There are many reasons to fall in love with Finland and the Finns (who are in fact the happiest people in the world), the country has been ranked amongst the countries with the highest quality of life. Finland is a hidden gem into the far up North, over 70 % of the country is taken over by beautiful forest and lakes.
One of the most exceptional features of Finland is the “light”, when the endless sunshine of summer gives way to dark winter, the Northern Lights appear like magic and light up the sky.
At 10pm in midsummer, the sun is still shining in Helsinki, making the evening forever-young, in Lapland, on the other hand, a single summer day lasts for over two months – the sun just does not set at all. In the Arctic Circle the sun does not rise for a month or more during the winter, it’s not completely dark – there are a few hours of light around noon.
To see the Northern Lights requires sufficient darkness and clear skies, which makes late autumn, the winter and early spring (September to March) the perfect times. The best time of the day is an hour or two before and after midnight. The display might last 20 seconds or go on for hours. The further north you go, the greater the chances of spotting the Aurora Borealis you have.
We had a short break in November 2014 to visit the sister of my partner in Helsinki, was quite cold but there was already the Christmas vibe in the city and the atmosphere was really nice, we spent a total of 5 days between Helsinki and Tallinn.

One of my favourite parts of the city is the fish market square “Kauppatori”, you will find plenty of local delicacy, amazing soups, and many varieties of Salmon. This port area is one of the epicentres of life of the city, Helsinki is a compact city where most sights and attractions are within walking distance and getting around town is easy. From the Market Square you can also spot the majestic Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe, which is located in the Katajanokka district.

Another beautiful place to visit is Suomenlinna the ‘Fortress of Finland’, is located on a series of small islands just 20 minutes away from Helsinki’s south harbour by ferry. It represented a major strategic point that was important to overlook and control the city and an important way for the defence of Southern Finland. Like any other north European countries, Finland is quite expensive for restaurants and hotels, so if you are traveling on a budget, try to find an apartment where you can make your meal.
We didn’t have enough days to explore the Arctic this time but we will definitely go back.
Estonia is just 2 hours distance by ferry (we travelled with Viking Line) from the port of Helsinki, so we decided to do a daily trip to Tallinn. There are three ferry companies that are running almost every hour, and the tickets are cheap, around 18euro return per person. 
Tallinn has an incredible historical charm, the Medieval Old Town is in the heart of the city (easy walk from the port – around 15 mins), is a wonderful place to visit with plenty of restaurants, shops and tiny streets to wander around, with his beautiful architecture and distinctively Baltic, feels like stepping back in time, there are so many beautiful buildings to admire especially from the two popular points on the hill. The Old Town is divided into two parts: the lower town and Toompea Hill, most of the important and famous monuments are on Toompea Hill, like the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, this spectacular onion-domed structure is Estonia’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral.

There are more colourful buildings to discover up here, there are viewpoints of the Old Town around every corner. If you have 1 or 2 extra days to explore more about Tallinn I would suggested you to do an overnight in Tallinn, so you will have time to explore the Lahemaa National Park just 40 mins outside of the city or the Kuressaare Castle , otherwise a full day in the city will be enough.