A weekend North: Helsinki & Tallinn
DECEMBER 5-8, 2014
DAY 1
Italy - Helsinki
To completely immerse ourselves in the Christmas atmosphere that begins to pervade Europe we decide to spend a long weekend in two European capitals as far North as possible, hoping to have a few days between Christmas markets, hot cinnamon cider and a few meters of snow.
Not all programs went as planned, considering that, with the exception of a few meagre flakes in Estonia, we have seen snow only in the snowy globes of the shops. But we still spent a pleasant weekend in the cold (and darkness) pampered by Scandinavian food, strolling through the austere streets of Helsinki and browsing through the design shops, and the picturesque streets of Tallinn invaded by the Christmas markets.
This time Nic and I leave from two different cities, and we arrive by plane more or less at the same time in Helsinki. From Italy it takes more than 3 hours of flight time. We land at 2 p.m. and immediately have to deal with the discrepancy between day and sunlight, and get used to the darkness that has already fallen. We take a bus to the city centre, taking about 45 minutes. We leave our luggage at the hotel, which in spite of the name was relatively cheap, and we walk to the center.
HOTEL: Crown Plaza Hesperia
Between the hotel and the city centre there is a half-hour walk, and we take advantage of it to visit the surroundings of our accommodation, located outside the city centre but close to a city park that houses interesting architectural structures, including the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and the Music Centre, the headquarters of the philharmonic designed by the architect Aalto. We spend some time walking in the cold in the large park Töölönlahti that surrounds a huge lake.
When the cold becomes unbearable, we go to the Kampintori district and hide in an inn for dinner. The place we find is very characteristic, it offers local food at a fixed price. Guests have at their disposal a rich buffet of salmon soup, reindeer stew accompanied by mashed potatoes and currant sauce, potatoes in salad, a set of bowls that house every possible pickled vegetable, and bread, strictly rye as the Scandinavian tradition requires.
DINNER: Konstan Möljä
After having warmed up in front of this delicious dinner, we return to the hotel early, because in the morning a ferry awaits us leaving the port for Tallinn. Before going to bed, cooled down by a second walk, we enjoy a warm sauna in the hotel.
DAY 2
Helsinki - Tallinn
The Tallink Silja Line ferry leaves the port at 7:30 a.m. We take the first boat to take advantage of the few hours of light that we have available and visit the city early in the morning. On the ferry just some commuters going in Estonia for work. We arrive at the port of Tallinn at 9:30, practically at dawn. We leave our suitcases in the hotel. The hotel is basic, not bad for the price paid, but given the unpleasant area to cross, it is certainly not in the list of our accommodations to recommend.
HOTEL: GO Hotelli Snelli Tallinn
However, it is in a favorable position to move on foot to the historic city, very close. We enter the pretty town surrounded by perfectly preserved medieval walls. We are welcomed by a few snowflakes that barely whiten the streets. The center is very picturesque. The cold forces us to make a few stops in small shops, where we taste some local desserts. In the central square, Raekoja, where the town hall is located, are concentrated the huts of the Christmas market, a giant Christmas tree and some sleepy reindeer that cheers the children.
A few Christmas purchases are not enough to warm us up, and a little frozen we hide in a beautiful and elegant café in the center, where we start feeling again our fingers embracing a hot chocolate and some pastries.
CAFÈ: Makasmokk
We visit the cathedral Toompea and the upper part of the village, perched on a hill overlooking the old town. For dinner we eat sausages and freshly baked potatoes from a giant cauldron in the area of the markets, entertained by some Christmas carrols.
DAY 3
Tallinn - Helsinki
We survive the night in the hotel without any problems and in the morning we take again the first ferry to Helsinki, at 7:30 a.m. Near the port, we visit the Uspenskin Katedraali, an impressive building located on the island next to the port area. In front of it, the city symbol, the Tuomiokirkko, the neoclassical Lutheran cathedral whose austere interiors resemble a government building. We witness the rehearsals of the Christmas concert, and then we descend again the imposing staircase that reaches the center.
In the afternoon, we spend some time browsing through the shops of Punavuorenkatu, better known as the Design District. Like us, don't miss to taste a pulla, or rather, to taste the different versions sold everywhere in Helsinki. It is simply a delicious cinnamon roll, served hot.
We finish the afternoon in the area of the station, where a giant skating rink is set up for the winter. A couple of hours to cross the track with my beautiful vintage skates, teaching Nic how to skate, or better, fall ruinously on the ice. Another visit to the shops populated by the beautiful poppies of Marimekko and the furniture designed by Aalto, and we go to the hotel for the well-deserved evening sauna.
HOTEL: Rivoli Jardin
GIORNO 4
Helsinki - Italy
Scandinavian breakfast at the hotel, with salmon, cucumbers and rye bread. With the luggage in hand we go to the square in front of the cathedral, where we spend some time between the Christmas markets that have just opened for the season. After that, before leaving, we head to the port for a lunch of fish soup in the old market, which has become a beautiful gastronomic center housed in a covered steel and wood structure where you can also spend hours browsing through the boxes of sardines, the giant smoked salmons and local pastries.
LUNCH: Vanha Kauppahalli
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous opinions, positive and negative, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to lead you through world explorations, but the real journey, you build it!
