There is often a craft market beside the harbour in Helsinki. If you are searching for a reindeer skin, carved wooden items, a knitted hat or a delicious salmon lunch, this is the place to be.
carved wooden cups at the market
carved wooden stuff
What more could you want?
reindeer skins
great knitted hats
bears carved while you wait
The covered food market is also in this area. I love to walk through and look at the things that Finns buy to take home to cook. It always looks so exotic inside this lovely building and I wish I could stay in an apartment with a kitchen so I could experiment with different types of produce. It is possible to eat in the cafes and we have enjoyed meals in a few of them, but I would really like to do it myself – one day.
inside the market
fresh salmon
smoked fish perhaps
more fish
a giant crab
While we were wandering about we spotted a boat ready to take off on a cruise around the islands and canals in the harbour, so we jumped on board and climbed to the open air top floor. The boat glides past tiny islands with lovely old timber buildings, the fortress island of Soumenlinna, the naval headquarters and the icebreakers that are so vital in the long winter months and canals lined with private homes. It is interesting to see the mix of old and new on the islands so close to the city. Many are weekenders discretely placed in the wooded areas and are designed to blend in and not clash too much with their surroundings.
a lovley old wooden house in Helsinki Harbour
the fortress island of Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna
in the harbour
in the harbour
a house hidden in the trees
a boat landing with steps into the lake from the sauna
a very cute sauna
a brand new development on the lake
Helsinki's casino in the foreground
coming back to land
If you are lucky enough to be in Helsinki on a fine, clear day look for the Sunlines Sightseeing Cruise.
Market Square ticket office 358 20 741 8213
I might need a reindeer skin/mink for my new life in Tasmania
By: Roz on June 5, 2010
at 12:38 am
I think you need a trip to Finland.
By: bagnidilucca on June 5, 2010
at 12:42 am
you know Deb, I look at your blog and your different posts and it feels like magic. I cannot believe that you can do and visit all those magical place in less than a month! and I now that you have been to even more places this months but didn’t have the chance yet to talk about them.
Your pictures are like a dream, it feels impossible that they actually really exist… such a pleasure to the eye to look at your blog.
Thank you for your blog Debra:)
Mirella
By: mirellamccracken on June 5, 2010
at 12:09 pm
We were lucky enough to visit Helsinki last year and also visited the market. It is magical isn’t it?
By: Granny Anne on June 20, 2010
at 10:33 pm
Hi Granny Anne,
I love Helsinki and the market is indeed magical.
Deb
By: bagnidilucca on June 20, 2010
at 10:36 pm
I love this post. It was full of lovely photos. That photo from small Sauna warmed my heart.
I guess that You have been in Sauna many times. Here is my post about Sauna on wheels and our Sauna
Happy Monday!
By: sartenada on July 28, 2011
at 2:15 pm
I’m actually not a sauna fan. I dn’t like to be hot. There will be more on lovely Helsinki very soon.
By: bagnidilucca on July 28, 2011
at 9:51 pm
[…] here to see more on Helsinki […]
By: Sail away to Suomenlinna, the island fortress « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on September 15, 2011
at 8:59 am
Love the little bear carvings!
By: lisa@notesfromafrica on September 17, 2011
at 7:17 am