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Capital and most populous city of Finland
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Helsinki (Swedish: Helsingfors) is Finland's capital and largest city. Helsinki combines modern and historic architectural styles with beautiful open spaces. The city is surrounded by hundreds of tiny islands, and is a cultural bridge between the East and West. The "Pearl of the Baltic Sea" is easy to explore on foot or on bike, and it has a laid-back vibe.
The very core of Helsinki is, as one might expect, a lively part of the city with many attractions including the great art museums of Ateneum and Kiasma and the impressive central railway station. The district has many places to eat, drink and shop – streets are lined with these kinds of establishments, particularly the pedestrianised Aleksanterinkatu. For some relaxing greenery, two of the city's most notable parks are here, Esplanadinpuisto and Kaisaniemenpuisto.
The Lutheran Cathedral at the Senate Square with the surrounding buildings, dating from the early 19th century when Helsinki was made capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland, can be found here. One block south is the iconic waterfront with the Market Square, continuing east into Katajanokka. This can be considered the most "touristy" part of Helsinki, with many of the city's most famous buildings almost next to each other. The rest of Kruununhaka and Katajanokka are mainly residential.
In the calm and affluent southern part of Helsinki you can enjoy the greenery of the parks and drop into a nice café for a cuppa coffee. Southern Helsinki also has its share of interesting museums, and if you're into fashion and design shopping, head to the district of Punavuori and along Fredrikinkatu. Suomenlinna, the fortress on an island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are also some other islands just south of the mainland accessible to visitors.
For some great places for eating and drinking, head across Mannerheimintie and continue through Kamppi. Further west the former industrial part of the city, watched over by the cranes of the shipyard and industry chimneys you can nowadays glance over the modern architecture and out to the sea.
The western part of the city is a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. If you have the time, take a leisurely seaside stroll along the shores of Laajalahti bay, or if you're a sports buff, visit the great summer and winter sports venues which are concentrated in this part of the city. The list cultural and historical sights of western Helsinki isn't bad either - it hosts the National Opera, Hietalahti cemetery, the Church in the Rock, the museums of Natural History, Finland's National Museum and the home of the long-time president Urho Kekkonen as well as functionalist architecture.
If you, on the other hand, are interested in the more bohemian part of Helsinki and/or love to party you'd better head to the Inner East and districts like Kallio. The former working class part of the city is still associated with counterculture and to some extent left-wing politics and is largely inhabited by students. Kallio is as close as one could come to a "red light district" in Helsinki. However, the Inner East part of the city also hosts the amusement park Linnanmäki and the old wooden neighbourhoods of Vallila and Käpylä. The area also includes the increasingly populous district of Kalasatama, known for Finland's first skyscrapers.
The eastern parts of Helsinki is mostly residential and probably the most culturally diverse part of the city, as immigrants from many parts of the world live here. In this part of Helsinki you can find the Helsinki Zoo, the huge shopping complex Itis in Itäkeskus, as well as the northernmost metro station in the world in Mellunmäki. The Sipoonkorpi National Park spreads into the very easternmost parts of Helsinki.
The northern parts of Helsinki, which was once known as a separate rural municipality of Helsinki, now consists of highways, shopping malls, industries and residential buildings, plus quite a bit of greenery in-between. It connects seamlessly to the next city north of Helsinki: Vantaa. While not as culturally interesting as the other parts of Helsinki, it offers some natural attractions like the Central Park and Helsinki's highest point Malminkartanonhuippu.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Kaupunginorkesteri
Performances have moved to the Music House, a brand new visually questionable but acoustically excellent concert hall. Tickets €20. On selected Wednesdays you can go see dress rehearsals for as little as €3 per person. The rehearsals start 09:30. Check availability on the site before showing up at the Music House!
An important part of Finnish jazz life, known for performing new Finnish music alongside interesting shows, such as with new circus. Various venues.
An old secluded lighthouse island out at sea, in the middle of a bird reserve. The lighthouse may have inspired Tove Jansson's Moominpappa at Sea. Day trips with an hour on the skerry. Cancelled in high seas.
Visit the coastal archipelago on a 35 ft sailboat, for two hours or full day trips with an experienced skipper. Island hopping is also possible.
Beginning of January. Lux Helsinki is an annual event of light installations to cheer residents' and visitors' minds during the darkest time of the year. They are on display over several nights. Lux Helsinki can also be enjoyed as part of a guided walking tour.
Walpurgis Night
Vappu began as a north European pagan carnival, and is now an excuse for students to wear brightly colored overalls and for everybody to drink vast amounts of alcohol. At 18:00 on April 30, the statue of Havis Amanda at the Market Square is crowned with a student's cap and the revelry begins in the streets. Things can get a little ugly outside as the night wears on, so it's wiser to head indoors to the bars, clubs and restaurants, all of which have massive Vappu parties. The following morning, the party heads to the Kaivopuisto and Kaisaniemi parks for a champagne picnic, regardless of the weather. If the weather is good, up to 70,000 people will show up. Left-wing parties hold rallies and speeches, but the event is increasingly non-political.
in Finnish Maailma Kylässä
An annual multicultural weekend festival in late May. The event is free to all and a meeting place offering tastes of different cultures and surprises from all over the world, music, dance, food, art, market, information. Several hundred organizations are involved and the main organiser KEPA works under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
A running event in central Helsinki where you can run the length of a half-marathon.
Not as famous as the one in New York, but with over 6,000 participants the largest marathon race in Finland.
Helsinki Day
This is the birthday of the city. It traditionally starts with the mayor's morning coffee and is celebrated throughout the day with a variety of concerts, performances, exhibitions and guided tours around the city. Nowadays special event program even for several days.
Finland's biggest and most famous LGBT pride event. Held over a week in late June, culminates in a parade and open-air party on Saturday.
The biggest samba show in Finland, inspired by the famous Rio de Janeiro Carnaval in Brazil. Held on a Saturday in early June. A great samba parade fills the streets of central Helsinki, with dancers and music players from practically every samba school in Finland.
Midsummer Festival
Although a large bonfire is lit in Seurasaari, the celebration is low key as the tradition is to celebrate "the nightless night" at summer cottages in the countryside. Although some celebrate Juhannus in Helsinki as well, the streets are often eerily empty and the doors of the shops are closed, making it the most quiet weekend of the year in Helsinki.
An annual, 3-day heavy metal festival, featuring acts from all over the world, held in July.
A music and arts festival in early August at Suvilahti. Noted for its high-end arrangements marrying music to design and gourmet food and drink, Flow has expanded to include installations, arts and workshops in the past few years. The music presented at Flow is a strong and varied selection of up and coming and established artists from indie-rock to soul and jazz and from folk to contemporary club sounds, both from the Finnish and the international scene.
A yearly athletics international competition held between these two neighboring countries since 1925 – the only one still existing of this kind of two-country competition. The two-day event, held in alternate years in Finland or in Sweden, attracts significant audiences.
Helsingin Juhlaviikot
Multi-week annual arts festival in the latter half of August. The peak of the festival is Taiteiden Yö, "Night of the Arts" called "little vappu" by many as the streets are full of revelers. The official event is marked by performing arts through the night. The Night of the Arts was first organized by local bookstores in the 1990s. It's now organized by the city. During the last few years, the event has slightly returned to its origin as an arts and culture event.
Also known as Rakkautta & Anarkiaa (Love & Anarchy) and held annually in September, HIFF features a wide selection of films from all over the world. Asian films have been a special focus in the history of the festival that began in 1987.
Silakkamarkkinat
Taking place in early October, the event sees a large number of islanders arriving at Helsinki's South Harbour to sell fish and other archipelago products. The event has been held since 1743.
Finland's biggest board game event, hosted by the Finnish Board Game Society. Held on a weekend in early November. A whole hall at the Helsinki Cable Factory is available to play board games for the entire weekend, from Friday evening to Sunday evening (the event closes for the nights though). Hundreds of board games available provided by the organisers (to borrow a game to play, you must leave something valuable as a pawn token, such as your phone or wallet). You can also bring your own board games to play. Suitable for people of all ages, both adults and children.
Finns are known for their taste for liquorice flavoured with the salt ammonium chloride, popularly known as salmiak or salmiakki in Finnish, even if many foreigners may find the taste strange and even repulsive at first. Wanha Satama in Katajanokka holds an entire festival for salty liquorice candy on a weekend in middle November. More liquorice candy than you can shake a stick at, with salmiak and without. Several vendors offer their candy for sale and give you free samples.
Big event where start-ups meet possible investors from all over the world, arranged mostly by volunteer students. Expect hotels to be sold out, and paying a premium if booking early.
Christmas
In the weeks before Christmas, Aleksanterinkatu is festively lit up, the Christmas lights of the street are ceremonially lit on the last Sunday in November. The open-air Christmas market formerly held in the Esplanadi Park is nowadays held at the Senaatintori (Senate Square). The Stockmann department store sets up a Christmas themed exhibition with mechanic dolls and animals in their windows at the corner of Keskuskatu and Aleksanterinkatu. Christmas is a family event, so on the 24th, everything shuts down and stays closed until December 26.
Like in many other major cities, thousands of Helsinkians gather at Senaatintori next to the Cathedral to welcome the New Year. The event is shown on live television and there is a free outdoor concert as well.
By train
Being the national capital, Helsinki has direct services from all major train stations in Finland. The services from Russia stopped with the war on Ukraine.
By car
Motorways connect Helsinki to Turku to the west, Tampere and Lahti to the north, and to Porvoo and to Saint Petersburg in the east.
By bus
Long-distance national and international coaches terminate at the underground Kamppi Bus Station (Kampin linja-autoasema) in the basement of the Kamppi mall (Kampin Keskus).
By boat
Helsinki is well connected with ferry services from Tallinn, Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden, and there are limited services from Travemünde and Rostock, Germany. Services from St.
Fares and zones
Tickets cannot be bought with cash on board of trains, buses, or trams.
By tram
The SpåraKOFF Bar Tram is a bright red tram converted into a pub on wheels.
By bus
While the trams operate in the centre, buses cover the rest of the city.
By metro
Helsinki's metro holds the minor distinction of being the northernmost subway system in the world, with Mellunmäki being the northernmost station.
By train
Suburban trains operate north from the Central Railway Station, branching out in three directions. All local trains use the same HSL ticket and zone scheme as other forms of public transport.
By ferry
The HSL ferry to Suomenlinna from the Market Square (Kauppatori) is a cheap and popular summer getaway and part of the HSL fare scheme in zone A.
By taxi
Taxis in Helsinki can be expensive, and fares vary considerably between companies.
By bike
Helsinki's City Bike bike-sharing system offers 4600 bikes spread across 460 stations in Helsinki and the neighbouring city of Espoo.
By electric kick scooter
Electric kick scooters can be rented through smartphone apps in central Helsinki. During the 2026 season, the operators are Voi, Dott and Ryde.
By foot
Don't forget walking! The central part of Helsinki is compact and easily walkable.
By car
Car is not a particularly good way of getting around central Helsinki. If you have your own, consider not using it more than necessary.
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