Helsinki is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of 656,250. The city’s urban area has a population of 1,268,296, making it by far the most populous urban area in Finland as well as the country’s most important center for politics, education, finance, culture, and research.

It was first weekend since we arrived in Finland and we decided to go to Helsinki. At the morning we went on a train to our destination. At first we searched for the coffee shop, to get some energy for the day. Then it was time to decide what we want to do there. All of us were in Helsinki for the first time so it was hard to know what is interesting there. The best thing that we could do was that we went to info point, where they told us about everything that we should see. And that is how our journey in Helsinki began.

At first we went to the zoo. It was pretty nice, we saw some animals, but a lot of them were inside because it is too cold, so we didn’t get the full experience of that destination. Then we took the bus back to the center of the city and we went to see some interesting buildings, for example the Helsinki Central Library Oodi and the cathedral. After that we searched for some shops with souvenirs, but believe it or not, we didn’t find it. That really surprised me, because in all capital cities there are so many shops with so many different things that represent their country, but here we didn’t find one. After that it was time to say goodbye to Helsinki, and we again went to the train and to our temporary home in Lahti.

This day was extraordinary. We saw and learn something new. I really like Helsinki and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to see and experience it.