Fully equipped islands

Did you know that there are a couple of public islands in the Helsinki and Espoo archipelago? Apart from the ones you can reach by ferry there are also a couple of others that you can visit with a boat.

The amazing thing is that they are pretty well equipped for visitors. You will almost always find toilets, as well as a fireplace with pots and pans. And you will even find islands with a public, always heated sauna. And if you fancy, you can also bring your tent and stay over night.

Find an overview of the islands on Espoo's and Helsinki's websites.

New boat trends

Have you been thinking about buying your own boat for a while? Or would you just like to find out about the latest trends on the market? Then head to the Messukeskus for the Helsinki International Boat Show Vene/Båt.

Admission is 18 € for adults and 11 € for children and students. The boat show is still on for another week. So if you don't make it today, don't worry. You still have time till February 15.

Have a nice Sunday!

Most boats are gone

The harbors are already pretty empty but the sea is not frozen yet.

Let's see how long it still takes.

Herring and more from Åland

The boats from Åland are in Helsinki again. As every October farmers and fishermen from the Archipelago between Finland and Sweden come to Helsinki to sell their fresh products straight from the boat. The so called Silakkamarkkinat (Herring Market) is held already for the 272nd time this year and is the oldest traditional event in Helsinki.

And despite the name you can get much more than just herring here. Also other delicacies from
Åland like pickled fish, handicraft from the island and of course the traditional archipelago bread can be found here.

The market is still on until Saturday. Don't miss it!

Last chance for a boat ride to the islands

The sailing and ferry riding time is almost over. If you haven't been on the water yet for this summer or still would like to go again during the next weeks you might have your last chance.

Take one of the ferries to Pihlajasaari, Iso Vasikkasaari or one of the other small public islands around the capital area. But don't worry, the ferry to Suomenlinna operates the whole year through.

Enjoy the ride!

Summer in Helsinki

Summer nights in Helsinki are just beautiful.

Have a great start into the week! ☆☆☆☆

Off to the islands

The summer is coming back and now also the ferries to all the beautiful small islands around Helsinki and Espoo operate again. Go for a boat ride to Iso Vasikkasaari, Suomenlinna, Uunisaari or any of the other wonderful places for a relaxed summer day trip.

Enjoy the summer!

The last boats

Now the harbors in and around Helsinki are empty again. Most boats have been lifted out of the water for the winter. When the ice is gone in spring they come back. Really few anyway still have their vessels in the water. But that will also just take another few days. 

So far the weather has not been that cold yet for November. Let's see what December brings.

A lonely boat

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your own small boat and your own small pier next to your house? Or do you even have that already?

A day at Iso Vasikkasaari

The capital area has lots of beautiful islands. Many of them are private but some are open to the public. One of them that it definitely worth a daytrip is Iso Vasikkasaari on the coast of Espoo.

Several times a day a ferry leaves from Otaniemi, Haukilahti and Matinkylä to bring visitors to the island. For the timetable click here. Adults pay 5 € for a return ticket, children just 2€.

Especially on weekends and when the weather is good the ferries are normally full. So try to get on board before Matinkylä. Luckily the island is big enough to never give you the feeling of being overcrowded.

There are nice smaller and bigger beaches and several idyllic places along the water and further inside on the island. On the South-Western side the sailing boats at the wooden pier give you the feeling of being somewhere at the Mediterranean Sea rather than in Finland.

Closer to the harbor you find a cozy restaurant serving meat and fish dishes. You can of course also just enjoy a cold drink in the shade.

Enjoy your stay!

8 Metre Worlds in Helsinki

The 8 Metre Sailing World Championships are held in Helsinki at the moment. Till August 3 boats from all over the world will compete in several races. The main hub of the competition is Liuskasaari.

The organizing sailing club HSS even opened a Sailors Café just for the event. From its terrace you have a wonderful view onto the open sea and can also follow the races. They serve coffee, tea and small snacks for reasonable prices. Especially when the sun is shining it’s a great place to enjoy a fresh sea breeze.

From the mainland you can take the small ferry going to Skiffer and Boathouse to get there.

That was The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013

The tall ships are on their way to Riga for the second leg of the competition now. Here are some pictures of the last four days with those impressive sailing boats.

STS Fryderyk Chopin (class A) from Szczecin, Poland

The Tall Ships at Länsisatama

STS MIR (class A) from St. Petersburg, Russia 

crowds passing by the stands and shops

Götheborg (class A) from Gothenburg, Sweden

the crew parade on Bulevardi

awarding the prizes for the first leg of the TSR 2013

daylight fireworks for the first time in Finland

the vessels in the harbor

Alexander von Humboldt II (class A) from Bremerhaven, Germany leaving the harbor of Helsinki

the Cuauhtémoc (class A) from Acapulco, Mexico sailing with the crew standing on the masts

last tall ships leaving Helsinki escorted by countless small boats

The Tall Ships arrive

Today the Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 starts. The TSR is an international regatta of sailing boat of different sizes from all over the world that takes place yearly. The ships sail two races between different ports. This year’s first leg was from Aarhus to Helsinki. At 10:00 the last big ships arrive at Länsisatama.

Before the ships continue they will anchor in Helsinki till Saturday accompanied with a big celebration. The whole area around Länsisatama is closed for traffic and is filled with stands, tents and two big stages. For the upcoming four days there will be a full program everyday including music acts, theatre, workshops, artistic performances and even daylight fireworks at Friday night. It is also possible to come on board most of the bigger ships during this whole time.

After the last day of their stop in Helsinki the ships will cruise together to Riga to start the second leg for the competition from there towards Szczecin in Poland where the Tall Ships Races 2013 end.

Watch the boats pass by

If you like boats and the sea you will definitely enjoy Café Carusel. The well known café is the perfect place to enjoy the summer while watching sailing and motorboats entering and leaving the harbor at Kaivopuisto.

Inside Carusel has a self service bar where you can buy cold and warm drinks, pastry, snacks or whole meals. If the weather is good head for the big terrace to enjoy the sunshine.

Take a ferry to Christmas wonderland

For most of us the holidays started yesterday. Now we finally have time to really get into the Christmas mood. Most presents are hopefully already bough and now it’s time to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.

One of the best ways to get the Christmas feeling is to take a ferry to Tallinn. The Estonian capital has one of the most beautiful and picturesque Christmas markets in whole Europe. On the main square in the old town surrounded by beautiful old medieval buildings lots of small huts are welcoming the visitors. Here you can shop for handicraft, have some delicious Christmas food or just enjoy the atmosphere while having a hot cup of glögi.

And don’t worry if you can’t make it there anymore before Christmas. Tallinn’s Christmas market is open till January 8th.

Ferry tickets to Tallinn can be bough starting from 19 Euros. Take a look at the websites of Eckerö Line and Tallink. They also both offer fair hotel packaged if you plan on spending the night.

Have a nice trip!

Pizza on the island

This is definately one of the places you have to visit during summer. Skiffer on Liuskaluoto is originally just a gas station for boats. They expanded their service though and opened a bar. Here you don’t just get drinks but can also order pizza or liuska, how they call it.

And believe me, their pizza is amazing. One of the best if not even the best in Helsinki. Check out their menu on their website.

But even though the food is great the best thing about Skiffer is its location. Liuskaluota is an island next to Uunisaari. During the summer you just get there by boat. A small ferry takes you there for 5 € (return ticket). From the terrace you have a great view over Kaivopuisto and Eira and can watch the boats entering and leaving the harbor. On a warm and sunny summer day it is so nice that you don’t even want to leave anymore. And luckily they are open till 22.00 on the weekend. That means that you can stay there till the sun goes down.

This place is a must! Enjoy it!

A walk around Katajanokka

It’s basically right in the center but is still so different from the rest of Helsinki. Katajanokka, the peninsula in the south west of the city is a great place for a Sunday walk. Especially the northern part is worth a visit.

You might know the area if you ever left to Stockholm with Viking Line. At the most western tip of Katajanokka there is also a ferry leaving to Suomenlinna. From here you have a great view over the small islands in front of Helsinki.

If you continue along the seaside further north east you can see the impressive ice breakers of the Finnish marine. Now they are not in use but in the winter they are important to keep the ship passages in the Gulf of Finland open. Since not many countries have such powerful boats they also help out other countries during the cold time of the year.

After you pass the first sailing boats you get to Katajanokan Casino. These days you can’t gamble there anymore but enjoy good food at the fine dining restaurant.

Next to the casino you find the memorial for the ones that lost their lives clearing the sea from mines after the Second World war.

Head back east now and you will get to the marina where you can see nice sailing boats and also some of the most expensive and biggest yachts in Helsinki.

Now you got a first impression of Katajanokka. But there is still so much more to discover here. You should also visit the Orthodox Church on top of the hill. It’s the biggest in the Nordic countries. Also lots of good cafés and restaurants are just waiting to be discovered.

So take your time to explore. Have a nice Sunday!

Seaside impressions

It’s Monday again. Even though it is going to be a short week since Thursday is a national holyday here some pictures of the seaside around Helsinki to make the start into the week easier.