Finland and Estonia
Located in the far Northern region of Europe around the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland you will find the countries of Finland and Estonia. Both countries speak a similar language, Estonian is related to Finnish. Finland is not truly a Scandinavian Country but is a Nordic due to its far Northern location. Both Finland and Estonia Border Russia. Estonia was part of Russia for quite some time and Finland was also part of Russia for a time and was invaded by Russia during World War II. Finland for a long time was part of Sweden. Much of Finland today is rural forested land out side of the main cities like Helsinki. The Lapland region of Northern Finland is a unique culture and area of the country. Estonia also has unique culture that was shaped by many different forces including being part of the Soviet Union and invaded by the Nazi’s in WWII. Both countries have wonderful sites and museums to visit. They each have unique cuisines and cultures to experience. We spent several days in Helsinki, Finland in 2018 that included a day trip across the Baltic to the Capital City of Estonia of Tallinn. It was an amazing few days visiting the Happiest County on Earth in Finland and a side trip to another amazing destination in Tallinn, Estonia. We visited at the tail end of their winter in March so the bay by our Hotel was still frozen. It was a great trip and I hope to make it there again someday!
Getting to Finland and Estonia and Transportation
Finland and Estonia are on the far side of Europe but there are a few ways to get to these destinations. On of the more popular ways for a short visit is to take a Baltic Cruise that stops in both Helsinki and Tallinn. If you want to visit a little longer you best bet will be to fly into Helsinki or Tallinn. You can take rail but it will be a long and more than likely multiple train journey depending where you are coming from. There is also the option of taking a ferry from another city to Helsinki or Tallinn. We had been in Poland before visiting Finland so we flew to Helsinki via Copenhagen, Denmark. The Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is a beautiful modern airport that plays off the heavily forested Finland. You can smell the wood and there are many very comfortable seats to rest in and exhibits on Finland. To get to Tallinn we took a fast ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and back. The trip takes about 2 hours. The Ferry is more like a small cruise ship with restaurants, a small casino, a huge shopping area, lounge areas and even rooms to rent if you want a quick nap. The ferry takes you across the Gulf of Finland. The cost is not too much for the journey (around $30-60). When in Finland there are trains that can take you around the country. We took one from the airport North of town to the main train station in Helsinki. We also had light rail that was used all over Helsinki. There are trams/light rail in Tallinn but we walked much of the Medieval old town. We purchased a Helsinki Card that included all public transportation so it was very handy and affordable to have.
Other Country Information
Finland and Estonia are both part of the European Union and the Schengen zone. So once you have entered the Schengen zone you can travel to any of the other countries without a border check. Both countries also use the Euro as their currency. The Euro is usually worth a little more than the US Dollar. The language spoken in Finland is Finnish and the language spoken in Estonia is Estonian (both similar languages). English is spoken pretty much everywhere so we were able to communicate well with everyone in English. Finland is very expensive so expect food and other items to cost more than the average location. An average traditional Finnish restaurant could cost $40 or more per person so take advantage of any lower coast places such as Burger King or a local fast food restaurant. Estonia is cheaper so even the Finnish people travel to Estonia sometimes to get certain goods. Purchasing the Helsinki Card is a great option as it gives you free access to all public transportation and free or discounted access to museums and other sites throughout the Helsinki area. If you go during winter or fall bring plenty of clod weather clothing as it is cold. The climate is mild during the summer time.
Downtown Helsinki
Many of the sites in Helsinki are easily seen and are walk able in the downtown area. The harbor and market square are located in downtown. We started exploring Helsinki from that area and took an observation wheel ride and also took a 4D flying cinema tour of Helsinki’s attractions. From the Observation wheel we could see people jumping into the cold harbor water to get an invigorating jolt to start the day at the harbor spa. Sauna’s and Spa’s are a huge part of Finnish Culture. They spend a decent amount of time in sauna’s as it is a social and health custom in Finland. We took a walk to some of the other sites in the downtown area after our visit to the observation wheel. There are shops all around the area where you can get souvenirs and traditional Finnish items. Woodworking, special textiles and traditional Finnish knife called the Puukko are a few of the items you an get. We bought quite a few of those items from tents in the market square in the harbor area where the prices were pretty good. We also walked past the Helsinki Government Palace where the Prime Minister’s offices are.
Uspenski Cathedral
Our second stop was to one of the largest Eastern Orthodox Cathedrals in the Western World. Up until that point we had never visited a Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. This Cathedral was built in the 19th Century and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Inside the domed church it is extremely ornate with a beautiful gold alter, many paintings and other art. We spent a few minutes inside but we wanted to be respectful of any worshipers that were in the Cathedral. Its well worth a quick stop and it is free to visit.
Helsinki City Museum
After our visit to the Cathedral we visited the free Helsinki City Museum. The museum goes over the history of Helsinki and has several floors of exhibits. There are temporary exhibits that come to the museum as well. The temporary exhibit we visited was an interesting exhibit on facing fear that included interactive exhibits. Its a very nice museum that includes a gift shop and will take an hour or so to go through. You will learn a lot about Finland’s capital city while visiting this museum!
Helsinki Cathedral
Our next stop was visiting Senate Square and the very prominent Helsinki Cathedral. The Helsinki Cathedral is a Lutheran Church also built in the 19th century. It sits atop a high point in the city around one of the larger squares in the city. You can see the Cathedral from many places. We climbed the steps and visited the Cathedral. Its beautiful inside as well but not quite as ornate as the Eastern Orthodox Church. We took a quick walk around before taking a tram/light rail to our next stop in the city. The Helsinki Cathedral is free to visit and just take a few minutes to look around depending how long you want to stay inside.
Temppeliaukio Church AKA Church of the Rock
Located in a neighborhood outside of the downtown Helsinki Area is a very interesting and more modern Lutheran Church. This church was built in the 1960s and was built out of solid rock. The Church of the Rock is underground in the natural rock of the area. The acoustics are very unique with the rock walls and the sanctuary is different from many churches I have been too. They have cards with Bible versus in many languages there are we spent some time to rest and meditate before we moved on. You can take a walk and spend whatever time you would like inside including visit the balcony and a small museum. We spent around 30-45 minutes at the church. There is a cost to go inside but if you have the Helsinki Card it is free to enter. The best way to get there is by taking a tram/light rail and a quick walk to the church.
The National Museum of Finland
We once again used the good public transportation to visit the National Museum of Finland. Its located in the central part of Finland not far from the Parliament building we walked past and other statues and National Buildings. This museum is a very well done national museum. It goes over Finland’s history from the Stone age to the present age. There are quite a few interactive exhibits throughout and artifacts. From ancient jewelry, to a royal thrown, to a replica sauna this museum goes over every aspect of Finish history and culture. It goes over the Swedish and Russian eras, it goes over the religious history of Finland and so much more. There is a Virtual Reality experience of a special meeting with the Russians you can be a part of. There is a section of the museum in the modern era that goes over items such as the Baby Box that comes with supplies that is given to every family to help bring in a healthy child into the world. There is a section talking about the Finish love of Saunas and a very nice section of Finish Heavy Metal Music where you can listen to Metal music from the country. There is a restaurant that serves pretty good food in the facility as well. We spent a couple hours going through the museum and came out with a lot better understanding of Finland. Finland is know as a cold and rural country but its a lot more and has a culture that has made it the happiest nation on Earth. I highly recommend this museum to learn more about the country while you are there. If you have the Helsinki Card this museum is free.
Amos Rex Art Museum
We visited a modern art museum that is very popular and is open fairly late. We always try to use all the time we can to see as much as we can in a location because you never know if you will make it back so we believe you make the most of the time you have. This museum is underground and looks very futuristic. It has temporary and permanent exhibits that include paintings and sculptures. While we were there an exhibit called “Studio Drift”. There was a video that showed floating monoliths going throughout the countryside. After watching the video you entered a large chamber with a large floating monolith like in the video turning and moving with no wires. It was an interesting exhibit and gave no real explanation of how the monolith floats. There was also an exhibit showing what common items are made of elementally wise. We spent an hour or so at the museum. This museum is also free with the Helsinki Card.
Suomenlinna Fortress
We spent an entire day exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site Suomenlinna Fortress. The huge fortress has been called the “Gibraltar of the North” due to its size and strength. It was built in the 1700s by the Swedish to counter Russian expansion in the area. The fortress has changed hands and names over the years with Sweden, Russia and Finland all controlling it at some point in its history. The word Suomi is the Finnish word for Finland so the current name is referring to Finland. To get to Suomeninna Fortress you have to take a ferry to the Island the Fortress is on. The Ferry and most of the attractions on the Island are free or at least discounted by using the Helsinki Card. On the Island there are several museums, guided tours, and a Finnish World War II submarine to tour. The fortress is also actually a home to several hundred people who use the ferry to get into Helsinki to work. When we arrived we started to explore and went to the Suomenlinna Museum to learn about the Fortress. The museum has artifacts from the Fortresses’ History and a good video you can listen to in many different languages. We then took a tour of the facilities of the island with a guide who spoke in English. We visited the dry dock/harbor area and some of the fortress buildings. We took some time to walk the fortress and see the cannons and enjoy the nice views of the Gulf of Finland and the Helsinki Area. We went over to the World War II Submarine Vesikko but it is only open during the summer for tour so we could only see the outside. There is a cost to tour but its free with the Helsinki Card. We visited the Toy Museum on the island and saw Toys from many different eras and countries including the Finish Moomins and many toys from the USA. We spent about an hour at the museum and it is discounted with a Helsinki Card. We finished up our day touring the Military Museum. The military museum goes over Finnish Military history from Swedish times to the modern era. It includes uniforms, weapons, tanks and many other artifacts. The museum goes over in detail “The Winter War” and “The Continuation War”. Both wars were Finland’s involvement in WWII. Finland fought against the Soviet Union as they invaded Finland as part of the beginning of Nazi and Soviet invasions in the beginning of WWII. A few years later the Nazis joined Finland in the fight against the Soviets that ultimately ended in Finland giving up some of its land as “The Continuation War” ended in 1944. The last part of the exhibit goes over the modern military. There are a few other museums on the island but they are only open during the summer as well. We made a quick stop to the chapel on the way to the ferry. We ended our tour and took the ferry back into downtown Helsinki. Suomenlinna is a must see attraction in Helsinki!
Food in Finland
Food in Finland is characterized by salted and pickled dishes (among many other different items). We tried breakfast herring in a salty liquid at our hotel. Its an acquired taste for sure. We also ate at a traditional Finnish Food Restaurant recommended by the Hotel. We had fried herring and tried the Finnish Pork. It was pretty good. A couple of tips on Finnish dinning is to expect that other than fast food the food is expensive so be sure to budget for $40 a person for dinner depending on where you eat. Also most restaurants outside of fast food required reservations as we found out the hard way one night as we were turned away from quite a few restaurants. We got a reservation for the Finnish Food Restaurant. Some places will allow walk ins if available like a sports bar allowed us. To budget we went to Burger King on night and to a local fast food establishment called Hesburger that had good food. For sweets licorice is very popular. We had some very good Chocolate and Mint flavored licorice. Salty licorice called Salmiak is a local delicacy but also take an acquired taste. As the name states it is extremely salty.
Day trip to Tallinn Estonia
We took advantage of the short distance from Helsinki to visit the Baltic country of Estonia. We took a two hour ride on a fast ferry to the Capital city of Tallinn. We were met there by a tour guide who drove us through the city and gave us a lot of good information about the country and their culture. We find that getting a local guide for day trips will save you time and give you a much better appreciation of the area you are touring. Its worth the extra cost. One item out guide mentioned was the Paid Paternity and Maternity Leave in their country. Paid Maternity Leave is 140 days with an additional 435 days that is shared between both parents. It was a source of pride for our guide and we found it interesting for sure. Our guide first drove us to Kadriorg Park that contains many monuments, a lot of green space and some important museums. We drove past Kadriorg Palace that was once once of the homes for Russians Peter the Great and Catherine I. Today the palace is part of the Estonian Art Museum. We also past by the Peter The Great House Museum and we stopped and got out to take pictures of the Office of the President of Estonia that is in the park. We then drove along the coast and past by the WWII Memorial and the Memorial to the victims of Communism. Estonia suffered under both Nazi Occupation and Soviet rule until its independence. We also stopped by the ruins of the 1400s Pirita Convent. We also went by the Soviet built Olympic Yachting/Sailing center that was part of the 1980 Summer Olympics. Our final stop before going to the jewel of Tallinn was the Tallinn Song Festival Ground where during the push for Independence a large gathering was made to sing patriotic songs. Today big name acts perform at the outdoor concert site.
Old Town Tallinn
Our guide took us on a walking tour of the jewel of Tallinn, the Old Town District. Due to Estonia’s part of trade through the Hanseatic League the city became an important Medieval city. The city still has its Medieval walls complete with towers. We took a walk through the old streets and stopped a a glass shop and continued on to the main square. On the main square there is an interesting restaurant called the Olde Hansa that serves Medieval food and all the staff act like we are back in Medieval times. We did not eat there but we visited the gift shop and bought some of their Medieval Honey Beer to try. We continued with our guide to the upper town of the Old Town area and passed by shops, art museums, and a statues. We visited the domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the upper town area that is a stunning church and very ornate. It is an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. We spent some free time walking the walls and taking in great views of the city. There are quite a few museums you can visit in Tallinn but you really would need more than a day tour to take them in and see the other sites in Tallinn. We had the chance to see the pink colored Estonian Parliament building and a couple other very old churches. We also spent a little time in Freedom Square that has a glass cross in memory of those who were killed during their War for Independence. At the end of our tour our guide picked us back up and took us to the ferry terminal to make our way back to Helsinki. It was a great day visiting Estonia and we would like to go back someday to take a little more time to visit the museums and sites in the city.
Food in Estonia
While touring in Old Town Tallinn we took some time to eat at a local Estonian food restaurant. We tried Estonian Sausages, Estonian Rye Bread and Estonian pie with Ice Cream. The food was very tasty to us and we would have it again for sure. Also, the food prices were quite affordable in Estonia. Estonian food has a mixture of cultural influences including Russia and Scandinavia. If we went back we would also like to try the Olde Hansa Restaurant in Old Town Tallinn.
Tips for Finland and Estonia
Both countries have their unique cultures and site so spend some time learning about each country and include the Finland National Museum in your itinerary. If you opt like us to do a day tour to Tallinn, Estonia having a guide really helps allow you to maximize your time and really learn about Estonia. Be ready for cold weather if you go during the winter time and the temperature is mild if you go during the summer. In Finland expect the food prices to be pricey so if you can stay somewhere with free breakfast that will help the budget. We ate breakfast and skipped lunch or just had a snack and then had dinner. Things are more affordable in Estonia. If you get the change as we did go try out a Finnish Sauna, but expect that nudity is not quite as big a deal as it is in the United States (being American we went to the Sauna in our swim suites but that is not necessarily what everyone will do). Take at least a few day to truly see much of these two countries. We would like to branch out and see more as there were other great museums and sites in both countries we did not see. We would like to go back again someday!