I love my stopovers in Helsinki! I had 2 and a half days there on my way to Italy. Snow fell the night before I arrived…lucky me.
I always stay at the GLO hotel, right in the centre of the city. I dropped off my bags, had a shower and put on my winter clothes and headed off to see the sights of snowy Helsinki.
Esplanadi park is near the hotel. It leads from the city centre down the the harbour.
I love this little summer coffee hut, closed now for the winter.
The statue in the centre of the park looks quite different in spring when it is surrounded by flowers.
All of the sculptures have a snowy covering.
No takers for the park benches.
Beautiful buildings line Esplanadi.
Havis Amanda near the harbour had her snow cover.
The new information centre looks great in the snow.
Suomenlinna is in the distance.
The Russian church is probably not the most popular place in Helsinki right now.
Boats in the icy harbour.
Walking back towards the city I passed Tuomiokirkko.
In the centre the naked blacksmiths are still at work.
Stockmann department store behind a gorgeous tree. They say if you can’t get it at Stockmann you don’t need it.
No takers for outside dining.
I went to the beautiful park which is home to the Old Church of Helsinki. It is the oldest church in the city. It was designed by Carl Ludwig Engel and completed in 1826. The park is sometimes called Plague Park as over a thousand victims of the 1710 plague are buried in the park. Around 40 gravestones and memorials remain of the cemetery.
I love the bare branches of the trees weighed down with snow.
I spotted a cheerful snowman.
I would love to have done this as a child. I had to make do with the beach.
The buildings around the park are stunning.
The statue in the little park opposite the church had another snowman.
The snow on the statue beside it turned one of the figures into a yeti.
My lovely Australian friends who live in Helsinki took me for a drive outside the city. The snowy forest lining the road looked amazing. The photos were taken from the car, so they are not the best.
We stopped at an excellent country shop where we ate a delicious laskiaispulla, a bun filled with cream and almond paste or jam or both. It the tradition bun for Shrove Tuesday.
When I go back to Heksinki in June it will look completely different. I love distinct seasons!
GLO hotel…https://www.glohotels.fi