Helsinki: A Day of Two Islands

To round out my last day in Helsinki, I decided to tick off a few more of Helsinki's attractions - again a combination of man-made and natural. Ducking quickly into the Kamppi area near the city centre, I headed into the Kamppi Chapel of Silence (free admission) for some reflective thinking with a higher deity of some kind (I'm an Atheist). Next, I proceeded to the Temppeliaukio Church, more commonly known as the Rock Church (free admission) for its distinctive origins from rocks. It's very small so there's not much to see apart from a few photos.


The interior of the Rock Church

After these detours, I was ready to move onto the main course of the day - the Seurasaari Island and it's traditional Finnish buildings of days gone by. However, after walking along the west coast of Helsinki, I came across the Rajasaari Island and couldn't resist a brief pitstop.

Attraction details:

Name: Rajasaari Island
Directions: A short walk along the Merikannontie Road, continuing along the west coast. I estimate it would take around 15-20 minutes walk to get to from the city centre. 
Admission fee: Free
Rating: 4/5 stars

A popular spot for dog walking, sunbathing and swimming, the Rajasaari Island is full of scenic views and beautiful flora (I spotted some roseberries) and fauna (swans, etc). I highly recommend it for a pure dose of Mother Nature away from the city.


Rajasaari Island


Rajasaari Island 2


Rajasaari Island 3

After taking in the views, I proceeded further along the coast to the Seurasaari Island, which depicts what life was like in 1600s Finland through a series of preserved old buildings, churches, windmills, farms and the like.

Attraction details:
Name: Seurasaari Island
Directions: Continue walking along the west coast of Helsinki past the Foliosovagen Rajasaari Island and you will see signage pointing you to Seurasaari. Alternatively, the number 24 bus from the city centre goes directly to the Seurasaari Island as its last stop. The bus takes around 20 minutes all up.
Admission: Free (excluding entry to any open museums and restaurants/cafes)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Traveller tip: Take some food and have a picnic there to properly enjoy the views.

The next 2 hours was spent simply drinking in the history and atmosphere of the buildings and learning about Finnish history by reading the signs dotted around the attractions. Compared to the relatively commercialised Suomelinna Island on the opposite side of Helsinki, I found Seurasaari to be immensely peaceful, organic and beautiful. Tame hares and squirrels are regularly scene scampering around amidst the herb-rich forests, making for an interesting hybridised journey of history and nature.


Seurasaari Island


Seurasaari Island


Seurasaari Island 3


Seurasaari Island