus challenging the Hanseatic League’s monopoly on Baltic trade.Visit https://wikitravel.org/en/Helsinki for travsel info about helsinki
Today, Helsinki is known for not only its stunning natural environment but also its architecture, sauna culture, design scene and its unique gastronomy. But if like me, you are visiting Helsinki on a cruise and have only 24 hours or less to explore it, you will need to make some tough choices.
To help you make the most of your one day in Helsinki, here are some essential practical tips, including how to get from the cruise terminal, and my pick of what to see and do, framed within an easy self-guided walking tour.
Getting to central Helsinki from the Hernesaari cruise terminal
The good news is that most of Helsinki’s main attractions are scattered over a relatively compact, and therefore walkable, area. The bad news is that unless your cruise ship berths at South Harbour, which is easy walking distance of the market square, you will not stumble across these attractions straight off the ship.
Larger cruise ships park up at Hernesaari cruise terminal, which is around 3 km from the centre of town. Here are your options for getting to and from this terminal.
Walk from Hernesaari cruise terminal to Helsinki city centre
I walked from Hernesaari cruise terminal into the centre of town. At an easy pace, this took me around 45 minutes. It is a lovely walk along the waterfront and was one of the highlights of my day in Helsinki.
Public bus between Hernesaari cruise terminal to Helsinki city centre
Bus #14 will bring you to the centre of town in 15 minutes. A single fare is €2.80 (October 2020). A day ticket is also available for €8.
Further information on bus tickets and fares here.
To return to Hernesaari cruise terminal, pick up the bus near Temppeliaukio Church, at the end of my walking tour, or at Kamppi metro station. Buses are frequent (every 10 – 15 minutes).Visit https://www.tripindicator.com/best-cruise-boat-tours-helsinki.html for travsel info about helsinki
