Quick and Easy Helsinki Souvenir Shopping Photo Guide For Your Inner Bargain Hunter
Saturday, January 27, 2018 Finland 0 Comments

Quick and Easy Helsinki Souvenir Shopping Photo Guide

Sometimes, the only solution you can think of when you are stuck in a plight, is not booze, sleep, nor argument. It is shopping – window shopping – splurging. At least that’s what she said. Whatever the problem may be, there’s always this human yearning for some retail therapy in one way or another. But, when it comes to traveling to a new ~~expensive~~ city, such as Helsinki, will the shopping spree mantra still be a thing, especially for souvenir hunting? Maybe so, here’s why.

You’ll be overly delighted to discover that shopping in Finland is doable and enjoyable because there are so many Finnish products to choose from. The Must Buys and Must Haves here are of wide range, that it’s best to think of what you want to buy first before going for it. What to bring home from Finland? What’s the best thing to buy from Finland? Well, little did I know that there are a lot of things – from food down to everything you can think of – Finland can be famous for so many things, which apparently you can also now by online, because yes, they are a progressive country, and no, I still would recommend buying it yourself so as to have the chance to feel and scrutinize and enjoy the products even before buying them.

They have products from traditional wall hangings, also known as takana and marimekko, littala glass, sauna buckets and ladles, puukko, Kalevala jewelries, kuksa, lapp hats, salmiakki – you name it, there are just a profusion of choices to bring home. Unlike the ones you will find in other parts of Northern Europe, the prices here are relatively reasonable, not too expensive and certainly not too cheap either. Which is why, I recommend for you to go and visit the convenience stores, grocery stores, and shopping malls first, before heading to the souvenir shops; this’ll give you an idea how the prices would range, depending on the type of product you prefer to bring home.

Of course, for me, if there is a compelling need for me to buy stuff (read: always?), I smartly swing by the groceries FIRST to see if there are any bargains to bring home for the friends and co-workers. Yes, that’s an Asian thing, and yes, this is fine with them for as long as it’s not a souvenir keychain or a souvenir magnet. For keepsake and memorabilia though, I always gun for the ones that can be found in souvenir shops because, though slightly pricier, there are almost always better choices to choose from. For this case, check out the photos I took when we went around in Helsinki to do some (window) shopping! Consider this as your virtual pre-shopping online photo guide minus the typical tourist trap souvenir samples. These are the a-la local things to buy and bring home to use or consume, cos let's face it, these are also technically souvenirs for you that are not only less touristy-looking, but also authentically local in that sense! :-) (or maybe just another excuse to visit the grocery stores and retail shops. Lol.