On the second day that I was in Helsinki, I took a short boat ride to the Suomenlinna Fortress which is located on an island guarding Helsinki's harbor, and which served as a strategic fortress for three countries [Finland, Sweden, and Russia] from the 1700's. Now the island [actually four islands connected by bridges]is a large park containing museums, military buildings [including Finland's Naval Academy], restaurants, a garrison church [which was Orthodox until the 20th century when it converted to Lutheranism], and the fortress battlements. It was a sunny, beautiful day, and I spent the entire day walking around the island and viewing the sights.
On my third day in Helsinki I took a two hour ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland to Tallin, Estonia. Tallin is the capital of Estonia and has a very beautiful old town area dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, surrounded by walls and towers. Actually, Tallin was made up of two feuding medieval towns, separated by a wall. The upper town, on a hill, called Toompea, was the seat of the government ruling Estonia. The lower town was an autonomous Hanseatic trading center filled with German, Dutch, and Swedish merchants, who hired the Estonians to do their menial labor.
Leaving Helsinki harbor the ferry passed very close to the Suomenlinna Fortress, and you had a marvelous view of the entire fortress complex, which I had visited the previous day.
After the ferry landed in Tallin harbor, I walked to the Old Town, and entered the walled city where the cobblestoned streets led to many old buildings, churches and parks.
I had lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant on the Town Hall Square.
I then walked up to the upper part of the Old Town to view the pink colored Estonian Parliament Building, and had a terrific view over the Old Town and harbor area of Tallin.
After a wonderful afternoon spent in Tallin, I returned to the harbor where my ferry was loading trucks and automobiles for the return trip to Helsinki.
Just behind the hotel where I was staying was a large park with a lake that connected to the harbor. One night after dinner I took a walk around the lake which was probably at least a mile in circumference. It was a beautiful evening.
The last day that I was in Helsinki I took a train to Turku, about two hours away. Turku is the historical capital of Finland and the port where I would catch a ferry the following day for Stockholm, Sweden. My hotel overlooked the Turku River which flows through the town. I walked along the river to the Turku Castle and the Turku Cathedral, which was built in the 12th century when Finland was first Christianized. I really enjoyed Turku, and I wished that I had more time to spend there.
Along the riverwalk were also several old wooden ships, as well as many restaurants and museums. Many people were out and about in the evening and in the morning walking along the river.
Tomorrow morning my visit to Finland comes to an end as I board a ferry to cross the Baltic Sea to Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is truly a very beautiful country, with warm and friendly people. I hope to return again some day to visit more of the country.
