Helsinki 🇫🇮 and Tallinn 🇪🇪 - across the Baltic Sea

Sven Walther

July 26, 2026

Helsinki in the rain

On the way south we take a short detour to Helsinki. We spend one night at the city campsite, and after all the lonely pitches of the past weeks the unfamiliar closeness is almost an experience in itself. Neighbours! Within earshot!

By train we are in the city centre quickly and without fuss. Helsinki, however, greets us with dark clouds and rain on and off. We do not have much time anyway, so we walk straight across the centre and take in whatever can be reached on foot. In between it is always the same routine: umbrella out, umbrella closed, umbrella out.

Ferris wheel at the harbour of Helsinki under a grey sky, a large ferry behind it — The Ferris wheel at the harbour

On Senate Square the white Helsinki Cathedral towers above its stairs, with the monument to Alexander II in front. Lou takes it all with the composure of a dog who has seen worse, and patiently poses in front of the cathedral.

Lou standing on the paving of Senate Square, the white Helsinki Cathedral in the background — Lou in front of the cathedral

Bronze monument on a pedestal in front of Helsinki Cathedral under a cloudy sky — The monument on Senate Square

The Uspenski Cathedral looks completely different: red brick, golden domes, all of it on a rock above the harbour. An Orthodox church in the middle of Scandinavia - you do not find that everywhere.

Red brick church with green roofs and golden domes in front of dark clouds — Uspenski Cathedral

And then a small turquoise box suddenly rolls through the crowd: a delivery robot from Wolt, driving its food past the tables as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In Finland the future has apparently already arrived, it just travels a little slower than expected.

Blue delivery robot labelled Wolt rolling over cobblestones past a tent with guests — The colleague from the delivery service

Onto the ferry

The next morning we join the queue at the harbour with Mammothon. Lou travels in her carrier bag and finds the whole thing much less exciting than we do.

Mammothon in the queue at the ferry port, a large ferry in the background — Waiting for the ferry

Lou looking out of her carrier bag on the ferry — Lou on the ferry

Hello Estonia

The ferry takes us to the next country: hello Estonia, hello Tallinn! Right by the harbour we find a suitable parking spot from which the old town is easy to reach on foot.

We really like Tallinn. Through the Viru Gate with its two round towers we walk into the old town, past city walls with tiled roofs and through winding alleys.

Two round stone towers with red conical roofs form the Viru Gate in Tallinn — Through the Viru Gate into the old town

Narrow lane with colourful houses in the old town of Tallinn, a church tower in the background — An old town made for strolling

There are plenty of churches. The slender tower of St. Nicholas’ Church rises behind trees, and in an alley the tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit appears.

White church tower with a black spire behind green trees — St. Nicholas’ Church

St. Nicholas' Church with its tower, a lawn and a few people in front — St. Nicholas’ Church once more

Slender church tower with a dark spire at the end of an alley, people at a café in front — The Church of the Holy Spirit

Town Hall Square is the heart of the old town, and here it strikes us most: it is pleasantly empty. No crowds, no tourist masses, just a few people with coffee in hand. This is how a city trip is allowed to be.

Mighty limestone city wall with a round tower and a red conical roof — A stretch of the city wall

Winding houses with red tiled roofs and a green church spire behind the city wall — Winding, as it should be

Something else catches our eye: blue-yellow flags everywhere. World politics is not just something you see in the news - sometimes it meets you in the middle of a beautiful European old town.