Helsinki, the white Finnish capital

The best time of year to visit Helsinki, in my opinion, is in winter. I was lucky to be in the Finnish capital for 5 days in February, when the snow was knee-deep, and I fell in love. I've now seen some photos of the city in summer and it has to be said that without its white blanket it loses quite a lot of its charm.

In addition, if you visit Finland in February you will be close to Lapland where you can see the northern lights, an experience I wanted to have for so many years but my wish was not granted this time.

The most well-known square of Helsinki and one of its more iconic sites is Senaatintori, or in English the Senate Square. The building that stands out the most is the imposing Lutheran Cathedral, white with columns and a green dome. You can see it from almost any point in the city, as it's perched on a hill with a huge staircase in front of it which one has to climb to reach the entrance. The view from below, with the obelisk in the centre of the square and the stairs covered with snow crowned with the church is one of the most beautiful images I have engraved in my mind up until now. There's free entry to the Cathedral, but it was closed the week we went and there was no way to see it from the inside. Even so, the Lutheran churches are all very plain, which is in accordance with the Lutheran way of thinking that church interiors and their furnishings should be humble as to not distract from prayer.

Helsinki actually has two cathedrals: the Lutheran, and another, a bit further away, the Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral. It's also built on another colossal hill and from the top of the aforementioned staircase you can see it perfectly, the Russian-style church with red bricks, adorned with golden domes. It also has free entry, from inside it's quite magnificent and different from the usual churches we see and visit in the West. It's definitely worth walking by and climbing up to see it.

In the Senate Square, there's also the Senate, obviously, now fallen into disuse, (it's been replaced by the Finnish Parliament, just a few minutes from the square to the east), and the University of Helsinki. Both buildings have a yellow-coloured facade.

Another must-visit is the Market Square, located in the heart of the harbour, where every morning there are stands selling fish, fresh produce and souvenirs. You can comfortably go by on foot. You can spend hours admiring the buildings opposite the promenade, (one of them being the Town Hall), facing the Baltic sea.

Note: the time of year I went, due to the very low temperatures the sea was totally frozen over (so much so that you could walk on the ice and it wouldn't break), so you can't take any ferries or boats. Any other time of the year that is not winter, from this same square you can take a ferry to Tallin.

In the harbour, if you're facing the sea and start walking right you'll find the beginning of the Esplanadi, with two parallel streets on with cars travel and a boulevard with a garden in the middle decorated with statues. This is a magical place (especially if the trees and statues are covered with fresh snow). The most famous statue is the Havis Amanda, the mermaid.

On this promenade there's the stunningly beautiful Café Kappeli, on the inside and out, a compulsory stop for a hot chocolate to die for, served in a huge mug topped with a layer of cream and caramel. It was the final highlight of our walking tour in -10 degrees centigrade.

P. S. : Helsinki is very expensive. Get your wallet ready. If you get a chance to eat traditional food there, they have this salmon which is like it's baked but it's cold, which is delicious, garnished with a potato and tomato salad that's also cold that I loved.

P. S. S. : Finland is colder than Winterfell. Wear snow boots, a decent coat that can keep you warm in the low temperatures and always wear thermals under your normal clothes.