Helsinki - the final leg in Scandinavia

Helsinki. Here we are, at our final destination in Scandinavia, where we have spent a total of 6 weeks and have seen and felt many beautiful places, but also quite a bit of rain and cooler temperatures.

We have spent a total of 3 days here in the capital of Finland and have been able to explore the city from the municipal campsite with excellent access to the city center (15 minutes by metro, which was only a 3-minute walk from the campsite). Helsinki is a great mix of old and new, has a beautiful harbor and many attractions, such as Kauppatori and Kauppahalli (market square and market hall), where we ate delicious cake.

On the first day, we took a city walk in the sunshine, where all the main attractions were included. After that, we took a ferry to Savolinna, an island with a fortress that was used for defense by the Swedes, Finns, and Russians and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you can climb on the old walls, admire the cannons, visit the museum, or simply sit by the water and swim. We preferred to take a stroll around the island and sit by the water, enjoying the sun on our skin once again. In the evening, we walked to the Rock Church. It is a fairly modern church (built in the 60s?) and completely carved into the stone - it sounds quite unimaginable, but it really is like that and it is really beautiful to see. Take a look at the pictures. Unfortunately, we couldn't go inside in the evening, but we made up for it the next day.

On the last day, we had some problems with the weather - until 1 pm we had the choice between heavy rain and a downpour to pack up our tent - luckily, the sky cleared up and we were able to pack everything up dry. Before our ferry to Tallinn departed at 9:45 pm, we walked around the trendy district of Kallio, sat down in a café, and drank probably the sweetest Chai Latte and the strongest coffee in our lives, and then slowly made our way to the harbor.

What else can we say about Finland and Scandinavia in conclusion? Hm... Everyone really speaks English extremely well (in Lapland sometimes a little less, but everyone was friendly and open-minded, and with gestures, our 2 Finnish words (Hej and Kiitos - Hello and Thank you) we got by everywhere. Nature is amazing everywhere and you really realize how crowded Germany actually is. There are people or villages, roads or other signs of civilization everywhere. In Scandinavia, on the other hand, there are many natural places where you can clearly feel what natural life actually means and how much more it corresponds to our essence. In harmony with your soul, body, and nature. We should focus on things like this much more and distance ourselves from the fast pace, the hustle and bustle, and the noise that often surrounds us.