Many travelers decide to take a day more in Stockholm or Copenhagen instead of heading to Finland’s capital. I visited it for a day, while staying in Tallinn last summer and I truly enjoyed the city. However, it was a cold day when I was there – the temperature was below 15°C and the wind was howling. Not that surprising considering we are talking Scandinavia.

First of all, you’re probably wondering what’s the best way to get through the city. Helsinki is compact and walkable, and it has an excellent public transportation system. A very popular option is underground metro, but you can also use bus or tram. The last one was my choice. I highly recommend buying day ticket, if you’re in hurry. It’s going to save you lots of time. Prices can be found here. All of the transport options operate on the honor system; you don’t need to present a ticket, but if you’re caught by a patrol without one, expect an 80 euro fine.

Things to do

1. Swim naked in the oldest public indoor swimming hall in Finland
Yrj0nkatu Swimming Hall is not only the oldest indoor swimming hall but also one of the most impressive buildings in the city. You can swim care-free and enjoy the sauna after. They have separate swimming days for men and women. Women are welcome on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun, while men get Tue, Thu and Sat. If you want an authentic Finnish experience, buy a second floor fare, because it includes so much more.
Address for your GPS: Yrjönkatu 21b, 00120 Helsinki

2. Grab fresh fruit at the central market
Perfect place to do souvenir shopping, buy fresh vegtables and fruits (berries everywhere!) and eat some local food. You can’t imagine how happy this market can make you feel when it’s one of the first things you see in the city after you get off your ferry feeling hungry.

3. Be in awe by Temppeliaukio Church
Build in a rock and opened in 1969, this rock church will take your breath away. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustics.
Address for your GPS: Lutherinkatu 3, 00100 Helsinki

4. Take a photograph in front of Tuomiokirkko Cathedral
One of Helsinki’s best known landmarks. The green domes of this white-walled Evangelical Lutheran Church that towers over Senate Square (Senaatintori) was originally built to honour the Russian Tsar, Nicolas I. It was finished in the early 1850s.

5. Walk up the hill to Uspenski Cathedral
It was completed in 1868 and is the largest Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe. Unfortunately it was not possible to enter inside when I was there, but I’ve read it’s just as stunning as on the outside.

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Europe is ofter referred to as the most romantic continent. Not surprising, there’s so much diversity that every one can find something for themselves.

10. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, also known as the Nordic Venice, is a harmonious city filled with colourful façades and eye-pleasing monuments. Modern art and historic charm are one in Swedish capital.

9. Lisbon, Portugal
Hilly colourful streets, charming restaurants and cozy little cafés are just some of the reasons that contribute to the romantic character of Lisbon.

Photo credit: Flickr

8. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
No matter what the time, strolling along the waterways in Amsterdam always feels calming and romantic. Water does its job, we could say. At night, the bridges are illuminated, which makes the city even more magical than it already is.

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It’s no secret there’s a small country up there called Estonia, but how much do you really know about it?

Estonia got on my must-visit list around two years ago, when I saw a picture of Tallinn at one of my favorite travel blogs. I was blown away with what I viewed, the capital city seemed to be so colourful! This summer I got a chance to explore more than just the most touristic city in this Baltic state. Here are 20 reasons why you should book your airplane ticket as soon as possible.

1. Colourful streets
As I mentioned, this was one of the main reasons I wanted to see Tallinn. If you’re like me, enjoying to photograph cobbled streets and buildings of all colours, you’ll feel like you’re in heaven when visiting Tallinn. My camera was out all the time. Two tips though: don’t wear high heels and for the best photographs in summer months, get up early before all tourists start pouring in.

2. Cute restaurants and bars
As a food lover, I must point this one out. You can order a cake in almost every bar (and they are all incredibly delicions) and the food is great. If you’re travelling on low-budget, I highly recommend you Drakon, a is an old-fashioned pub in Tallinn wherein all the meals cost 1-3 units of money. It’s right next to Town Hall Tower, so located at old city centre, but unlike other places around, this one is very inexpensive. When entering, you’ll be taken into medieval times, when the soup was drank out of clay pots (and not eaten with a spoon) and electricity didn’t exist. Perfect place for rainy days, which I couldn’t avoid. I can guarantree elk soup and carrott pie are very tasty.

Another amazing restaurant in Tallinn is Trofé. Their grilled salmon was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten (and I eat all the time!).

I mustn’t forget to mention Must Puudel, a retro bar with a wide range of beers, dreamy ice cream (peanut ice cream with salty peanuts…) and great meals. It is super groovy, but a little hidden, so make sure to go in. Also, the staff is really friendly.

However, you can’t really avoid touristic prices in Tallinn, that’s why I suggest you to visit more cities that you can easily reach using public transport or by car. In Viljandi I enjoyed Seljanka soup for 2€ (if I’m not mistaken, that would be around 6€ in Tallinn).

3. Tallinn airport
The largest airport in Estonia is only 4km away from the city centre. It’s small compared to bigger airports (Istanbul, for example), but so very cute. Excellent facilities, comfortable seats, modern look and positive messages on toilet doors (“Lipstick will save the day!”) all helped to make it my favorite airport. They also have the coolest business card exchange there with houndreds of cards pinned to the board.

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Every second Monday I’m going to recommend you one travel movie (in no specific order). Each one of those mentioned, had some kind of an impact on me and I’m sure they will affect you too. Travel movies have the ability to inspire your wanderlust, the motivation to a new destination and give you the power to chase your goals.

INTO THE WILD (2007)

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

This is one of those movies you could watch weekly and feel incredibly inspired by it. Into the Wild was released in 2007, but is still often discussed almost a decade later. Although movies rarely stay close to the books, Sean Penn’s spellbinding film adaptation did the source justice. It’s very easy to relate to the main character; haven’t we all at some point wished we could just throw it all away and escape the reality? Chris is an idealistic dreamer, who is intruduced to as someone most people would envy. He’s missing something in his life though, a connection with nature. What makes the movie so likable is the fact it’s based on a true story and shown that way. There’s a lot to learn about survival in the wilderness…

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When planning US trip, I discovered there are three options most people use when leaving NYC to visit Niagara Falls and Toronto; either they take a train to Buffalo, pay to a tour company or fly. Trying to avoid any more flights and wishing to spend more than just an afternoon in Toronto, I was searching for option number four. Something that would not require renting a car.

After days of research and contacting some locals, I found the solution. Keep reading to discover how you can pay less and get more. Note you’ll need to book your trip months in advance, if you want to save.

From New York, NY you take megabus to Toronto for 15 USD. You’ll spend 12 hours on the bus, which is a little tiring, so wear something comfy, take a book or your favorite magazine, and try not to forget a pillow. The bus we took was at 7.50am, but if we did it again, we’d change it for the one at 11.50pm instead. It’s a long ride and if you’re driving at night, you’ll most likely manage to catch some sleep. Not as much as you wish and sure, you won’t wake up feeling fresh, but at least you won’t throw the whole day away because of one bus ride. Tickets can be booked here. Pricing for tickets increases according to how many people have booked tickets, therefore I advise you to be quick and book yours around 2 months in advance. I know greyhound does the same route, but I am not sure about their starting price or anything else, because I’ve never used their service before. Find more information on their website.

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