Enjoying a Finnish Sauna -- You haven't been cleansed to the core until you've experienced a Finnish sauna. The sauna is often looked upon with almost religious awe, and an enormously high percentage of private Finnish homes and apartments have one.Hearing a Sibelius Concert -- To…
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Helsinki Attractions
Helsinki is filled with many activities, from exploring museums and enjoying a Finnish sauna to taking a summer cruise through the archipelago or sampling a Finnish seisovapöytä (smorgasbord). If your time is limited, though, be sure to visit the Mannerheim Museum, the home of Sibelius, the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, and the Suomenlinna Fortress.
Architectural Highlights
Hvitträsk, in Luoma, Kirkkonummi (tel. 09/405-096-30), the studio home of architects Eliel Saarinen, Armas Lindgren, and Herman Gesellius, was built of logs and natural stone, and ranks among the most remarkable architectural creations of its time. The artistic unity of the house with its forest surroundings was a remarkable achievement. Today it's used as a center for exhibits of Finnish art and handicrafts. A first-rate restaurant, Hvitträsk (tel. 09/297-60-33), is open Tuesday to Thursday noon to 8pm and Friday to Monday noon to 6pm.
Admission to the center is 5€ ($8) for adults, 4€ ($6.40) for students; free for kids 17 and under. It's open daily from 11am to 6pm. To get here, take bus no. 166 from the Central Bus Station, Platform 62, and then walk about 2km (1 1/4 miles). Or take the train to Luoma, and then walk about 2km (1 1/4 miles). By car, follow the Jorvas motorway about 20km (12 miles), turn off at the Kivenlahti exit, drive about 5km (3 miles) toward Kauklahti, and then follow the Hvitträsk signs.
Tapiola, a notable model community, is in Espoo, 10km (6 miles) west of Helsinki. This garden city, from the pre-World War II era, is filled with parks, fountains, handsomely designed homes and apartments, shopping centers, playgrounds, schools, and churches. In the center of Tapiola is a large office building with a self-service cafeteria on top (a good choice for lunch). To reach Tapiola, go to stop no. 52 or no. 53 near the Central Station. From either stop, take any bus marked TAPIOLA.
Especially for Kids
Helsinki has many activities for children, beginning with the opportunity to travel around on the ferryboats and water buses that link the city's islands and attractions. The Helsinki Card entitles them to free admission or reduced rates at a number of attractions. We've noticed that children like the Traditional Helsinki by Sea boat tours, the Helsinki Zoo, the Pihlajasaari Recreational Park, Suomenlinna Fortress, the model-ship collection in the Ehrensvärd Museum, the submarine Vesikko on Susisaari Island, the outdoor Olympic Stadium, and many other sights and excursions.
25 Results
- Historic Site
Ainola
Few countries seem as proud of a native composer as Finns are of Jean Sibelius, who lived within this log building for more than half a century. He named the house after his wife, Aino, and lived here from 1904 until his death in 1957; he and his wife are buried on the property.… - Museum
Ateneum Art Museum
Housing the largest collection of fine art in Finland, this museum displays the works of mostly Finnish artists produced between the mid-1700s and 1960. It also contains a scattering of paintings and sculpture by non-Finnish artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. Except for… - Park/Garden
Botanical Gardens
These gardens, a 5-minute walk from the Central Station, feature shrubs and flowers, herbs, ornamentals, Finnish wildflowers, and indigenous trees and bushes. The greenhouses reopened after extensive renovations, making them better than ever. However, unlike the rest of the gardens,… - Landmark
Eduskuntatalo (Finnish Parliament)
One of the world's most enlightened and progressive governing bodies assembles here. Near the post office, this 1931 building of pink Finnish granite houses the 200 members of the one-chamber parliament. Forty percent of members are women, one of the highest proportions of female…In the City Center
- Museum
Ehrensvärd Museum
This historical museum includes a model ship collection and officers' quarters from the 18th century, as well as displays based on Suomenlinna's military history. The museum bears the name of Augustin Ehrensvärd, who supervised construction of the fortress during the late 18th… - The Performing Arts
Finnish National Opera
The ballet and opera performances of the Finnish National Opera enjoy international fame. Operas are sung in their original languages. The original Finnish National Opera was built in the 1870s as a Russian garrison theater, but in 1993 the opera house moved to its new home. The… - Museum
Gallen-Kallela Museum
On a wooded peninsula in a suburb of Helsinki, this museum is dedicated to the great Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931), who built his studio here between 1911 and 1913, calling it his "castle in the air." Gallen-Kallela had a restless, fanciful personality, and his… - The Performing Arts
Helsingin Kaupunginorkesteri (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
The oldest symphony orchestra in Scandinavia performs from September to May in the gracefully modern Finlandia Hall, designed by Alvar Aalto of white Carrara marble. Just a short distance from the town center, it's the musical nerve center of Finland, offering between 70 and 80… - Religious Site
Helsinki Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko)
Dominating the city's skyline, a short walk from Market Square and the harborfront, is one of the city's most visible symbols, a monumental green-domed cathedral erected between 1830 and 1852. Built in a gracefully symmetrical neoclassical style that reflected the glory of ancient… - Zoo/Aquarium
Helsinki Zoo
A collection of northern European animals, including a herd of wild forest reindeer, wolverines, northern owl species, and many other mammals and birds from Europe and Asia, can be found here. We especially like the way the zoo houses its animals and birds in large natural enclosures… - Museum
Kiasma (Museum of Contemporary Art)
Under the administration of the Finnish National Gallery , this is Helsinki's most experimental major museum. An American architect, Steven Holl, designed the radically innovative building, every aspect of which was conceived for the display of art produced since the 1960s. The art… - Theme Park
Linnanmäki Amusement Park
Linnanmäki, 3km (2 miles) north of Helsinki, is a fun fair of splashing fountains, merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, restaurants, cafes, and theaters. Founded in 1950 by the Children's Foundation to raise money to care for the thousands of children orphaned by World War II, Linnanmäki… - Museum
Mannerheim Museum
Anyone who's fascinated by the history of Europe between 1900 and 1950 will love this place. A gracefully proportioned villa within an upscale neighborhood otherwise devoted to foreign embassies, it functioned as the elegant home of Baron Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, marshal of Finland… - Sports Venue
Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion)
Helsinki was host to the Olympic Games in 1952; a tower remains from its impressive sports stadium, and an elevator whisks passengers up to the top for a panoramic view of the city and the archipelago. The stadium, 2km (1 1/4 miles) from the city center, was originally built in 1940,… - Park/Garden
Pihlajasaari Recreational Park
A popular attraction favored by bird-watchers and joggers, this park is made up of two small neighboring islands filled with sandy beaches -- it's a summer playground for the city. A restaurant and a cafe are in the park. - Museum
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
One of the largest collections of historic buildings in Finland, each moved here from somewhere else, is on the island of Seurasaari, a national park. Representing the tastes and evolution of Finnish architecture through the centuries, the collection includes a 17th-century church,… - Park/Garden
Sibelius Park & Monument
Called Sibeliuksen puisto in Finnish, this park was planned to honor Jean Sibelius, Finland's most famous composer. The grounds are not manicured, but are maintained in a somewhat natural state. Old birch trees shade park benches, and rocky outcrops divide the landscape. The park was… - Museum
Sinebrychoff Art Museum (Museum of Foreign Art)
Part of the Finnish National Gallery , this museum was built in 1842 and still displays its original furnishings. It houses an extensive collection of foreign paintings from the 14th century to the 19th century and has a stunning collection of foreign miniatures. There is also an… - Museum
Submarine Vesikko
The relatively small-scale (250 tons) submarine Vesikko was built in Turku in 1933 for the Germans, who used it for mostly experimental purposes. In 1936, the Germans sold it to the Finns, who based it in Suomenlinna's shipyard throughout most of World War II. During that war, the… - Museum
Suomen Kansallismuseo (National Museum of Finland)
This museum is broken into five sections, which include The Treasure Trove, presenting the museum's collections of coins, medals, decorations, silver, jewelry, and weapons; The Prehistory of Finland, the country's largest archaeological exhibit; The Realm, telling the history of… - The Performing Arts
Suomen Kansallisteatteri (Finnish National Theater)
The Finnish National Theater enjoys international fame because of its presentations of the classics of Finland and many other countries; each play, however, is performed in Finnish. The theater itself, one of the architectural gems of 19th-century Helsinki, was established in 1872… - The Performing Arts
Svenska Teatern (Swedish Theater)
If you speak Swedish, you might want to attend a performance at the horseshoe-shaped Swedish Theater, which has been presenting plays since 1866. The theater is in the absolute center of Helsinki, opposite Stockmann department store. The theatrical season begins in early September… - Museum
Tamminiemi
This site celebrates the accomplishments of Urho Kekkonen (1900-86), who served as president of Finland longer (1956-1982) than anyone else. Built in 1904 in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style, the site today is a testimonial to the survival of Finland against the Soviet menace, and… - Religious Site
Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Temple Square Church)
This "Church of the Rock" is about 2 blocks west of the National Museum in the Töölö residential district west of Mannerheimintie. Only the domed copper roof and a circular curtain wall of granite blocks are visible from outside. It was designed by two architect brothers, Tuomo and… - Museum
The Design Museum (Designmuseo)
Students of design from all over the world flock to this museum, whose permanent exhibition chronicles the history and development of design in Finland from 1870 to 2002. The permanent exhibition is beefed up by temporary Finnish and international theme exhibitions. The museum is…
More About Helsinki Attractions
Helsinki Shopping
The city centre boasts some famous department stores and excellent shopping malls, including Stockmann's designer fashion and the Moomin Shop, the official place for Moomin character memorabilia. Nordic interior design and fashion is a major draw for the Helsinki shopper, but it's worth heading a little off the beaten track to hunt for bargains at the Market Square in Kaartinkaupunki or Hakaniemi Market Hall in Kallio.
Helsinki Nightlife
For classical culture, Taka-Töölö to the north is one of the best districts, as it is home to the Finnish National Opera House and Finlandia Hall. Most other nightlife is concentrated in the city centre, where bars like Molly Malone's, nightclubs like Onnela, the Grand Casino and Helsinki's leading jazz venue, Storyville, offer a taste of the city's diverse entertainment.
