[15-Day Northern Europe Self-Guided Tour] Day 3: Helsinki One-Day Tour | Cathedral Tour, Suomenlinna, Sauna Experience & Arctic Express

Contents Itinerary Overview Trip Preparation Helsinki One-Day Itinerary Helsinki Cathedral: A masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture Uspenski Cathedral: An Orthodox cathedral with strong Russian style Suomenlinna: A UNESCO World Heritage site, a defensive fortress of the Baltic Sea Old Market Hall: Salmon soup & local food experience Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Church): A music hall carved from natural rock Kamppi Chapel: Minimalist design, a place for soul-soothing silence Finnish Sauna Experience: A traditional sauna ritual with extreme temperature changes VR Arctic Express: Traveling to Rovaniemi on a Sleeper Train Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travelogues I. Itinerary Overview Today's itinerary is filled with the culture and classic experiences of Helsinki. We set off early in the morning, starting with the magnificent Helsinki Cathedral, then headed to the Uspenski Cathedral, which features a strong Russian style. Afterward, we took a ferry to the Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to explore this maritime fortress built by the Swedes to defend against Russia.After lunch, we visited the famous Rock Church and the Silent Church, and finally experienced a traditional Finnish sauna, challenging our limits in a zero-degree seawater pool. In the evening, we headed to Helsinki Central Station, preparing to board the VR Santa Claus Express to embark on our adventure to the Arctic Circle, hoping to see the Northern Lights! II. Trip Preparation Transportation Getting around the city: Primarily by walking, with trams or ferries used for some attractions. Suomenlinna Transport: Take the Suomenlinna Ferry, €3.1 one way, with a journey time of about 15 minutes. (We recommend downloading the HSL App for easy ticket purchasing.) To Rovaniemi: Take the VR Santa Claus Express; the sleeper train journey takes about 12 hours, departing from Helsinki and arriving in Rovaniemi early the next morning. Booking website: VR official website Accommodation Tonight's accommodation is in the VR Santa Claus Express sleeper carriage, and we are divided into: For men, the lower-floor private booths do not have a toilet (1750 TWD per person).

女生，上層有廁所包廂(一人3150台幣)

空間有限，但仍是一種特別的旅行體驗。 行李寄放 **赫爾辛基中央車站（Helsingin päärautatieasema）**有行李寄放處。 大行李箱寄放：可容納 2 個 28 吋行李箱，整天費用約 NT$330。

三、赫爾辛基一日遊行程 赫爾辛基主教座堂：新古典主義建築代表 第一站來到赫爾辛基地標赫爾辛基主教座堂（Helsingin tuomiokirkko），這座白色教堂以新古典主義風格聞名，教堂平面呈 對稱的希臘十字形，四面都有 柱廊與三角楣飾，展現典雅與莊嚴。內部裝飾相對簡約，沒有華麗的雕刻，給人一種純樸、寧靜的感受。

烏斯佩斯基大教堂：濃厚俄羅斯風格的東正教堂 接著我們來到烏斯佩斯基大教堂（Uspenskin katedraali），這是北歐最大的東正教堂，由俄羅斯設計師打造，難怪建築風格充滿濃濃的俄羅斯氣息。紅磚外牆、金色圓頂，內部則是精緻的宗教壁畫與繁複的裝飾，相較於赫爾辛基主教座堂，這裡更具異國風情。

芬蘭堡：世界文化遺產，波羅的海的防禦要塞 我們搭乘渡輪前往芬蘭堡（Suomenlinna），這座堡壘最初由瑞典人建造，當時稱為 維亞堡（Viapori），主要用來防禦俄羅斯的入侵，後來才改名為芬蘭堡。 島上保留了許多由花崗岩砌成的建築與城牆，景色十分壯觀，我們在這裡閒逛、拍照，感受歷史的痕跡，沒想到一不小心竟然花了近 3 小時！

· 國王之門：瑞典國王阿道夫·腓特烈（Adolf Fredrik）登陸點，曾出現在芬蘭舊版 100 馬克紙鈔上。

· Soviet Battery Ruins

· Suomenlinna Tunnel Adventure

Old Market Hall: Salmon Soup & Local Food Experience After finishing the Suomenlinna tour, we returned to the pier and headed to the famous Old Market Hall (Vanha Kauppahalli). There are many local specialties here, with the salmon soup being the most famous. It is rich and creamy, with large, tender pieces of salmon, making it an absolute must-eat delicacy in Helsinki!

岩石教堂（聖殿廣場教堂）：天然岩石打造的音樂殿堂 下一站是赫爾辛基最具特色的教堂——岩石教堂（Temppeliaukion kirkko）。這座教堂直接由岩石挖掘而成，上方以玻璃圓頂採光，外牆則是堅硬的岩石，因此教堂內部的音響效果極佳，經常作為音樂會場地使用。 門票 €8，我們決定只在門口參觀，欣賞建築設計。

Silent Chapel: Minimalist design, a place to calm the soul. The last chapel to visit is the Kampin kappeli. This chapel features a simple oval wooden structure with minimal interior decoration, primarily offering people a peaceful space suitable for quiet reflection and prayer.

Finnish Sauna Experience: A Traditional Sauna Ritual of Extreme Temperature Differences When visiting Finland, how can you not experience an authentic Finnish sauna? We visited a public sauna to experience the ritual of "high-temperature sauna followed by low-temperature cooling." The traditional way is to jump directly from the sauna into a zero-degree seawater pool, then return to the sauna to sweat. I plucked up my courage to try it once, and as a result, my whole body felt a stinging sensation when I got up!

VR Santa Claus Express: Taking a sleeper train to Rovaniemi After finishing the sauna, we arrived at Helsinki Central Station, preparing to take the VR Santa Claus Express to Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle.

While waiting for the train, we were all feeling quite drowsy because the sauna was so relaxing. Finally, after two hours, we boarded this sleeper train bound for the Arctic. My compartment with A-Mao didn't have a toilet, while the ladies' compartment was on the upper level, and climbing the stairs with luggage was indeed a bit inconvenient. Although this train is called the 'Arctic Express,' the carriages aren't actually luxurious, and the space isn't particularly large. However, because we were so exhausted, we fell fast asleep right after settling into our bunks, looking forward to officially entering the Arctic Circle tomorrow and hopefully seeing the Northern Lights! Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travelogues Today's Helsinki itinerary covers the Cathedral, World Heritage sites, sauna experiences, and the Arctic Train, representing a perfect blend of culture and Nordic charm. Tomorrow, we will arrive in Rovaniemi to visit Santa Claus Village and hunt for the dreamy Northern Lights! Explore more travelogues of independent travel in the four Nordic countries. The Nordic region is more than just auroras and snow; it also offers urban elegance, polar mystery, and cultural depth. This journey across Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden will take you to explore the beauty of Europe's purest corners! 🇩🇰 Denmark Independent Travel 📍Day 2: Copenhagen Day Trip | 📍Day 3: Explore Christiania, Fly to Finland 🇫🇮 Finland Arctic Adventure 📍Day 4: Helsinki City Tour & Overnight Train | 📍Day 5: Santa Claus Village & First Aurora Experience 📍Day 6: Rovaniemi Husky Sledding & City Exploration | 📍Day 7: Inari Lakeside & Aurora Secret Spot 🇳🇴 Norway Cruise Itinerary & Aurora Exploration 📍Day 8: Crossing the border from Inari to Kirkenes to board the cruise | 📍Day 9: Stopover in Hammerfest and life on board 📍Day 10: Tromsø museums and cable car snow scenery | 📍Day 11: Transportation disruption, stranded in Tromsø 🇸🇪 Swedish culture stroll and a perfect finale 📍Day 12: Flying to Stockholm, a breathtaking aurora sighting from above | 📍Day 13: City Hall & Vasa Museum 📍Day 14: Deep exploration of the Old Town and Swedish culture