In this post I will introduce a few photos from Seurasaari Island in Helsinki and tell you about my stay at Valo Hotel & Work, where my walk originated from.

The 3 km route around Seurasaari Island

The temperature was -12°Celsius at midday in Helsinki. I wanted to move my body and to enjoy the bright winter sun that usually appears in the first weeks of January with the freezing weather. My walk from the hotel to and around Seurasaari and back to the hotel was about 10 km, of which the island route took 3.1 km.

Seurasaari is a popular nature area in the city of Helsinki. At Midsummer, the city hosts an event on Seurasaari, and at Easter, people can come to the island to watch a bonfire. Finnish president from 1956 to 1982, Urho Kekkonen (Finna.fi), jogged around the island every morning. Today I saw people walking on the ice between strips of land.

Seurasaari Open-Air Museum on the island has centuries-old Finnish buildings brought there from different parts of the country. Since the museum is open only in the summertime, I simply walked the paths taking me around the island and by the everyday buildings from the past, stopping only to take quick must-have photos.

Staying the night at VALO Hotel & Work

’Valo’ is the word for ’light’ in Finnish.

I have been here before.

I like how the TV in my room greets me by name

The rough texture of the large bath towels

The nature themes that run through the hotel floors..

In the final hour of the evening, I took the lift to the hotel gym. It was a small and simple room upstairs, but I was able to row, which I enjoy, and I used kettlebells for some exercises.

The night was perfectly silent. I started the next morning by piling oven-baked vegetables, omelette, and fresh fruit slices onto my plate. I gathered some Karelian pies, and instead of the traditional egg butter, I spread fermented kimchi on top and added a couple of slices of cucumber. I liked the combination.

I finished my breakfast, enjoying the Karelian pies and sipping the warm coffee, staring mindlessly outside at the few cars passing by and the park and small buildings beyond the road.

The place has been awarded as the leading hotel in Finland for three years in a row. I liked the ambience of the place, and I enjoyed my stay there. Although the hotel is separated by distance from the city and services, I liked how I was able to walk by the sea to Seurasaari, and on another day, walk through the Central Park forest all the way to the city center. I would happily recommend the place to others.

Valo Hotel & Work Helsinki

Works well if: You want to combine work and staying overnight in a clean, modern and fresh hotel.

Might not suit you if: You want to stay in a central or historic location or to open a window and feel the weather.

Learn more about Seurasaari and see events: Hel.fi/en

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