Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, was founded in the 16th century by the King of Sweden,
but the city as it stands today really started to take shape in the 1800s.
While the city was originally established to rival the bustling trade port town of Tallinn,
the city's growth slowed to a standstill during the plague of 1710.
It was not long after this unfortunate period that the Russians began to lay out Helskinki
in a similar way as St. Petersburg with its ornate neoclassical mansions and spacious
streets.
Previously the Swedes had finished the construction of Suomenlinna, a very ambitious and ominous
sea fortress that was built with the intention of keeping the Russians at bay.
This enormous project is still intact and tourable to this day.
This centuries-old attraction is just one of many incredible things worth seeing when
visiting Helsinki.
Helsinki isn't the largest city in the world by any means.
Fewer than 1 million people live here today, and it's not nearly as popular as places like
Copenhagen or Stockholm.
Even so, Helsinki is a hip and trendy city that is home to vibrant and lively art and
music scene.
Around virtually every corner, you'll find museums, galleries, cafes, and lush green
spaces.
You could quite easily do the majority of your Helsinki sightseeing on foot, seeing
as how compact the city is.
Best of all, Helsinki sees far fewer tourists annually than other Scandinavian capitals.
If you're looking to discover the best things to do in Helsinki, Finland, keep watching!
Market Square Helsinki – Kauppatori
This popular outdoor market located along the harbor is very close in proximity to the
famed Uspenski Cathedral.
It's also one of the few Helsinki attractions that will really surprise you.
The market's many booths feature a variety of different kinds of goods to purchase.
As far as food goes, locals love coming here to buy delicacies such as herring, marmalade,
and enormous pickles, among other intriguing and delicious things.
We highly recommend taking a stroll around the market to really get a feel for the environment.
Plus, the fresh air should do you a lot of good.
As you explore the market, you'll be treated to live music and street performances.
You can also see working and leisure boats out in the harbor while sampling the local
cuisine.
It’s an excellent place to sink your teeth into authentic Finnish white sausages while
savoring the multi-sensory experience of spending the day at the market.
Without question, visiting this bustling market is one of our favorite ways to spend a few
hours in Helsinki.
Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
One of our favorite things to see when touring around Europe are the numerous ornate churches
and cathedrals that pepper the landscape.
If this is something that you also can appreciate, this religious monument definitely won't disappoint.
The red brick structure topped with green domes is crowned with distinct orthodox crosses
up on top – an aesthetic that will immediately remind you of Helsinki's Russian roots.
After traversing across the Bridge of Love which is packed full of brightly colored locks,
you'll make your way to the Cathedral.
Once inside, assuming that you're interested in touring its interior, the smell of incense
will envelop you like a blanket.
The walls of the building are lined with paintings, and glints of gold are featured in each of
them.
Outside, from the top of the structure, you can clearly see the dome of the Tuomiokirkko
or Helsinki Cathedral – an equally impressive and historic Lutheran Cathedral.
It’s also a great place to gaze out upon the various other must-see places around Helsinki.
If you’re searching for a decent spot to get your bearings around the city, we can’t
think of a better option.
Post Museum
While a museum dedicated to the postal system might not sound that exciting at first, in
reality, we found that this unique attraction was one of the surprise highlights of our
trip.
The museum does its due diligence in documenting the history of the Finnish mail system.
Guests will learn all about how ships and sleds were used in the 16th and 17th centuries
to deliver items.
From there, they'll learn all about the countless advancements that have been made to the postal
service up to the modern day.
The museum houses a ton of relics, artifacts, galleries, films, and interactive exhibits
that show you how they used to make mail delivery work even in such a sparsely inhabited and
difficult to deal with the environment.
The museum does a great job taking something as dull as mail delivery and transforming
it into a fun, exciting, informative, and family-friendly educational experience.
Before we tell you about the other great things that await you in Helsinki, Finland, take
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National Museum of Finland
Calling all history lovers.
This is one museum that you need to see firsthand if you're interested in brushing up on your
Finnish history.
We've been to quite a few underfunded and overall disappointing museums in our travels,
but fortunately, this is not one of those.
The museum was established in 1916 and covers the history of the country dating back to
the Stone Age.
It features an enormous collection of relics, artwork, artifacts, and exhibits that provide
visitors with a lot of detail while creating a chronological narrative that takes you on
a journey through time from antiquity to the present day.
For a relatively small capital city, this is one remarkably impressive museum!
So, be sure not to miss it!
Suomenlinna
Visitors hoping to see one of the most awe-inspiring man-made places in Scandinavia can get to
Suomenlinna by taking a brief ferry ride from Kauppatori.
This massive maritime fortress spans seven isles.
It was originally built by the Swedes in the 1700s to defend their eastern territory.
As history tells us, however, Helsinki was taken over by the Russians at the beginning
of the 19th century.
We don’t think it’s too much of an exaggeration to say that practically nothing has changed
at Suomenlinna since those days.
In addition to the gun positions and star-shaped walls, visitors will see a tiny baroque settlement
that is currently home to about 100 people.
Esplanadi
The locals call this place ‘Espa’.
Located in the middle of the city, this patch of green space is where tourists and local
Finns alike come to relax, enjoy a picnic and see live entertainment in the summer months.
During this time of year, the space located in front of Cafe Kappeli, the Espa stage,
is used as an outdoor venue where throughout the season a variety of different shows and
live musical performances take place.
In July, you can catch the Jazz-Espa – a month-long Jazz music festival that is incredibly
popular.
Every June, the annual Marimekko Fashion Show takes place here.
Seurasaari Island
Just a few kilometers north of the city center is a unique attraction that takes up a whole
island.
This open-air museum shows off a rare collection of historic and mostly-intact Finnish buildings
from around the nation.
The museum is open throughout the summer, and during this time, trained guides donning
traditional clothing tell you all about what life was like in rural Finland centuries ago.
This attraction shouldn't take you more than an hour or so to see in full, but with its
quaint workshops, manor houses, and rustic cottages, it makes for a great little pit
stop to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.
Old Market Hall
Open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, the Old Market Hall which can be found not
far from the water in Etelaranta, has been standing since 1889.
Before it's construction, there had previously never been a permanent building to house one
of Helsinki's markets.
Up until that point, they were all found in squares out in the open, exposed to the elements.
This stunning Byzantine revival building is worth visiting even if you're not planning
on doing any shopping, but if you are itching to burn a hole in your pocket, you'll find
yourself tempted by a wide variety of stalls selling everything from fresh, local produce
to meats, cheeses, fish, fruits, crafts, and baked goods.
Linnanmaki
This world-class amusement park has been open for almost seven decades.
Over the years that it’s been in operation, the park has donated all of its profits to
a Finnish child welfare charity called Palvan Saatio.
More than a million guests visit the park annually.
Here you’ll find everything from traditional carnival-style rides to modern roller coasters.
There are also numerous arcades, live shows, and other attractions that everyone in your
party, young or old, will appreciate.
Senate Square
While Helsinki has numerous attractions that are sure to impress, Senate Square is one
of the most captivating.
It might even be said that all streets lead to it.
There are dozens of colorful and ornate buildings here, including the oldest stone house in
the city.
Another amazing place that is sure to inspire awe is the central statue, where tourists
and locals like to sit down and rest their legs on the benches that surround it.
While taking a little breather, take a look around to see all of the amazing attractions
encircling the square, including the unbelievable Tuomiokirkko Cathedral.
The square was constructed between 1830 and 1852.
The Cathedral is one of the most distinct landmarks in Helsinki, so you can't miss it.
If you're trying to figure out a good place to start your tour around Helsinki, Senate
Square is a decent spot to start.
There you have it.
That about wraps up our rundown of the best attractions and things to do in Helsinki,
Finland.
Have you had the chance to visit Helsinki already?
If so, we'd love to hear what some of your favorite attractions are in and around the
city.
If you haven't gotten the chance to visit Helsinki yet, let us know in the comments
what you're most excited to see and do.
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As always, thanks for watching, and happy travels!