After traveling through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, we arrived in Helsinki, Finland, with just 24 hours to explore. We took a Ferry from Tallinn. It wasn’t nearly enough time, of course, but we managed to fit in an unexpected connection with another traveler, a chilly afternoon of swimming and saunas, and a visit to one of the coolest libraries we’ve ever seen. More than anything, though, Helsinki gave us a feeling we hadn’t quite realized we needed: lightness.
One of the best things about traveling full-time is the people you meet along the way. Sometimes you find yourself connecting with people from the other side of the world, and other times you discover a surprising connection to home. In Helsinki, we met a couple whose wife was originally from Dallas, Georgia! They saw Lucas’ Georgia Bulldogs hoodie and came up to talk to us. Here we were, all the way in Finland, meeting someone who came from a place so familiar to us. She now lives in Helsinki with her husband, and it was fun to hear about life in Finland from someone who had made the move from Georgia. These kinds of encounters are one of our favorite parts of traveling. The world can feel enormous when you look at a map, but a conversation with the right person makes it feel a little smaller.
We visited Allas Pools, a waterfront swimming and sauna complex right next to Market Square. The location is fantastic. You can swim with views of the harbor, watch boats moving through the water, and enjoy the distinctly Nordic combination of being outdoors in the cold and then warming up in a sauna.
We arrived expecting to spend a relaxing afternoon in heated pools. There was just one problem: we had misunderstood which pools were heated! The main pools weren’t the warm, inviting swimming experience we had pictured. Instead, we found ourselves confronting some decidedly chilly water. We also tried the seawater pool, which meant taking the cold plunge experience to another level. Henry was right at home. Maybe he is related to polar bears.
The good news was that Allas has several saunas, so we could warm up between swims. Going from cold water into the sauna was probably the best part of the whole experience. The contrast made the warmth feel especially wonderful, and we could sit, thaw out, and prepare ourselves to do it all again.
Another stop was Helsinki Central Library Oodi, and this place deserves a visit even if you aren’t particularly interested in libraries. From the outside, Oodi looks more like a contemporary architectural landmark than a traditional library. Designed by Finnish firm ALA Architects, Oodi opened in 2018 and was created to be a public gathering place for everyone, not simply a building where books are stored. Its sweeping wooden facade curves over a glass-and-steel structure, giving the building a sense of movement.
The ground floor is lively and welcoming, with open public spaces, places to meet, a café, and areas for events. They even have chess! It feels like a natural extension of the city outside. The second floor is where things get especially interesting. Oodi offers spaces for making, learning, working, and collaborating. Depending on the facilities and availability, visitors can find studios, gaming rooms, meeting rooms, workspaces, and an urban workshop with tools and equipment for creative projects. For our family, which has spent years learning outside traditional classrooms, this kind of space is particularly appealing. Learning doesn’t have to happen in a school building, and access to creative tools and shared spaces can open up all kinds of possibilities. Then there’s the top floor, known as the Book Heaven. This is the part that feels most like the library we all recognize, with rows of books, comfortable places to read, and beautiful natural light. The curved wooden ceiling creates a warm, almost sculptural interior, while the large windows offer views across Helsinki.
Oodi wasn’t just a place to visit. It was a reminder of what a modern public library can be.
We had just spent time traveling through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. These countries are beautiful, fascinating, and full of places we were glad to experience. But their histories are also heavy. The Baltic states have endured centuries of foreign rule, and their more recent histories include Soviet occupation, deportations, repression, and long struggles to regain independence. As we visited museums, historic sites, and old towns, we kept encountering reminders of how much these countries and their people have endured.
It’s impossible to explore the region’s history without feeling the weight of it. That history is important, and we were grateful for the opportunity to learn more about it. But after days of absorbing so much, arriving in Helsinki felt almost like exhaling. Something about the city felt lighter.
Maybe it was the architecture, with its clean lines, open spaces, and modern design. Maybe it was the waterfront, the light reflecting off the Baltic Sea, or the feeling of being in a city that was looking forward rather than constantly asking you to look back. Finland has, of course, experienced its own complicated history, including periods of Russian rule and difficult relations with the Soviet Union. Helsinki isn’t without its historical burdens. But our experience of the city felt different from the days we’d just spent in the Baltic capitals.
I don’t mean that Helsinki was somehow better than the Baltic cities. We loved our time in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and their histories deserve to be remembered. Perhaps Helsinki felt so refreshing precisely because of where we had been immediately before arriving.
Travel has a way of making these contrasts more noticeable. You don’t always realize how much a place has affected you until you leave it and experience somewhere different.
Twenty-four hours isn’t much time to explore a city, and there was plenty we didn’t get to see. We could easily have spent more time wandering Helsinki’s neighborhoods, exploring its museums, and enjoying the waterfront.
