Sunday boat watching

Enjoy today's sunny weather before we have a rainy week ahead. Maybe with a cup of coffee or a walk along the sea. Along Kaivopuisto you can watch the boats pass by before the boat owners slowly start taking them out of the water.

Have a nice and relaxed Sunday!

Picknick day

Do you have everything packed? Or are you already at Kaivopuisto? The big Vappu picknick at the Kaivopuisto park at Ullanlinnanmäki is going on right now.

It is the place to be. The rest of the city is going to be there as well. So grab some food, some sparkling wine and a blanket. And maybe an umbrella just to be save and head out there to celebrate Vappu and the beginning of May outside with thousands of others.

Have a great day!

Happy sleighing!

Today is Laskiainen. One could say it's the Finnish way of celebrating carneval. And it's a celebration especially for kids - and for students. 

Kaivopuisto is the place to be today. Students from all the universities around the city come here today to take advantage of the last snow and sleigh down the Ullanlinna hill. They also compete on who built the best and nicest looking sledge. It all starts today at 13.00 and officially ends at 17.00 (before the crowd moves on to continue celebrating in some clubs in the center).

If sleighing down the hill with a can of beer in your hand on a Tuesday afternoon is not what you had in mind for today then rather get a delicious Laskiais Pulla. The sweet pastry is filled with either jam or marzipan and topped with a lot of whipped cream.

Whatever you decide to do, have a great Laskiainen!

Is the gloominess over?

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute this winter has been the gloomiest in over three decades for many parts of the country. Some areas of Southern Finland have gotten as little as under four hours of sunshine during November and just over five hours in December.

There is a good chance though that the darkest days are over now. Last weekend (Friday and Sunday) brought lots of light to the capital area and the forecast for the upcoming days looks pretty good as well. This also means that it might get colder and windier again. So don't forget to dress up warm enough. But also don't leave your sunglasses at home.

Have a good start into the week!

Walk to Uunisaari

The bridge to Uunisaari is back for the cold time of the year. Now you can easily get there by foot and enjoy the beautiful view over the sea from the small island.

Also it is a great place for a short coffee or lunch stop on your Sunday walk.

Have a nice day!

A walk through the park

Summer is over but a beautiful fall is just about to arrive in Finland. At least according to the forecast we might have some mild and sunny weeks ahead. So why not start the week with a nice walk through the park.

Maybe here at Kaivopuisto with a bautiful view over the city and the sea. Have a good start into the week!

Enjoy the summer weather

This entire Saturday should be warm and sunny. Take advantage of that and spend the day outside. Starting from tomorrow we are expecting lots of rain again for several days.

Have a nice weekend!

Warm Easter ahead

This week already ends on Thursday and according to the weather forecast the long Easter weekend is waiting with some warm temperatures. The thermometer is going to climb up to 15 degrees during the Easter days.

Sounds like a perfect opportunity for a nice Easter walk. Maybe here along Kaivopuisto. Till then have a nice and not too stressy week!

Laskiainen at Kaivopuisto

Tomorrow is Laskiainen (the Finnish equivalent for carnival). Traditionally students from around Helsinki meet at Kaivopuisto for a sleighing competition. Several groups compete for the best sleigh.

This year they definately don't have the best weather conditions for that competition. You can be sure though that starting from around noon students will gather in the park for a big party anyway. And they will most likely come up with a solution to deal with the lack of snow this year.

So if you happen to be in the area tomorrow go and check it out. It's always quite an event.

One year in Ullanlinnanmäki in one picture

The year at Ullanlinnanmäki is over. Last week you saw the January picture of the spot. 

hugovk also created a split picture for that series. And here it is.

To see the single pictures of one year at Ullanlinnanmäki click here.

For more from hugovk check out his Flickr page.

Ullanlinnanmäki in January

Just in time for the January picture it started snowing. And today even the sun showed up for a short time.

With this picture the year at Ullanlinnanmäki is complete. To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

Ullanlinnanmäki in December

And again one month is over. It's December and still there is no snow to see. It seems like we'll have a green Christmas this year.

To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

Ullanlinnanmäki in November

It's November but it doesn't feel like it. Sure there is the occasional rain here and there but over all the weather is still really nice with a lot of sun and mild temperatures. No thick winter jackets needed so far.

To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

The colors of fall

In fall nature paints the most amazing colors on the trees on on the sky.

Have a nice Sunday!

Ullanlinnanmäki in October

Fall is here. And probably the most beautiful in years. The sun shines almost every day and the leaves on the trees show hundreds of different shades of yellow, brown, red and green.

To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

Ullanlinnanmäki in September – and 360°

In addition to this month’s Ullanlinnanmäki picture (posted on Friday) I also took a 360° version. And here it is. 

Enjoy your Sunday!

Ullanlinnanmäki in September

It is one of those sunny September mornings that we have had a lot of this year. Temperatures still climb up to 20 degrees almost every day.

To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

Secret way to the island

Do you know what this mysterious gate in the rock of Kaivopuisto is hiding? It is the entrance to a small tunnel leading all the way to Suomenlinna. It connects Länsi-Musta, the north-western part of the island with the mainland.

The tunnel was built in the late 70s and is big enough for a car. It is only open to emergency cars and authorities. Furthermore heating, water and cables go through this tunnel.

So unfortunately if you don’t happen to work for the government, the army or are an emergency doctor you will most likely not get to see more than the tunnel’s small outer gates. But if you take a look at HERE Maps you can see where exactly the tunnel goes.

Ullanlinnanmäki in August

The summer vacations are over and people get back to work. Even though for some people August might already seem to be the first month of fall it is actually still really sunny and warm.

To see how the view from Ullanlinnanmäki changed during one year you can see the pictures of the previous months here.

Miniature golf at the sea

The beauty of Helsinki is its long coastline and all the possibilities you have to enjoy time close to the sea. Close to Café Carusel there you can even play miniature golf close to the sea.

The course was built already in 1978 and is – especially due to its amazing location – still very popular. For 7 Euros per person (4 € for children) you get to play 20 holes while inhaling a fresh sea breeze. Minigolf Kaivopuisto is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00.