Our 2015 trip to Europe was so industrious that it requires two pages. We refer to this page as "Nordic" even though Estonia is not quite that. Still the parallels between Estonia and Finland are compelling. Excluding Iceland, the trip is heavy on Russian influence. Sweden fought Russia for hundreds of years over the territory between the two powers, namely Finland and the Baltic States. Finland has been successful in maintaining its independence for the last 100 years, while Estonia has only recently gained the freedoms it sought for generations.
With Finland positioned as a buffer area between Sweden and Russia, Helsinki changed hands several times between the two northern powers in the 18-20th centuries. Russian rule and the Great Fire of Turku in 1827 brought Helsinki to prominence. Finland was more successful than its Baltic neighbors to the south in avoiding dominance in the 20th century: quite a story in itself.
Helsinki's location on the Baltic helps to define its history. No trip there is complete without some sort of water tour. Suomenlinna is accessed only by water. Once the key defensive fortress for the Russians in the 19th century, the island is now a park with museums and shops.
The town so picturesque that everyone wants to see it, Iceland's capital city is one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world. Sadly a significant influx of tourism is likely to remove much of the city's charm. Reykjavik is still a good jumping-off point for many Iceland attractions, although it is farther from the airport than one would think.
After reading recent reviews of this attraction on Trip Advisor, we feel it is necessary to disclose the following: EVERYTHING IN ICELAND IS EXPENSIVE. Having said that, this is probably the only location in the world where one can visit the caldera of a volcano. It is worth the expense in our opinion. If it's available, the helicopter trip from Reykjavik to the site saves time and provides wonderful views.
The standard Golden Circle tour consists of a visit to Gullfoss (waterfall), the Geysir Geothermal area, a glacier, and several other amazing sites, all in one day. It's highly recommended.
Rich with history, museums, and culture, Stockholm is a good stop on any Scandinavian excursion.
Once a working-class suburb south of the old city, Soderhalm has gone through a bohemian phase and is now one of Stockholm's more trendy neighborhoods. The wonderful parks and green spaces should not be overlooked.
The northernmost of the Baltic countries, Estonia is a mix of forests (50% of the country) bogs, old manor houses, and quaint towns. A day trip from Helsinki is only enough to whet one's appetite. Maarja and Juri, from Saku Travel, www.sakutravel.ee were wonderful hosts.
Cruise liners are a good way to travel between Nordic countries. We traveled overnight from Stockholm to Helsinki on the Viking Line's M/S Gabriella. While not the lap of luxury, the voyage was comfortable with great views and avoided the remote airports prevalent in this part of the world.
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