Some may say this is a ghost town, I'm not very sure you could call it that way but this is…read morecertainly a very interesting experience. After a small hike you will find within the woods, abandoned houses that look almost intact. Some of them can be as old as the late 1800's but they are now part of this "ghost town" with chaos, old furniture and a lot of graffiti. Walk around, get into some houses and check the inside (be careful when going up the stairs). The view is stunning, from both the houses and the bay area. Perhaps if you live in Helsinki this can be the place to have a barbecue, it's quite interesting.

I love exploring nature reserves in urban environments and Kruunuvuori fits that bill perfectly…read more It's a forest area in East Helsinki which in the old days was used for the Helsinki population as a weekend retreat. In fact, you can still see various country houses, most of which are in a derelict state and it seems it will only take only one more winter storm for them to fold into pieces like a house built from cards. Nevertheless, Kruunuvuori, which translates as Crown Hill, is well worth a visit if you want to escape from the hectic city life and go for a stroll in the woods. The trails will lead you around in a circle and so you cannot really get lost and it all takes only 30-45 minutes to do one round. While you're walking, you will be able to enjoy nice views over Helsinki Bay and you will spot Helsinki Downtown somewhere in the distance. Now, how to get there: take the metro to "Herttoniemi" and from there catch the bus #88 and get off at the last stop. From there, I suggest you use the map of your smartphone to locate the entrance, which is marked by a barrier...beyond which is all fair game!

Suvilahti is perfect for summer festivals !…read more Not too big but not small. I have been there at Tuska, and it was great because things were close to each other !

Nice place for coffee and a festival.. This isn't as good as Kaisaneimi but it will do and it is…read morebetter than not having Tuska!!

The capital area has lots of beautiful islands. Many of them are private but some are open to the…read morepublic. One of them that it definitely worth a daytrip is Iso Vasikkasaari on the coast of Espoo. Several times a day a ferry leaves from Otaniemi, Haukilahti and Matinkylä to bring visitors to the island. For the timetable click here. Adults pay 5 € for a return ticket, children just 2€. Especially on weekends and when the weather is good the ferries are normally full. So try to get on board before Matinkylä. Luckily the island is big enough to never give you the feeling of being overcrowded. There are nice smaller and bigger beaches and several idyllic places along the water and further inside on the island. On the South-Western side the sailing boats at the wooden pier give you the feeling of being somewhere at the Mediterranean Sea rather than in Finland. Closer to the harbor you find a cozy restaurant serving meat and fish dishes. You can of course also just enjoy a cold drink in the shade.