After our incredible two-week road trip through the Baltic States, we took a short ferry ride from Tallinn to Helsinki for our week in Finland.
While there is much more to Finland than Helsinki and the surrounding area, our time in the southern part of the country gave us a taste of Finnish culture.
We spent our week exploring Helsinki and some of the surrounding islands as well as taking day trips by boat and train to several nearby cities. Our AirBnB was next to an elementary school, and we enjoyed listening to the childrens’ antics as we plotted out our plans for the day each morning and cooked meals in our apartment each afternoon. The whole week was a relaxing delight and convinced us we need to explore more of Finland on another trip.
Helsinki is easy to navigate, and we chose to explore it on foot. Here are some of our favorite districts and a few attractions we enjoyed in each one.
Recommended Helsinki, Finland Districts
Central Districts
We used and would recommend the Rick Steves self-guided walking tour. It covered many of the main sites in the Central Districts, which include the harbor and market square as well as the downtown neighborhoods.
Kauppatori Neighborhood (Market Square)
As we waited on our ferries to the nearby islands, we briefly explored Vanha Kauppatori, the open-air market. Because there wasn’t much covered seating at the outdoor eateries, we grabbed lunch in the Old Market Hall at Eteläranta, which has been selling local fresh food since 1889. We thought the recommended Toast Skagen (shrimp, mayo, chives on toasted bread, topped with roe) was just ok, but the atmosphere was worth the visit.
Another highlight in this area is the Spot Havis Amanda, one of the most iconic statues in Helsinki. It’s a fountain with a statue of a naked mermaid in the center, surrounded by four fishes and four sea lions. I think Brian took a picture of her each time we walked by!
Also in the area are the Helsinki City Museum and Helsinki City Hall. We saw but did not explore these structures as much of the area was under construction.
Kruununhaka Neighborhood
Helsinki’s oldest district, the Kruununhaka neighborhood features the main square and Helsinki Cathedral. As you can see in the photo below, the rotunda was under construction during our visit and we didn’t go inside.
Kamppi Neighborhood
We walked through the Kamppi neighborhood almost daily on our way to the harbor as well as the train station. We enjoyed spotting the Three Blacksmiths Statue and walking by the interestingly designed Kamppi Chapel of Silence.
I don’t know if it technically falls in this neighborhood, but we also spent some time in the Oslo Public Library. It has an amazing maker space that was sadly only available to residents – Brian asked about purchasing a day-pass to play some of the guitars, but those were not available to visitors.
Esplanade Park
While we mostly walked this area to get from one destination to another, those leisurely walks allowed us to enjoy street performers and musicians, admire the Marimekko store, and snag some porcelain Moomin mementos
We also had some great food and drinks in this area. Top picks include:
- Ateljee Bar in Torni Tower. Perfect place for drinks and panoramic views.
- Kappeli Cafe in Esplanade Park. We enjoyed dinner inside the glassed in patio and everything was delicious.
Toolo Neighborhood
Although not originally on our list, I’m glad we made time to explore the Toolo neighborhood.
We got our steps in walking from our AirBnB in the Central neighborhood through the lovely and peaceful Hietaniemi cemetery up to the beach and nearby Sibelius Monument.
Kaivopuisto Neighborhood
If you have a free afternoon, I would recommend spending a few hours exploring Kaivopuisto Park as well as the paved waterside paths that run around the park. The cafes offer great views and people watching!
Katajanokka Neighborhood
At the end of our time in Helsinki, we caught our ship to Sweden from the port in the Katajanokka neighborhood. After checking out of our AirBnB, we headed to that area, dropped off our bags at the locker storage in the depot, and then spent a few hours before our departure wandering aroud.
We enjoyed the harbor area from the outdoor patio of Niska Helsinki Pizza, which is known for sourcing its ingredients from the Aland Islands.
We also climbed the steps up to Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, which is said to be Western Europe’s largest Orthodox Church. The interior and exterior were fascinating, and it was nice to have time to admire both.
Recommended Helsinki, Finland Day Trips
There is a lot to see and do around Helsinki, Finland. We only scratched the surface during our week exploring the city and southern part of the country, and I look forward to exploring the north on a future trip!
Heather's Compass 