I heard that you have to be crazy if you visit Finland in November. Well then I guess I am crazy.
I went to Finland for 5 days. In November the prices were quite low for both tickets and hotels. The weather was supposed to be crazy, which was kinda true but it wasn’t unbearable. I visited Helsinki, Suomenlinna and Lapenranta. Here is how it went.
Why did I decide to go to Finland in November?
There is no specific reason for this. Finland is one of the countries my list was missing. At this time I had time and the plane tickets were very cheap. I didn’t realize that it had a certain reason. It was later that I figured out that people say that you must be crazy to visit Finland in November. I went there around the 20th and I had a blast.
Things I did
Enjoy the Christmas parade
The Christmas parade was amazing. It happened on the 18th of November at 4pm. There were so many people from many different countries. The parade was so joyful. There were kids, adults and also dogs dressed in many different costumes. They were performing while walking through the streets of Helsinki. There were also many vehicles like trucks, fire trucks, cars or even horses. You could greet Mr. and Mrs. Claus and enjoy music and dances. It was very lovely and 100% worth it.
Wonder around Helsinki
Helsinki is a very urbanistic city. There is not that much history or stunning architecture but there are definitely things to see.
I visited the Helsinki Cathedral. It is the landmark of the city and definitely something you can’t miss. The cathedral is enormous and beautiful from outside. The entrance is free but for me the inside was not so interesting.
Katajanokka is a small island connected with the bridge. Here is a Uspenskin cathedral, another very nice cathedral of Helsinki. Besides that there is a ferris wheel and sauna with outside swimming pools. This is open the whole year. There are several harbors on this island and nearby.
Just next to the harbor there was a small market. They offered some souvenirs and local dishes. I am a low budget traveler so I didn’t really buy any specialties because it is quite expensive in Finland. But if you want to enjoy something local, you should try the salmon soup. The price was around 10€.
There are also many malls in the city. The Stockmann mall has a tradition to show a fairy tale in the window. It is magical and there are speakers to tell the fairy tale. They speak both in Finnish and English. A lot of shops, restaurants and cafes or pubs make this city amazing for everyone who likes to enjoy new cafe places or eat in some aesthetic places. Asian culture is also big here. I visited a small korean cafe where I had an amazing moshi.
There is also a so-called art wall near the sea. You should definitely go for a walk near the sea, it is lovely.
Visit Suomenlinna
I liked this group of islands a lot. There are 4 main islands connected with bridges. This place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built as a fortress in the past, used during the wars and now there are many museums. You can see there a lot of cannons, tunnels, but also cafes, restaurants and a church that has a built in lighthouse. There are the nicest wooden houses giving me the retro movie vibes. The view there is also amazing. You can get there by a ferry with a simple city transport ticket. There are also people living. The population of the island is around 850 people. There are schools and a small shop as well. This was definitely the best experience of my Finland trip.
Go to Lapenranta
I visited a small city called Lapenranta. The city appeared in a Finnish series my boyfriend liked so we paid a visit. When I was going there it was just snowing. From Helsinki it is around 2 hours by train. It was so beautiful to ride through the snowy country. When I arrived it was -8॰C feeling temperature -13॰C. It was very cold. It is a very lovely town. There were Christmas decorations, a small old town, a shopping mall and a lake with beautiful nature. It was lovely in the winter and I can imagine how great it could be in the summer. There was a beach, a slide and a tower. People are also using it in the winter. While we were there, there were several people swimming. It is part of Finnish culture to go to the sauna and take a dip in the cold water. I believe it is good for your immunity but I would say it is for the strong ones. It was very interesting to see.
Likes
- Finland is a very dog friendly country. I loved that. There were dogs everywhere. People were constantly walking with them. They were in malls, shops, cafes and in the parade. I loved how many dogs were in the parade.
- I liked the community. It is known that Fins are very introverted. I personally didn’t see that. What I saw was that people were in groups hanging out, having fun everywhere. I expected people to be closed. On the other side I experienced that everyone was hanging out with friends and families, and their dogs. Shops, cafes and restaurants were full. People were very nice to me and I saw that they protect their culture.
- The scenery. It was amazing. When it started to snow it was a picture perfect winter wonderland. Now that I’ve only been to the south, I can imagine how stunning the north is.
Dislikes
- In my opinion Helsinki is a bit of a boring city. As I mentioned above, it is an urban city. But I think that depends on your preference. It is definitely not a bad city, it is just not my favorite.
- Finland is expensive. But that is no surprise and everyone going there has to expect it.
In general my experience was good. Even tho I went there in November. I can admit that the weather was a bit crazy. I had sun, I had rain and I had snow, but at least I experienced all of the seasons in one week. My days were not as full as usual, but I liked the vibes of Finland. I’m very excited to visit the northern part and Santa Claus. I know Finland is amazing, you just have to get there.
I’ll give this trip ⭐⭐⭐⭐
How would you rate this trip?