A local´s guide to Helsinki, Finland: My 7 top tips
My other hometown Helsinki is a good mixture of vibrant city life and nature. These are my seven all-time favourite things to do in Helsinki.
1. The city by the sea
Salty fresh ocean air, beautiful Jugend-style architecture and elegant yet relaxed atmosphere – Southern districts Ullanlinna and Kaivopuisto located right next to the sea are definitely my favourite areas in Helsinki. I love to walk by the sea from Eiranranta to Kaivopuisto and towards Market Square. On the way, it’s nice to enjoy lunch in Café Ursula or take a drink in a bar called Mattolaituri and relax watching the beautiful sea view. Another lovely route is to walk around Seurasaari, a little peaceful island five kilometers from the center.
For a quick getaway from the city, I like to take a ferry to the small islands in front of Helsinki, like to Suomenlinna, or to Pihlajasaari, where you can enjoy the day on a sandy beach and even camp overnight on the island if you bring your own tent.
2. Art lover’s paradise
Helsinki is art lover’s paradise. Thanks to my mom, I grew up watching theater and concerts, and I still love that there are always interesting events going on in Helsinki. It is impossible to list all the great theaters and concert venues, but let´s say the theaters I go to most often are KOM-teatteri, Q-Teatteri, Ryhmäteatteri, Suomen Kansallisteatteri, Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri and Svenska Teatern (note: all the plays are in Finnish and in Svenska Teatern, the plays are in Swedish).
I am also a big fan of dance and especially ballet, and I love to see performances by groups like Finland´s only full-size professional ballet company, The Finnish National Ballet, or modern dance by Helsinki Dance Company. A great place to see dance performances by various companies and independent artists in Helsinki is Tanssin talo, a house dedicated only to dance.
3. The coolest music scene
The music scene in Helsinki has it all! In the summer, there are many world-famous music festivals like urban music and arts festival Flow and Tuska festival for metal lovers. There are various music venues like Musiikkitalo for world-class classical music concerts, Koko Jazz Club for jazz and the legendary rock club Tavastia for pop and rock concerts. Oh my, I used to go to Tavastia for rock concerts already as a teenager (yes, I sneaked in when I was underage, sorry mom) and went to see every Finnish teen girl’s favourite bands like HIM, The 69 Eyes and Tehosekoitin. This place holds so many memories that are better to keep just for myself.
Hertta <3 Helsinki
4. Finest Finnish masterpieces
There are almost 40 museums in Helsinki, like art museums Amos Rex, Didrichsen and the Finnish National Gallery, which is the largest art museum institution of Finland, and it consists of Ateneum Art Museum, Sinebrychoff Art Museum and a contemporary art museum Kiasma. If I have to choose only one art museum, I would go to Ateneum, which has the largest and oldest art collection in Finland. There have been exhibitions from Ilja Repin to Pablo Picasso, but I love most the museum’s own art collection which consists of works from Finnish artists like Helene Schjerfbeck, Hugo Simberg, Eero Järnefelt, Albert Edelfelt and Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
5. Steal the style
Helsinki is the perfect place for people-watching since the street style is totally unique! Some dress in a classy and minimalistic Scandinavian way while some are expressing their personality with more experimental styles. I think nowadays the coolest kids in Helsinki buy their stuff from fleamarkets. Green values and recycling have become everyday life in Finland, and new second-hand shops keep popping up all the time in the streets of Helsinki. For more unique finds, try your luck in shops like UFF or Fida. If you fancy designer pieces, head to boutique-like flea shops like Relove or Flea.
Kauppatori, The Market Square is a classic place to buy local foods and souvenirs.
6. Fall in love with Finnish flavours
Feels like new bars and restaurants open every week in Helsinki. However, I tend to choose the old classic restaurants that have been in Helsinki forever. For a fancier lunch or dinner, I like to go to Elite or to Kämp. Both of these restaurants have been famous among actors, musicians and other artists for decades. Some other classics I like are Sea Horse and Kosmos. For a more casual vegetarian lunch, I like Sandro, Levant and Yes, yes, yes. Surprisingly there are very good pizzerias in Helsinki, and the ones I like the most are Putte´s, Pontus, Skiffer and Via Tribunali. For coffee, my choice is Finland´s oldest café, patisserie and bakery, Café Ekberg.
7. Nothing beats a Finnish sauna
And finally my favourite thing ever: ahh, the sauna! Believe it or not, but in Finland where lives only 5,5 million people are over 3 million saunas! My favourite sauna is the one at my family´s summer house, but it´s always fun to try different saunas since the heat and atmosphere feels different in every sauna. In Helsinki, my favourite public saunas are Allas Sea Pool and Löyly, both are located by the sea, and there is a possibility to swim. Another special place is Yrjönkadun uimahalli, Finland´s oldest, and definitely the most elegant, indoor swimming hall that represents the Nordic Classicism architecture from the 1920s. If you prefer a modest everyday sauna, try Kotiharjun Sauna (opened in 1928) or Sauna Hermanni (opened in 1953). For an urban sauna experience, test Sompasauna or Kulttuurisauna.
Text by Hertta Hiltunen. Photos by Helena Järvinen.
