If last week I ventured to cycle capital Amsterdam, then this week I decided to make an infographic of the city that is just a stone throw away from Tallinn where I am based. Helsinki is the closest city just about 80 km away on the ferry and with it’s island dotted coastline and cool nordic vibes offers a great alternative for long-distance urban walking.
What makes Helsinki a very attractive city for green minded walkers are its many islands. As an urban archipelago Helsinki spreads on around 330 islands including several nature reserves like Harakka island and a eco-minded car-free Suomenlinna sea fortress. According to My Helsinki the city offers many unique island hopping opportunities for walkers and cyclists.
Helsinki has altogether 123 km of coastline that includes more than 30 public beaches (some of them on islands). With fresh air flowing in from the sea, Helsinki’s air quality remains one of the cleanest in the world all year around. The city has many coastline promenades & paths to take in fresh sea air and the Southern Helsinki coastal path dotted with islands is especially beautiful.
Helsinki city centre is compact and if combined with public transport such as trams or public ferries, walking is really one of the best way to get around. Helsinki also has around 1200 km of cycle routes and cycling is becoming increasingly more popular. The City of Helsinki aims to increase sustainable transport by creating new light traffic bridges, one even the longest in Finland.
With around 1/3rd of the city being parks and green spaces, Helsinki really is one of the greenest capitals in Europe. Central Park, the largest park and urban forests in the city, covers 10 km2 in the middle of the Helsinki. Altogether Helsinki has 70 km2 of greenery to get out and explore, including 55 nature reserves for hiking and bird spotting.
I hope you like this week’s green city and I am certainly looking forward to explore Helsinki more this summer! ✌️