This Is Why Helsinki, Finland Should Be On Your Short List For 2021 – Baltic Sea 3

Posted On December 20, 2020

Helsingin Satama (Port of Helsinki), Finland

The busiest passenger port in the world and the main port for foreign trade in Finland – this is Helsingin Satama (or Port of Helsinki). It operates regular passenger connections to cities such as Talinn, Estonia; Stockholm, Sweden; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Travemunde in Lubeck, Germany. The Port of Helsinki is also a popular destination for cruise ships surpassing the Port of Dover in England. As Finland‘s major cargo port, its main export commodities are timber, machinery and equipment. Import activities include daily consumer goods. Port of Helsinki lies on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, off the Baltic Sea. It’s about 160 nautical miles from St. Petersburg, Russia and 42 nautical miles north-east from Talinn, Estonia.

On Helsinki:

Finland‘s capital lies on a peninsula by the Gulf of Finland. End even if it is located at the southern coast of the country, Helsinki is considered as the northernmost capital city of Europe. Sometimes referred to as “the white city of the north” due to its buildings that are constructed from white granite.

Founded in 1550 by King Gustav I of Sweden as a trading center, it was relocated in 1640 towards the Gulf of Finland. A plague hit Helsinki so hard in 1710 and razed to the ground in 1713 by the Russians. And each time the Finns tried to rebuild their city, the Russians kept on attacking. Such attacks were stopped after a fortification was erected in 1748. But Russia invaded Finland again in 1808, burning the city once more to ashes which prompted the Finns to finally surrender completely. The Russian Tsar Alexander I re-constructed Helsinki thereafter, hiring the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel to design a “style worthy of a capital“. Finland was annexed to Russia as an Autonomous Grand Duchy in 1809 until the Russian Revolution. The Finns declared their independence in 1917 and Helsinki was made a capital. A brief but bloody civil war ensued between conservative government troops (Whites) and leftists rebels (Reds). Situation in Helsinki stabilized in 1919 with Finland electing its first president. And subsequently Helsinki developed into an important center of trade, industry and culture making it one of the highest urban standard of living in the world.

Right after the oil discharging at Copenhagen Port on November 2003, the Karen Knutsen tanker sailed to Finland‘s Helsinki for bunkering at Helsingin Satama. Finland is not a part of Scandinavia but a part of a larger group, the Nordic. Helsinki is the capital of reindeers, elves and snow. It’s cold but beautiful and a very rich European capital. I’d like to say, Helsinki is not the sort of a city that comes with a list of must-see things to tick off in your list. Instead, you come here with a list of experiences you need to try. Read about the random facts why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

Safest city in the world:

It’s one of the few cities in the world where lost wallets and phones will surely be returned to the owner. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021. You can walk safely ALONE at parks and streets or ride in their public transport systems at any given time.

Truly a place of “happy” people:

In the land of Northern Lights and Santa Claus, for 3 years in a row, Finland has been named again as the happiest place to live. It ranked no. 1 in the World Happiness Report survey last March 2020. This is based on factors such as life expectancy, social support and corruption. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

The freedom to roam:

They call it in Finland “every man’s right” (or jokamiehen oikeus). This means that anybody who is visiting the country has the right to roam freely even on privately owned properties. You can pick blue berries or lingon berries, forage mushrooms or set up tents for camping and enjoy the recreational areas. Well as long as you clean up your litter when you leave the area. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

It is still the best place to experience the Midnight Sun and the Polar Night:

Here at Helsinki between June to July, the sun never sets below the horizon. This is the midnight sun. And in winter, between October to February, it does not rise over the sky. The phenomenon is called the polar night. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

Enjoy the northern lights everyday in winter:

And this is why Helsinki, Finland should be your short list for 2021. It is one of the best places to see the fleeting aurora borealis (northern lights). Between September to March tourists troop to the Finnish Lapland to have a glimpse of the astonishing rays of yellow, green, pink and violet. From there you can enjoy watching the northern lights 200 nights a year, everyday in winter. You can even sleep in a glass igloo to watch them. So how’s that?

You can watch some odd sports competition:

The Finns are into odd stuffs. They have sports competitions like wife-carrying, mobile phone-throwing, mosquito squashing or swamp soccer event. And you will have the chance to watch these wacky sports. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

A paradise for a mother and her child:

Since 1938, the Finnish government has provided all pregnant Moms with a pretty and durable boxes full of baby’s clothes, nappies, sheets, toys and a mattress..free and free hospitalization as well. Working mothers are given the chance to stay at home with their babies for a year receiving a full salary and excellent benefits. If any of the parents goes out of the house with his/her child, they travel free of charge. From 1 year old to 18 years of age, the child receives child-care benefits from the government. And when they enter school, their luck continues with free education until university. Finland is a good place for a child and his/her mother. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

Santa is absolutely Finnish, not from the North Pole:

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh… Yes, Santa Claus is from Finland. And if you go there in winter, you will likely meet a REAL Santa in Rovaniemi, the village where he lives. This is why Helsinki, Finland should be on your short list for 2021.

Now that you’ve learned all the interesting things about Helsinki, would it be great if you will experience them as well? Being with some of the happiest people in the world, a trip to Helsinki is absolutely be fantastic. There are other surprising things about this city and the best for you to find them out is by visiting it. This is why it should be on your short list for 2021. Iloinen matka. (Happy trip)

Reference: Wikipedia