14 June 2018, Thursday
After a restful night’s sleep in my cabin, I woke up fully refreshed, feeling great. I had my breakfast in the cabin, then went up to the upper deck at 10:30am. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and loads of people were already out there enjoying the sun and the breeze.
At 11:30am, our Princess Anastasia cruise ship docked at Helsinki’s Lansiterminaali T1 (West Terminal 1). However, due to immigration procedures, we were not allowed to disembark until 12pm. I cleared immigration quite quickly at 12:37pm. And here I am, finally in Finland, after a 17-hour cruise from Stockholm!
I followed the signs to the tram station located outside the terminal building. At the vending machine, you can either buy a single ticket or a day ticket. A single ticket costs €2.90 and it is valid for 80 minutes. You are allowed to transfer from one vehicle to another during the validity of the ticket. I decided to buy a two-day ticket (valid for 48 hours) for €13.50 (S$21.94) because I thought it would be more economical. From the cruise terminal, I took tram number 7 to the city centre before changing to another tram to get to my hostel.
After a short ride, I alighted at Rautatieasema, where the Helsinki Central Station was. I was supposed to transfer to tram number 5 but I waited for a long time and it never came. I then went to a shopping arcade nearby and bought a mobile SIM card from the company DNA. It cost €7.90 (S$12.84) and it came with unlimited data in Finland and about 1.2GB worth of data that I could use in Estonia (my next destination). Quite cheap!
With my newly acquired mobile data connection, I found an alternative way to get to my hostel. I walked to another tram station nearby and took tram number 4 instead. After a short five-minute ride, I alighted at Vyökatu and reached my hostel at 1:50pm.
Eurohostel Helsinki
Address: Linnankatu 9, 00160 Helsinki, Finland
Room type: Budget dormitory bed (twin or triple room)
Price: €55.08 (S$91.74) for two nights
Website: https://eurohostel.eu/
The room was very big and it came with two beds. I didn’t have a roommate for the first night so once again, like on board Princess Anastasia, I had the entire room to myself. I liked the large wardrobe and also the table and chairs in the room. It felt like a student hostel room in a university – basic but adequately comfortable.
At 3:10pm, I headed out to explore Helsinki. After walking for 10 minutes, I reached Uspenski Cathedral, the largest orthodox church in Western Europe. It had a unique appearance – a red brick façade and pale green roofs that were topped with golden cupolas. It immediately came across as being very Russian-looking. Indeed, it was designed by a Russian architect and it was a clear demonstration of the Russian impact on Finnish history.
Finland and Russia were closely intertwined throughout history. Finland was initially under Swedish rule from the late 13th century to the year 1809. Russia and Sweden then fought from 1808 to 1809, in what was known as the Finnish War. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, part of the Russian Empire. Helsinki was designated as the capital during this period, in 1812.
In 1917, Finland gained independence. During the Second World War, Finland fought against the Soviet Union (USSR) on two occasions – first during the Winter War from November 1939 to March 1940, and then during the Continuation War from June 1941 to September 1944. Finland actually lost both wars and ceded parts of its territory to the Soviet Union, but the Soviet Union never occupied Finland and Finland was able to remain an independent country.
As Finland lost the wars, they had to pay the Soviet Union heavy war reparations in the form of goods, such as trains, ships and raw materials. This pushed Finland to advance from an agrarian (agricultural) society to an industrialised one, helping it become one of the world’s most technologically advanced countries (remember Nokia?). In 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union and economic overheating led to a recession in Finland. Finland then joined the European Union (EU) in 1995, and adopted the euro as their currency in 2002.
Ok, now that we’re done with the history lesson, back to more sightseeing. Just around the corner from Uspenski Cathedral was Allas Sea Pool (click here). It is a swimming pool and a sauna located right by the harbour. One of the pools is a sea pool and the other two are normal swimming pools. The water in the sea pool is pumped from farther away in the sea so it’s cleaner, and the water is also filtered using UV technology. There is also a rooftop bar. Many people were up there hanging out with their friends, catching up over beer.
A short walk away was Market Square, an open-air market with many booths selling food, souvenirs and art pieces. I saw a stall selling souvenirs for dogs and my curiosity was piqued. I asked the lady what the things were and she told me that they were reindeer antlers. Apparently, reindeer antlers are a natural and healthy dog chew, full of essential minerals, hypoallergenic and great for dogs’ teeth. According to the lady, dogs love them, so I bought a small one for €7 (S$11.38) for my sister’s dog. Hope she’ll like it!
I then walked over to Senate Square, the focal point of Helsinki. The square and the surrounding buildings make up the oldest part of Helsinki. In the middle of the square is a bronze statue of Alexander II, the emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881 (he was assassinated). He is beloved and regarded as “The Good Tsar” in Finland because of the reforms he initiated while he was presiding over the Grand Duchy of Finland.
Some of his notable achievements included establishing its own currency, the Finnish markka, in 1860; reconvening the Diet of Finland (the Finnish legislative body) in 1863; and elevating Finnish to a national language equal to Swedish in 1863. The statue was completed in 1894 but the year shown at the pedestal is 1863 because it depicts a scene of Alexander II speaking at the Diet of Finland in 1863.
Senate Square is dominated by Helsinki Cathedral, an unmissable white structure with green domes perched atop a wide flight of stairs, overlooking the square below. Built in the neoclassical style, it was completed in 1852. It is Helsinki’s most photographed and distinctive landmark. I went in for a quick look.
I then walked along Aleksanterinkatu, named after emperor Alexander I. This is the main commercial street of Helsinki, equivalent to Singapore’s Orchard Road. Here is where you’ll find Hard Rock Café and Stockmann, the largest department store in Helsinki.
I ventured over to the Helsinki Central Station. I loved its granite exterior and pale green roof embellishments. This art nouveau building was named by BBC in 2013 as one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world (click here). Its most distinctive features are the 48.5m-tall clock tower and the two pairs of statues holding spherical lamps guarding both sides of the entrance.
At 7:45pm, I took the tram back to my hostel for an early rest. Today was just a sneak preview of what I can expect in Helsinki. I will explore the city in greater detail tomorrow!