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Helsinki (Helsingfors) |
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Helsinki in summer is just magical, where you can hear the cry of sea gulls or the "bark" of the birch trees. It's a small-scale city, spread out on islands in the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki isn't terribly old, so you won't find yourself weighed down with a long list of museums and churches to visit with your kids. Instead, you can enjoy the beauty of sunlight sparkling on the water as you cruise through the archipelago. | |
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Harbor area | ||
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Parks | ||
Greater Helsinki |
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Seurasaari | |
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Swimming – In summer, you can chose from big swimming pools or the long sand beaches on the islands. | ||
 Swimming
Stadium (next to the Olympic Stadium) -The Swimming Stadium has pools
for everyone, little wading pools for toddlers, big waterslides, a sauna
for adults. Bring your suits, you can rent towels. |
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do what local Helsinki families do, head for the beach at Uunisaari.
Take the boat from Merisatamantori (close to the big Kaivopuisto Park).
The beach has shallow water for little kids, swings and play structures.
There's plenty of places to picnic, or grab a bite at one of the cafes. |
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Fun food – |
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In summer, try fresh strawberries and cherries from the open air stalls, and delicious ice cream from kiosks and cafes (a local specialty is buckthorn berry ice cream). |
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Shopping – |
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You'll find delightful things to buy in Helsinki – carved wooden animals, (bear, moose and reindeer), little angels, dolls, fur hats and sweaters, and adorable moose (dressed in sweaters, socks and scarves). As we were buying our moose, the vendor asked where we were from. When we said that we're from California, she said, " A long trip for the moose!" |
