Helsinki Questions? Glad to help!

[Winesome]

Hmm so now I'm wondering what to do during our port day. Originally I was thinking about the ship's tour (yes I know) to see the highlights then take a trip to Porvoo and lunch at a horse farm. But with all the different beer and food options I"m thinking a quick highlights tour of Helsinki and then wandering around the town on our own. More research to do!

Sounds much better to hang around in town, than do a ship tour!!!!!!:D

[Ultima Thule]

Hello: We dock in Helsinki at 7:00 am. Is the market --or anywhere else--open at that time? Thanks.

 

Market opens at 6:30 Mon-Sat and during summer also Sunday 10:00

[Sinppu]

Hello: We dock in Helsinki at 7:00 am. Is the market --or anywhere else--open at that time? Thanks.

 

Hi, yes the Market is open that early.

If you dock at West Harbour it'll take you a while to reach town anyway. Shops and cafés open at 9am or latest 10am.

 

Hi

Just wondering if you think this will work?

We are in port from 7 - 5 on a Sun

We will be docking at Hernesaari in WestHarbour

Plan buy 24 hour pass and take bus 14 to Tram 3B to Tram 3T to Market Square, see as much around there then take a boat tour for 1 !/2 hours ...back to square until around 2:30 and head back to the boat: Also where in Market Square to get ciders sound Yummy along with a drink called lonkero

 

Sounds very good. You will not be rushed but still get to see plenty of stuff. The Market is at the end of a park and street called Esplanadi, there are plenty of restaurants and outside terraces (if the weather is nice) where you can have a drink. Finns drink a lot of alcoholic cider so there is plenty to choose from (apple, pear, dry, sweet...)

[blonde1981]

Sounds much better to hang around in town, than do a ship tour!!!!!!:D

 

I know. I'm going back and forth now because I wouldn't mind seeing the countryside a little bit if Porvoo was a good representation. I will have to look up more information.

 

Has anyone done a tour (ship or private) that goes to Porvoo or visited the area?

[Winesome]

Hi, yes the Market is open that early.

If you dock at West Harbour it'll take you a while to reach town anyway. Shops and cafés open at 9am or latest 10am.

 

 

 

Sounds very good. You will not be rushed but still get to see plenty of stuff. The Market is at the end of a park and street called Esplanadi, there are plenty of restaurants and outside terraces (if the weather is nice) where you can have a drink. Finns drink a lot of alcoholic cider so there is plenty to choose from (apple, pear, dry, sweet...)

Thanks, for your help

Am my okay with the buses & tram .....we here in Canada drink lots of alcoholic ciders, many flavours

I figure with the 24 hour card & boat tour it will cost me around 40 dollars & ship tour with 50 people is 99 dollars...and no stopping when you want...this leaves more money for ciders:o:o

[Alaskanb]

Market opens at 6:30 Mon-Sat and during summer also Sunday 10:00

Thanks -- really looking forward to Helsinki!

[JeffandMelissa]

I have a crazy question! :o

 

We will be in Helsinki on a Saturday in August. I would like to see the Temppeliaukio Kirkko, Rock Church. I understand that the church ocassionally closes at various times on Saturdays due to weddings. Totally get that! :)

 

How can I find out about potential closures before making the trip (walking from the rail station or taking Tram 3T) out to the church? Would love to see the church but also want to be time efficient as our time in the port is very limited.

 

Thanks!

Melissa

[Ultima Thule]

I have a crazy question! :o

 

I would like to see the Temppeliaukio Kirkko, Rock Church.

 

How can I find out about potential closures before making the trip out to the church? Would love to see the church but also want to be time efficient as our time in the port is very limited.

 

Open hours:

according to activities: listen to the bulletin tel. +358 (0)9 2340 5940.

 

http://www.helsinginkirkot.fi/en/churches/temppeliaukion-church

Edited February 7, 2013 by Ultima Thule

[Sinppu]

I have a crazy question! :o

 

We will be in Helsinki on a Saturday in August. I would like to see the Temppeliaukio Kirkko, Rock Church. I understand that the church ocassionally closes at various times on Saturdays due to weddings. Totally get that! :)

 

How can I find out about potential closures before making the trip (walking from the rail station or taking Tram 3T) out to the church? Would love to see the church but also want to be time efficient as our time in the port is very limited.

 

Thanks!

Melissa

 

You can also e-mail them closer to your cruise and ask them about their schedules: toolo.srk@evl.fi

[JeffandMelissa]

Ultima and Sinny,

 

Thank you so much for your help! I'll check with them prior to our arrival in August.

 

Thank you for all your help and insight on this thread!

 

Melissa

[blonde1981]

Can you tell me about the Helsinki Festival? It will be going on while we are there and I was wondering if it is just a nightly thing or if they have things going on during the day. Also is it near the tourist areas or further out in the city?

[Cruze4Ever]

Hi everyone!

 

If you have any questions about Helsinki (and/or Finland), I'll be more than happy to help!

Lived here for 11 years so I consider myself an expert :D

Please recommend botanical gardens in Helsinki. We are going in the middle of July. How is the weather at that time?

 

Thank you!

[Ultima Thule]

Please recommend botanical gardens in Helsinki. We are going in the middle of July. How is the weather at that time?

 

University of Helsinki Botanical Garden

 

http://www.luomus.fi/english/exhibitions/botanicgarden/index.htm

 

http://www.luomus.fi/english/exhibitions/botanicgarden/map.htm

 

In downtown, half a mile north of the market along Union Street. (500 yards north of the

cathedral).

 

Reached by tram 3B , stop "varsapuistikko" + 200 yards walk northwards along the street.

 

Weather in July should be the best of the year. Typically sunny with a bit cloudy with short showers about every third day.

Edited February 9, 2013 by Ultima Thule

[TLCOhio]

Please recommend botanical gardens in Helsinki. We are going in the middle of July. How is the weather at that time? Thank you!

 

How good of a botanical garden do you seek? Don't recall that Helsinki has a super-star for this specific type of offering. The prime growing season this far north in the world is not ideal and/or long. Below are two of my pictures from one prime park we visited there.

 

You can go to

http://www.wunderground.com

and check for the very specific weather history on many of the key towns in the world for their past temperatures in that specific area for a date in the past. Just look lower left in the page for weather history area, put in your exact dates and the year prior. You will then see what last year was like, along with recent highs and lows for that date there.

 

As an example for July 15, you will find this data for Helsinki: a high of 65 °F last year with a low of 53 °F, with an average high on this date of 69 °F with an average low of 52 °F. During recent history, the high has been 87 °F (2010) and a low of 48 °F (1996) on this date in Helsinki. There was .35 inches of rain on this date last year. Average rain on this date is .10 inches.

 

Wikipedia does detail the University of Helsinki Botanical Garden tied to the Finnish Museum of Natural History. It is about a 1000 feet north of the Senate Square. They maintains a collection of live plants for use in research and teaching. The Botanical Garden has two separate sites: one in Kaisaniemi and one in Kumpula. The Kaisaniemi Garden is open to the public. Its greenhouse is currently home to more than 800 different species of plants and its grounds to more than 2,800 plants of different origins. Construction on the Kumpula Garden started in 1987 and opened to the public in 2009.

 

Does this help? Reactions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 95,029 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

This Helsinki park has a stainless steel sculpture dedicated to famed composer Sibelius who is best-known for his symphonic work. The monument was unveiled in 1967 and sparked a debate about this abstract art. It consists of series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. It weighs 24 tons and measures 8.5 × 10.5 × 6.5 meters. This Sibelius Park has a nice, wooded setting next to the water. It is about a mile and a half from the main downtown. It is also near the stadium setting for the XV Olympics for when it was staged there in Helsinki in 1952. The Olympics were supposed to be there in 1940, but that got moved back due to World War II.:

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2013 by TLCOhio

[Cruze4Ever]

University of Helsinki Botanical Garden

 

http://www.luomus.fi/english/exhibitions/botanicgarden/index.htm

 

http://www.luomus.fi/english/exhibitions/botanicgarden/map.htm

 

In downtown, half a mile north of the market along Union Street. (500 yards north of the

cathedral).

 

Reached by tram 3B , stop "varsapuistikko" + 200 yards walk northwards along the street.

 

Weather in July should be the best of the year. Typically sunny with a bit cloudy with short showers about every third day.

 

Thank you so much! I will be sure to go to the University to view the gardens.

[Cruze4Ever]

Hi Terry, I will visit the university botanical gardens but was also looking for gardens in a woodland setting. Sibelius Park looks like a great place to see the sculpture and stroll around the gardens. Thank you for posting the pictures! Have you gone to the zoo? It looks like a wonderful zoo on an island!

 

Thanks again!

 

Carol

[TLCOhio]

Hi Terry, I will visit the university botanical gardens but was also looking for gardens in a woodland setting. Sibelius Park looks like a great place to see the sculpture and stroll around the gardens. Thank you for posting the pictures! Have you gone to the zoo? It looks like a wonderful zoo on an island! Thanks again! Carol

 

Appreciate the follow-up, Carol. No didn't do the zoo in Helsinki. We had a tour through our travel group that included going out into the "countryside" to see the home for the famed Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen at Hvittrask. Its buildings were made of natural stones and logs from the surrounding area. He was the father of the famed American architect who designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Dulles and JFK TWA terminals, CBS Black Rock building, etc. In Helsinki, our tour also passed the Saarinen-designed train station. Below are some visuals for this country/home/studio experience outside of Helsinki.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 118,768 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

B]The Saarinen country home outside of Helsinki: [/b]

 

 

 

Another building on this country site used by the Saarinen family and associates:

 

 

 

View from the Saarinen country home out over the nearby lake:

 

[SeaRun]

Hi Sinny!

Where in Helsinki can I purchase a good (read: decent quality, but not very expensive) Puukko, Finnish hunting knife?

Ideally, the store is near the pier or otherwise, accessable. And, anticipating possible issues of bringing knife on board ship and even flying with it in checked luggage, do any stores ship back to U.S.A?

Thank you for your assistance.

[H2Otstr]

Hi Sinny!

Where in Helsinki can I purchase a good (read: decent quality, but not very expensive) Puukko, Finnish hunting knife?

Ideally, the store is near the pier or otherwise, accessable. And, anticipating possible issues of bringing knife on board ship and even flying with it in checked luggage, do any stores ship back to U.S.A?

Thank you for your assistance.

 

My husband bought a knife here:

 

The new Marttiini shop is situated in the heart of Helsinki, with Senate Square and the Cathedral seen from the window. The new shop combines Marttiini’s long tradition and history with contemporary design. The materials used in the shop; wood, metal and leather, are the same materials used to construct the knives. All details have been designed with functionality in mind, allowing this small space to display more than 200 different products. The new Marttiini shop is just like the "Puukko": beautifully functional!

 

 

He wrapped it very well, put it in some socks and then in the toe of his shoe which was in his checked bags. No problem at all.

[Sinppu]

My husband bought a knife here:

 

The new Marttiini shop is situated in the heart of Helsinki, with Senate Square and the Cathedral seen from the window. The new shop combines Marttiini’s long tradition and history with contemporary design. The materials used in the shop; wood, metal and leather, are the same materials used to construct the knives. All details have been designed with functionality in mind, allowing this small space to display more than 200 different products. The new Marttiini shop is just like the "Puukko": beautifully functional!

 

 

He wrapped it very well, put it in some socks and then in the toe of his shoe which was in his checked bags. No problem at all.

 

That is an excellent answer ;)

Thanks for helping!

[Sinppu]

Can you tell me about the Helsinki Festival? It will be going on while we are there and I was wondering if it is just a nightly thing or if they have things going on during the day. Also is it near the tourist areas or further out in the city?

 

There will be a lot going on also in the city center and during daytime :)

[joyride21]

I've looked at several maps and seem to be getting conflicting information...when taking the number 9 tram, does it originate at the ferry terminal (shown on google maps as 'Västra Terminalen') or at West Terminal? (I know they are very close together, I just don't want to end up waiting in the wrong place...) Also, will I be able to buy a one day pass on the tram or do I need to find a ticket machine and pre-purchase one before boarding?

[Sinppu]

I've looked at several maps and seem to be getting conflicting information...when taking the number 9 tram, does it originate at the ferry terminal (shown on google maps as 'Västra Terminalen') or at West Terminal? (I know they are very close together, I just don't want to end up waiting in the wrong place...) Also, will I be able to buy a one day pass on the tram or do I need to find a ticket machine and pre-purchase one before boarding?

 

Västra Terminalen is West Terminal in Swedish so not to worry, they are the same location :)

 

You can buy the one day pass on the tram. Make sure you have small notes (5 or 10 €) or coins. The driver might not be able to give you change from a 50 euro note or higher.

[joyride21]

I was wondering if that might be the case. :) Google maps has it listed in two slightly different places, thus my confusion. Thank you for clearing that up.

[MMDown Under]

Sinny,

 

I appreciated all your advice last year when I visited two ports of call in Finland, for the first time.

 

I am considering a cruise which will visit the following three ports of call in Finland -

• Mariehamn
  
• Vaasa
  
• Kemi
  

Have you visited any of these places/have any comments on them?

 

Thank you for your assistance.

Edited February 26, 2013 by MMDown Under