Wanderlust - The F6 Hotel & Helsinki
- nicolameirholistic
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
We found Helsinki to be a very relaxed city with genuinely friendly chatty locals. We visited at the end of December last year and stayed for three nights and two days. You can certainly pack a lot in to that time without feeling completely frazzled. At it's coldest it was -12 degrees which was pretty chilly. But we didn't need any specialist clothing, we just layered our normal clothes which kept us warm and snug. Like other Scandinavian/Nordic cities we have visited, we felt very safe walking around day and night time. Keep reading if you'd like to know where we stayed and what we did with our time.
F6 Hotel
We found this hotel on Booking.com and chose it because of the excellent reviews. It's a relatively small 4 star stylish boutique hotel in a very good central location. It's family run which explains the friendly and personalised service. Situated on the edge of the design district to one side and the cathedral, station, harbour and library to the other. It's within walking distance of all of the main sights and was easy to get to from the airport. Our cab ride took thirty minutes.
What really stood out for us was the super friendly but lowkey service. On arriving we were talked through a map to help us get our bearings and locate the main attractions. We asked if they could recommend a couple of restaurants for dinner. So, after asking what sort of food we liked and a little about our budget, restaurants were booked and they not only lived up to our expectations but exceeded them.
Our room and all of the communal areas were full of modern nordic interiors including wood floors, warm colours and plush soft furnishings. The bed was very comfortable and made with a separate duvet for each person, the Scandinavian way. The bathroom had a large shower and underfloor heating. We also had a separate seating area to relax in if we so wished.
I loved the breakfast offering. A Finnish style buffet comprising of fresh cheeses, meats, fish, salad, fruit, pastries, toast, boiled eggs, juices, smoothies, hot drinks and local delicacies. Being completely self service there wasn't any cooked breakfast options or menu to order from. It was simple and very well done.
We relaxed in Runar Bar for a drink after a full day of walking. The bartender spent time chatting, finding out what we liked, making recommendations from a well curated cocktail menu and explaining the inspiration behind them. I'm not very experimental when it comes to cocktails. I know what I like but he served up a Finnish twist on one of my favourites.
The hotel has an inner courtyard which can be utilised more during the warmer months. There was a beautiful Christmas tree positioned here when we visited.
Even though this isn't a full on luxury hotel it had everything we needed for a short city break. There's a small gym and bikes to rent for the day too. I would certainly recommend staying here.
What did we get up to?
It's an easy city to navigate and explore on foot but the trams are convenient to hop on and off of too. Wear some comfy shoes and get exploring. Here's how we filled our time.
Helsinki Cathedral
This is an imposing white building sitting at the top of around fifty grand steps overlooking Senate Square. Once at the top you can see views over some of the city. Definitely worth a visit as it is a stunning building offering some great views, especially around sunset.
Cobbled streets
Helsinki has lots of beautiful, warmly lit cobbled streets, leading you into cozy cafes, bars and independent boutiques. You sometimes share these streets with the trams too.
Coffee shop
Ihana Kahvila Baari
We stumbled upon this cosy spot where we enjoyed a hot chocolate and a yummy cinnamon bun. Lots of comfy arm chairs, low tables and soft lighting all create a chilled out atmosphere. If cinnamon buns aren't your thing, there were lots of other sweet bakes to choose from. I loved their discreet signs about laptop use (see below).
Helsinki Central Train Station
A visually striking building, famous for the large stone figures holding spherical lamps at the entrance. This is definitely worth a visit as, even though it's not particularly old (built 1919) it's a lovely building. Inside you'll find several bars and restaurants. We stopped off at one for a quick drink and watched fresh snow fall outside. Very cosy.
Georgian restaurant
Winest
A gorgeous Georgian restaurant and natural wine importer. A lovely intimate atmosphere serving delicious comfort food. I chose the Chakondrili Tashmijabit which is slow cooked beef in red wine, Georgian spices and thyme. This was served with traditional Tashmijabi which is mashed potatoes with cheese. Proper hearty food when the weather was so cold outside. This restaurant currently scores 4.9 on google and it certainly lived up to that. We booked this online ourselves.
Esplanadi Park
A park that is relatively small in size (long and narrow) but big on charm. It's centrally located, near to Helsinki's South Harbour and shops. A beautiful tree lined promenade offering a cafe, restaurant, historical statues and lots of benches and grassy areas. During the warmer months I think there is a stage for festivals and other events. Everything was covered in snow and lit with fairy lights when we visited which gave it an extra layer of magic.
Loyly Sauna & Restaurant
This is one of the most famous public saunas in Finland and a landmark of modern Finnish design. It only opened in 2016 and combines traditional Finnish sauna experiences with a stylish restaurant and terrace areas overlooking the sea. We took a leisurely walk here from the hotel in the centre of Helsinki and it took about half an hour along the waterfront. Naively we thought we'd be able to book to use the sauna for a day during our stay but they were fully booked for about a week. So we stayed and enjoyed a coffee instead. We then admired the view across the sea from the roof terrace before a snow storm started.
The Architecture & Design Museum and the Design District
The Architecture and Design Museum is easy to find and sits within the Design District. Founded in 1873 it's one of the oldest design museums. It's quite small compared to other Nordic equivalents that we have visited so you could probably get around it in one to two hours. I understand that it will be moving location to the harbour area sometime in the future where it will occupy a much larger site. The standout exhibition was about The Moomins which, I didn't know, were a Finnish creation. It was also a blast from the past seeing some mobile phone tech such as the old Nokia 3310 which seems practically vintage now. The design district in general is where you'll find art galleries, interior design including furniture and home accessories. I bought some beautiful nordic Christmas decorations from a gorgeous interiors shop.
South Harbour
This is where you can catch boats to some of the smaller islands off shore, plus an open air swimming pool with saunas, stalls, restaurants and so much more.
Suomenlinna Island
This is a historic sea fortress island off of the coast of Helsinki. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is easily accessible via a fifteen minute ferry ride from the main south harbour. This was a fortress built in 1748 to defend Finland from Russia. Very interesting. It's quite a surreal place as, even though it looks very historical with various old fortress walls, cannons and historical tunnels etc, around eight hundred people still live there. You'll find a few cafes and museums. We liked Cafe Silo for a hot drink and a pastry.
Shops
There are lots of shops if that's what you are looking for. A huge department store called Stockham, many of your well known designer shops and independent boutiques. These are all very central and within walking distance of the harbour, Esplanadi Park, the cathedral and train station.
Alexanderplats Restaurant
This is a well known nordic brasserie just by Esplanadi Park. It's known for combining Finnish ingredients with classic french style brasserie cooking. It was exceptionally good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the waiters were so friendly and up for chatting about the food and more. There is also a bar area which you can drop in to (apparently without a reservation). It wasn't too expensive and would have cost much more in the UK for the same. I would definitely recommend.
Helsinki Central Library Oodi
This is a very modern building, one of the most modern public libraries in the world. Opening in 2018, it's more like a public cultural centre. It's located near the main train station and parliament buildings. We didn't have loads of time to look around but what I loved, apart from the architecture, was an area of tables and chairs dedicated to playing chess. I don't know how to play chess but if I did this would be a very welcoming and calm environment to do so. You'll also find cafes, seating areas, reading spaces, children's areas and the use of creative equipment such as music studios and video editing suites.
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
Located near to the library this is another equally modern building. It's famous for its curved modern architecture and light filled galleries. We only had time to explore the entrance as we had a reservation at the swimming pool that we needed to get to. Apparently there are great views of Helsinki from the top floors. I would have loved to have a proper mooch about so if I ever go back to Helsinki I would make a beeline for here.
Allas Sea Pool
The reason it was only a whistle stop tour at the museum above was because we had booked to go to Allas for an outdoor swim and sauna. We couldn't get into Loyly Sauna the day before so made a reservation online at Allas, which is located very centrally at the South Harbour. We didn't want to go home having not experienced the Finnish tradition of outdoor swimming and sauna use. Just to give a little context here, it was -12 degrees and snowing! We reluctantly embraced it and I'm so glad we did. You can rent towels there and I would suggest taking flip flops so you don't have to walk barefoot on the snow.
Walking outside in below freezing temperatures is definitely exhilarating. I started walking at quite a calm pace which quickly increased in speed the further away from the building I got! We sat in one of the saunas first which had a view of the harbour. Inside we got talking to a local lady who explained that she visits this sauna and pool five days a week and she attributes her good health to this ritual. Once we'd warmed up we braved the elements again and walked to the outdoor pool. In normal weather this would not seem like a long walk but, trust me, it felt like a mile long! Luckily the pool was heated (there is also a cold sea water plunge pool which we avoided!). We had a lovely swim but I was thinking about the fact that at some point I would have to get out again and walk back to the changing rooms completely wet. Sure enough it was freezing! But I felt absolutely amazing afterwards, completely relaxed, invigorated and elated that I had done it. The thought of a lovely warm drink afterwards in the cafe certainly helped. In the summer there is a rooftop bar too. Well worth a visit.
Cafe Ekberg
This is considered the oldest cafe in Helsinki. Founded in 1852. We decided to visit based purely on this fact but I wouldn't particularly recommend. It was very busy, cramped and touristy. The food and drink was average with a slightly dubious buffet (which we didn't opt for). However, the staff were lovely, it was really christmassy (inside and out) and I did enjoy my open prawn and avocado sandwich.
Wellamo Restaurant
This is an intimate and cosy Nordic restaurant. It has an excellent reputation in using local seasonal Finnish ingredients to create a really interesting menu with an equally well curated wine offering. It's a relaxed atmosphere rather than formal fine dining. A really friendly service where time was taken to chat and explain the menu. We opted for the tasting menu which was superb. So many flavour combinations we had never experienced before. Definitely recommend.
Tram ride
Trams are like buses in Helsinki. So a ride on one is a must if you can. Super easy, just tap your debit card/Apple Pay on the card reader as soon as you board. Your card becomes your ticket if an inspector needs to check it. A single ticket in central Helsinki (zones AB) is valid for about eighty minutes where you can not only use the tram but also the metro, bus or train during that time.
Helsinki Airport
I wanted to mention this airport as it is the most calm and relaxing airport I have ever visited. It's been designed to make the airport feel like an introduction to Finland and it's forests and design culture. You'll find lots of comfy seating areas, lounges, places to lay down plus it's very very clean and easy to navigate.
So this is what we did. I really enjoyed my time in Helsinki and would certainly recommend it as a city break for three days or so. Loved it!
Hope you've enjoyed reading this.
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