The Åland Islands are slowly becoming my favourite place ever. It is the absolute perfect and most scenic place to visit, the entire Western archipelago is a true hidden gem that is ideally discovered by bike. For me Åland is both relaxing and soothing, but equally great for an active holiday.
I’m constantly on the search for brief Helsinki escapes, from busy times working and all that. I knew Naantali only by the comparison of it being “the Miami of Finland” (without the drugs) and heard plenty of stories about it from friends praising it, but only recently I got my own first glimpse of this magical seaside town. Nature? Food? Some pampering? MUUMINS? What else could you ask for.
Yes, this visit concludes our dinner at the Roster pop-up, but hold on there: the Unioninkatu pop-up restaurant was set up as a trial…
Only opened in May 2016, Vallisaari is a true treasure right in front of Helsinki’s coastline. The fairly big island was in use under the military until pretty much then, but finally opened up for visitors as well. The island combines history and nature beautifully with stunning views of the city from high above – for me the perfect alternative day trip for those seeking to avoid the crowds heading out to Suomenlinna in the summer, the season ends in late September.
This Dinner Date post is actually the result of a lunch visit, but that’s okay. This time, I’m taking you to one of the most established places in Helsinki, Juuri. It took me a while to finally fully experience what they have to offer, and I hope this posts will inspire you to not wait as long as I did! Traditional Finnish dishes with a twist and a fresh interpretation, great service and casual atmosphere. I’ll be back soon.
The Helsinki Coffee Festival celebrates the mighty bean and also teaches visitors and curious coffee drinkers about the newest trends and methods, but the actual coffee tasting ain’t coming short either. In addition to a couple of impressions from the festival, I picked my favourite roasteries from around Finland to watch out for (and try).
Freelancers, students, visitors who need to get down to business: this post is for you. I enjoy my home office but on days where I really need to get things done it’s the safer option for me to be away from my sofa and fridge. Here’s my part one of the best cafés and workplaces in Helsinki. Criteria? Mainly coffee and wifi.
Have you considered casual fine dining at home yet? If not, let yourself be inspired by this delicious menu created by Heleats, that you can have prepared for you right at home, if you want. New Nordic Cuisine is constantly evolving and rediscovering itself in all kinds of magical ways. Are you hungry yet?
Kemi up in Lapland, right at the Gulf of Bothnia, is a place of magic: it’s home to the Snow Castle – yes, a castle and hotel completely built of snow and ice. Also, have you heard of the Olokolo?
A dinner only made of…cauliflower?! Yes, the guys from tiny restaurant in the South of Sweden, Hörte Brygga, created a menu consisting pretty much of only one ingredient. Read more about the deconstruction of both street food and fine dining and why cauliflower is a veggie star!