Running in Helsinki

Winter Wonderland. That’s what I experienced when running in Helsinki. As we stayed at the Hilton Kalastajatorppa, I had the pleasure to go for a run in the nature. The Kalastajatorppa area is absolutely beautiful and just perfect for running. I absolutely loved the atmosphere in winter, but I bet that the running route would be amazing in summer, too.

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Running on a sunny day is absolutely amazing. Anyway, I’m of the opinion that the cloudy weather in Helsinki was right perfect for my run in the Kalastajatorppa area.

• Distance: 7.5 Kilometers
• Jogged altitude: 105 Meters
• Calories burned: 400-500
• Month: January
• Weather: Cloudy

Even though it was very cold, the winter wonderland was the perfect setting to explore the area.

Frozen seas, frozen rivers and snow everywhere – just beautiful!

Experiencing icy nature

When I left the Hilton Kalastajatorppa, I was awaiting a really tough run.

The street was iced which made me slip after running for just some meters. I was expecting the worst, but was happy to see that the streets got way better after kilometer one.

What I especially loved was the fact that the pedestrian walks were prepared, so it was not too slippery. Anyway, the nicest part of the run definitely starts at kilometer two.

After passing a lovely little park that is located directly on the sea, I reached a bridge that led to an island.

As I didn’t check out where to run before, I didn’t even know that I would have the pleasure to run on one of the most popular islands in Scandinavia.

Enjoying Seurasaari and the nature of Finland

As I recognized when crossing the bridge I had accidently found Seurasaari, the well-known museum island that is also renowned for its beautiful nature.

Even the bridge that led to the island was beautiful, but the nature was even more. All the paths were not prepared, but running on the snow was amazing as well. As there were only few people on the whole island, I had the pleasure to enjoy the nature without any trouble.

It was amazing enough to just enjoy the silence and the cold air, but when running on Seurasaari, you’ll also be able to explore parts of the open air museum. Learning more about the Finish culture was really interesting, especially during running.

More beautiful parks and lovely nature

As I did want to explore more of the area, I decided to leave Seurasaari again after running through the beautiful nature for two kilometers.

Yet, I didn’t have to leave nature even though I did leave Seurasaari. The Kalastajatorppa area is really nice for running and there are several parks that spread out for kilometers.

Yet, after enjoying more nature, I got back to a huge street after 5.5 kilometers. On my way, I found an outdoor ice hockey stadium.

Even though I know ice hockey from other countries, I did never see an outdoor stadium before.

Not easy, even for experienced runners

The last two kilometers weren’t too spectacular as I did only explore the residential area. Interestingly enough, the last kilometer was the toughest one in terms of running. The pedestrian walks were frozen and the snow was already beaten down.

Due to that, it was incredibly tough to not tumble. So, even though running in Helsinki was absolutely beautiful, I’d recommend it only for experienced runners. While not being really dangerous, there were several slippery spots on the paths.

But if you are experienced in running and have good equipment, I’d encourage you to go out even though it is cold. The Kalastajatorppa area is just beautiful for a nice run!

 

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