Gorgeous coastlines, isolated islands – what better way to see Finland than by ferry?

Standing on the deck of a Finnish ferry, we cruised so close to some of the thousands of mostly uninhabited forested islands strewn across the Baltic Sea that we could almost read the writing on the occasional lonely lighthouse.

My husband and I had long been intrigued by Finland, drawn to visions just like this – long, crashing coastlines, isolated islands – but also to the vast swaths of forests that cover three-quarters of the country, rivers and lakes that have earned it the nickname “Land of the Thousand Lakes,” unique sauna culture (more than three million of them in a country of almost six million people), and the Nordic nation’s regular ranking atop the World Happiness Report.

Since so much of this country is dominated by coastline, and so many people rely on the sea for transport, an efficient, reliable ferry system has long been essential. That the ships can also be plush was a plus.

So, we figured, what better way to travel conveniently, comfortably, economically and leisurely than aboard a ferry – without the regimented (and costly) time constraints of a cruise? To traverse the bucolic countryside, we took advantage of Finland’s just as efficient bus and rail system. To explore the country’s historic city and town centres, we relied on our own two feet.

Ferry tales

Cargo service in Scandinavia was a literal lifeline as far back as the Middle Ages, when wooden vessels transported goods such as grain, salt and timber to communities on the Baltic Sea. As trade with neighbouring countries increased, so too did the size of the ships. From the 16th to 18th centuries, Dutch merchants dominated the waterways through specialized cargo ships with greater capacity for delivery across the Danish straits. Volumes surged again when the Industrial Revolution brought a shift from sail to steam, right up to today with the rise of roll-on, roll-off (drive-on) container ferries vital to European trade.

Passengers jumped onboard in the early 19th century, when paddle steamers began connecting Turku, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden. As competition between ferry lines heated up in the 1970s and 1980s, operators began bolstering their boats with the addition of restaurants, entertainment and duty-free shops. By the 1990s and up to today, low-emission hybrid “super-sized ships” such as the Silja Serenade and Viking Line’s Glory, have ramped up the ritz factor with features including plush lounges, high-end restaurants, named entertainment, casinos, spas, playrooms, conference rooms, even a sauna, earning them the moniker “cruise ferries.”

Ports of call

We started with the shortest of crossings, from Market Square at Helsinki’s South Harbour to the Fortress of Suomenlinna, 15 minutes away by commuter ferry, which plies the surrounding waters year round.

The fortress’s 200 buildings, barracks, artillery and defensive walls were built over a group of six linked islands in the mid-18th century originally to defend the Kingdom of Sweden against the Russian Empire. Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Strong winds pushed us along the trails to the King’s Gate drawbridge, built in 1753 for Sweden’s King Adolf Frederick when he dropped by to survey construction on the fortress. Displays at the Suomenlinna Museum chronicle Finland’s military and maritime history.

Back at Market Square’s orange tents, where vendors sell food, art and souvenirs, we grabbed a reindeer hot dog and bowl of salmon soup, local specialties, and watched the sun set over the harbour.

Helsinki is a compact, walkable city that also has a reliable network of trams, one of which always seemed to be coming around the corner to take us to markets, museums, squares and parks. Highlights for us included Helsinki Cathedral on Senate Square, built in 1830 in tribute to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia who presided over Finland under Russian rule, and the chic Design District with its mix of high fashion and creative artisans.

One morning we took a day trip from Helsinki to Estonia. We hopped aboard Viking’s XPRS ferry to Tallinn, the country’s capital, about two-and-a-half hours across the Gulf of Finland. We wandered around the walled, cobblestoned alleys of Old Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its preserved medieval centre. The Town Hall Square was filled with flower and produce stands, a tradition from centuries past. Inside the Gothic Town Hall (the oldest surviving hall of its type in northern Europe) we found benches depicting the stories of Tristan and Isolde and Samson and Delilah, a rare example of medieval woodcarving.

We climbed Toompea Hill to the black onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the city’s most prominent Russian Orthodox cathedral, built when Estonia was still a part of the Russian Empire. Entrance was free to gaze at the gilded icons, mosaics and chandeliers. We also trudged up the 258 steps to the medieval St. Olaf’s Church, once the tallest building in the world, for panoramic city views.

Back in Helsinki, on our last day we took a tram to the Central Railway Station where we caught a train to the 13th-century city of Turku. Set along the Aura River and its scenic promenade, Finland’s oldest city features a castle, cathedrals, museums and lively open-air markets.

From here we shipped out aboard Viking Line’s Glory cruise ferry, gliding past a fraction of the 40,000 islets that make up the Turku Archipelago to reach the Aland Islands, an autonomous, Swedish-speaking region of Finland some five-and-a half-hours away.

In the capital, Mariehamn, we toured the Maritime Museum with its collection of artifacts and detailed history of the islands and their importance to the world of shipping and navigation. The highlight was a tour of the tall ship Pommern parked outside. It was impressive on its own but even more so when we learned it’s the world’s only four-masted sailing ship still in its original state.

Our final ferry trip was back aboard Viking’s Glory as it sailed from Helsinki to Sweden through the Stockholm Archipelago. The route along the Baltic cruised a bit more out onto open water than we’d experienced in the sheltered Aland Islands. As we neared the Swedish coast we passed granite cliffs, fishing villages and holiday homes tucked into forests.

Out on deck, we sipped a lonkero, a Finnish favourite made of gin and grapefruit soda, and toasted a perfect finish to our Finland ferry adventure.

If you go

Three main ferries run daily year-round serving the Baltic Sea: Viking Line, which sails between Helsinki and Tallinn; Stockholm, Aland and Helsinki; and Stockholm to Turku. The Tallink Silja Line is another luxury ferry that connects Helsinki to Tallinn, Aland Islands and Stockholm. And Eckero Line operates between Helsinki and Tallinn. Viking offers the better views to Tallinn since it passes closest to the islands.

Fares range from about $17 per walk-on passenger and $36 for a passenger and vehicle, to more than $900 for a passenger, vehicle and luxury cabin with whirlpool bath, minibar and TV. Tickets can be purchased at the counter (most expensive), online from the cruise lines (cheaper) or through an online booking platform such as Ferryscanner or Direct Ferries (cheapest).