What To Do During Your Christmas Time Visit to Helsinki

Christmas in Helsinki is not just the magic of the land of Santa Claus

Compared to all the glittering Christmas cities around the world, the Finnish capital is like an urban retreat that energizes and soothes you with its hot saunas, beautiful nature, and both new and old traditions.

Here is a special guide for the festive season to help you start planning your visit: Your local guide to Christmas.

See you in Helsinki in December?

 

Read more:

Christmas Traditions in Helsinki

 

If in doubt, contact us for your Helsinki tour or Tallinn to Helsinki Day Trip.

Signs of winter in Helsinki:
✔️ Blizzards
✔️ Cross-country skiers in Keskuspuisto (Central Park)
✔️ Sledding hill in Alppipuisto park
✔️ Snowmen in courtyards
✔️ Christmas decorations in windows
✔️ Snowploughs out early in the morning
✔️ Long johns
✔️ Ice fishing on the Töölönlahti bay
✔️ Walking on the frozen sea
✔️ Kick sledding at Suomenlinna
✔️ Icebreakers clearing the shipping lanes
✔️ Taxi stands with long lines of Christmas partygoers

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Did you know? Interesting facts about Tallinn, Estonia!

  • According to the WHO survey on air quality conducted in 2011, Estonia´s air is the cleanest in the world.
  • Almost 50% of Estonia is covered by forest.

  • As of 1st of April 2013, the number of public wireless Internet or Wi-Fi hotspots in Estonia was nearly 1200.
  • The Skype software was created by Estonians.
  • The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence is located in Tallinn.
  • In 2013, 99 % of the bank transfers were performed electronically and 95 % of the income tax declarations were submitted through the e-Tax Board.
  • Average temperature in July +17.9 °C (2011).
  • Average temperature in February –2.7 °C.
  • Estonia has the highest number of meteorite craters per land area in the world.
  • Highest point in Estonia, the „ Big Egg Mountain “reaches only 318 m above the sea level.
  • Most popular souvenirs to take home with you are juniper tree wooden utensils, traditional linen items and delicious marzipan with healing powers.
  • Estonians have the biggest collection of folk songs in the world with written records of 133,000 folk songs.

  • Estonian Arvo Pärt is the most performed contemporary composer in the world.
  • Estonians traditionally eat blood sausages on Christmas Eve.
  • The Estonian´s sense of humor is often hard to figure out being close to the British.
  • An average Estonian loves nature activities, theater and reading during their spare time.
  • Once every five years the Estonians gather for a weekend in Tallinn for an emotional manifest of pride for their country through singing and dancing during the wonderful Song and Dance Festival.

Want to hear more interesting facts about Tallinn, book your Tallinn city tour here: Tallinn Private City Tour.

Best restaurants in Tallinn in 2018 by White Guide Nordic

Restaurants are assessed by 30 representatives of the food media, from whom 12 are from Estonia and 18 from abroad. Every place is judged several times with half of the judges being local and half of them from abroad. Judges visit the restaurants anonymously, decide by themselves what to order, and also pay the bill on spot. Focus of the evaluation is on food (maximum of 40 points) while drink list (maximum of 20 points), service (maximum of 25 points) and milieu (maximum of 15 points) are also taken under consideration. Maximum points that a restaurant can receive is 100. Based on the assessment the restaurants are divided into categories.

Global Masters Level restaurants

There are two global masters level restaurants in Estonia. Such restaurants must receive minimum 85 points in total and at least 35 points of them for food.

Restaurant Noa
Alexander Chef´s Table
Chef's Table Tallinn | Nordic Experience

Masters Level restaurants

There are two masters level restaurants in Tallinn. These restaurants must receive minimum 75 points in total and at least 32 points of them for food.

Juur

Juur Tallinn | Nordic Experience

 

Very Fine Level restaurants

In 2018 there are 16 high class restaurants in Tallinn. Restaurants receiving minimum 67 points in total and at least 28 points for food qualify in the high class restaurants’ category.

Fine Level restaurants

There are all together 18 fine level restaurants in Tallinn and in the city’s surroundings. A fine level restaurant has received at least 60 points in total during the evaluation with minimum 22 points for food.

Estonia is Europe’s Most Underrated Country by New York Post

After all, no one knew anything about the European country — which is three times smaller than New York state — so it was a plausible home for the mysterious exchange student.

Larger than both Denmark and Holland, but with a population of just 1.3 million, it’s easy to take advantage of both city and country — especially since about 50 percent of the country is uninhabited forest. Twenty-five years after the film’s release, Estonia still seems off the beaten path. (Even though the now ubiquitous phone-imitating app Skype was founded in Estonia, and most locals won’t let you forget it!) But it’s well worth a visit.

Less obvious to visitors is the country’s continued tech savvy: Residents use a coded government identification card to pay bills and taxes — and even cast all votes in elections — from home.

Flights from New York to Estonia start at about $800 round-trip on Finnair via Helsinki this winter. Here are the Baltic nation’s four major cities worth exploring, especially for first-timers.

Tallinn

The fairy-tale capital of Estonia is the best-preserved medieval city in northern Europe, with winding cobblestone streets and incredible architecture. Once was home to wealthy merchants from neighboring countries, Tallinn’s historic center — called the Old Town — is now filled with restaurants, bars, museums and galleries, with a healthy mix of locals and visitors.

Though keen observers will notice a wide array of handsome historic churches — practically one on every other corner — only about a quarter of the population is affiliated with any religion, making Estonia one of the least religious countries in the world. (Don’t let that stop you from enjoying Tallinn’s multitude of gorgeous Gothic spires.)

Read the full article here: A guide to Europe’s most underrated country


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