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Photo: JIP at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Few tourists find their way here, but this is a very popular summer spot for Helsinkians, with sandy beaches (including a mixed nude beach) and a restaurant dishing out cold beer and ciders. Ferries run from Merisatama pier at the southern end of Kaivopuisto Park (tram 3) hourly from 09:30 to 20:30, 10-15 min, €5.50 return.
Pihlajasaari is an island group and outdoor recreational area in Helsinki, Finland, located off the district of Hernesaari in the city's southern archipelago.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Try some ice hockey with your friends in the Jääherne ice hall on the southwesternmost tip of Helsinki.
Motorboat rental in Merisatama.
One of the better kept secrets of Helsinki is the beach on Uunisaari, an island a short ride away from the south coast.
A prime example of 1930s functionalism at the border of districts of Eira and Punavuori. Slightly unusually for this architectural style it's constructed in red bricks. The spire of the church can be lowered into the church tower, a feature that was used during WWII to make it less visible for Soviet bombers.
Also known as "Koffin puisto", it's in Punavuori district next to the Sinebrychoff art museum. Popular with young people, in the summer it is full of people having picnics or just drinking pussikalja (literally: "beer in a bag", means buying beer from a supermarket and drinking it outdoors), while in the winter kids ride sleds down the snowy slope.
Ursan tähtitorni
The 1926 yellow-coloured observatory, operated by the Astronomical Association Ursa, is still in active use by both members and other enthusiasts, but non-members can also attend public shows to either observe solar phenomena or look at the starry sky.