Helsinki, Finland

Port #5 of our Baltic Cruise

Travel Notes

Transportation

Shuttle buses were waiting at this port to take passengers downtown for a small fee. I can't give details on how much this cost because we happened to hop on the bus, thinking it was free, and didn't find out until we tried to get back to the ship that we needed a ticket. The driver cut us a break and gave us a free ride! Once downtown, it's compact enough to see most of the highlighted attractions on foot.  

Attractions

This was our least favorite city on the cruise. There weren't many sights that left us oohing and ahhing over. The day before was spent in St. Petersburg and it left big shoes to fill. Poor Helsinki didn't stand a chance. If you have at least three hours in this city, check out the following: 

• Senate Square 
• Helsinki Cathedral 
• Tori Quarters 
• Market Square 
• Old Market Hall
• Esplanade Park 

If you have more than three hours, go to Suomenlinna, an 18th century sea fortress that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take a 20 minute ferry ride from Market Square to the island. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to visit this.