1. I usually dread train rides from the airport into the city during my travels. The ride from Helsinki airport was as pleasant as it gets – ample luggage space, oversized windows with woody forest views. Finland is a nature lover’s dream with 75% land area covered by forest and a whopping 188,000 lakes.

2. Sauna is much more than a tradition in Finland, it is a part of life. After failing to snag a reservation at Loyly, I was disappointed. However, I wasn’t so sure of being naked around strangers. So, I half heartedly tried a few other local places before giving up all together.

3. The Helsinki Ferry Terminal is stunning and competes with some of the best airports in the world. Built with Scandinavian design aesthetic, it opens up to views of the sea. For design enthusiasts, the Helsinki Central Library Oodi is a must visit. It was chosen as the best public library in the world.

4. Salmon is soft and buttery, fish soup with salmon is a standby.The Finns are fascinated with licorice, it is put in lot of things. I tried licorice ice cream, it was weirdly addictive.The baking heritage is similar to the Swedes but the buns weren’t as good though. Cafe Esplanade boasts of making one of the best Korvapuusti (cinnamon rolls) in Helsinki but I was much more impressed with the cozy retro booth seating and coffee.

5. Helsinki is considered to be a good day trip from the bigger cities in Scandinavia. The Helsinki Cathedral, Uspensky Cathedral, Senate Square and the Market Hall are all worth a visit. If you are up for a ferry ride, Suomenlinna fortress is only a short hop away.