Trip Report – Walking on Ice – Tour of Helsinki’s Winter Wonderland

by Adam

I wanted that authentic Nordic winter experience, and boy did I get what I asked for during a weekend in Helsinki. This is part seven of an eight part trip report from my recent travels to Estonia and Finland. This report covers multiple walking on ice experiences and Helsinki’s natural winter wonderland.

The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel had a fantastic location which pretty much allowed me to walk all over the city without having to use any transportation. First up, one of the main ports which I had only seen in complete darkness the night before. The water was completely iced over and had fresh snow on top of the ice, adjacent were several boats docked for winter:

a boat on the snow

a group of boats in a harbor

a boat on the snow

a boat in the snow

A stop for a fresh salmon lunch @ €12 EUR inclusive of salad and a drink. The salmon was fantastic and who doesn’t love meeting new friends while eating outside in the dead of winter…

a group of people standing in front of a food stand

a food stand with people standing behind it

a plate of food on a table

More winter scenes on the way over to Sibelius Park…

a dock with ice floating on it

a white building with a dome and a stone staircase

Arrival at Sibelius Park on the western coastline of the city, rocking chair on skis anyone?

a group of people playing in the snow

people standing on a wooden fence in the snow

a sculpture in the snow with Sibelius Monument in the background

a group of ducks in a lake with snow

I continued into a more residential area of town and came to another harbor, this one had absolutely no visible moving water.

boats in the snow with a boat in the water

Even with the weather, tons of locals were still out for their daily jogs!

boats in a harbor with snow

people walking on the sidewalk by a river

boats in the snow

a boat in the snow

Ice fishing…

people fishing on a snowy field

people in the snow

a group of poles in the snow

people fishing in the snow

My first walking on ice experience. There were no other tourists and the only locals were several yards out ice fishing. I ducked underneath a rope that restricted entry onto the water and made my way towards the ice. With no experience, I sort of just hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the locals had entered on the other side harbor. Some sections were extremely solid, while others gave way a few inches (pretty scary as your boot sinks down a bit)! I decided that the best route was following some of the older visible footsteps. I set a goal of making it to the center where the seasoned ice fishers had set up camp.

footprints in the snow

footprints in the snow

In fact, I walked all the way from the tree you see below to the bridge in this picture! Quite proud of my accomplishment, I was ready to get back to the pavement…a very wet experience for your feet as you climb over the gigantic snow dunes that block access to the water.

a bridge in the snow

As I continued walking and entered another park, I decided it was time for some more exhilarating ice walking.  The dogs seem to be perfectly comfortable with it so why not me…

two people walking with dogs in the snow

a snow covered field with tire tracks

Locals ice swimming near the Sibelius Monument on the city’s western coastline

a person in a swimsuit in a snowy area

a bridge over a frozen lake

Regatta Cafe in Sibelius Park, they surely don’t let the weather dampen their al fresco dining and drinking…

a red building with white trim and a fence in the snow

people sitting on a patio with a flag on the pole

a group of people sitting around a fire pit

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2 comments

GENE N May 23, 2013 - 10:25 am

so wheres the ice brothel?

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