Top 10 Things to Do in Helsinki

Suomenlinna is an 18th-century sea fortress built on a cluster of six islands just off the Helsinki coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Finland's most popular tourist destinations. Construction began in 1748 under Swedish rule to defend the country's southern coast; it later fell to Russia and served as a Russian military base until Finnish independence in 1917. Today around 800 people live on the islands year-round, and it is accessible by a 15-minute ferry from the Market Square.

The Market Square (Kauppatori) is Helsinki's historic open-air marketplace on the South Harbour waterfront, where vendors have sold fresh produce, fish, handicrafts, and local delicacies since the 18th century. In summer the square bustles with red-and-white-striped market stalls selling freshly caught Baltic herring, Finnish strawberries, reindeer sausages, and handicrafts, while ferries depart for Suomenlinna and the islands. The famous Havis Amanda fountain — a bronze statue of a sea nymph — stands at the square's centre and is a beloved symbol of Helsinki.

Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church) is one of Helsinki's most extraordinary buildings, excavated directly into solid bedrock in the Töölö district and completed in 1969 to the designs of brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. The circular copper-domed interior, with its rough-hewn stone walls and natural light flooding in through 180 skylights set into the copper rim, creates a remarkably spiritual and acoustically excellent space. It is one of Finland's most visited tourist attractions, drawing around 500,000 visitors per year.

Kiasma is Finland's national museum of contemporary art, housed in a striking curvilinear building designed by American architect Steven Holl and opened in 1998 near the heart of Helsinki. The building's unusual interlocking geometry creates a series of naturally lit, organically shaped gallery spaces over five floors, housing rotating exhibitions of Finnish and international contemporary art from the 1960s to the present. The museum's name refers to the concept of chiasm — a philosophical term for the intertwining of body and environment.

Esplanadi is Helsinki's elegant central promenade, a tree-lined boulevard with two parallel parks flanking a central walkway running from the Swedish Theatre down to the Market Square and South Harbour. Opened in the 1810s as part of Carl Ludwig Engel's urban design for the new Russian capital of Finland, it has always been the city's social hub, lined with outdoor café terraces, boutiques, and department stores. The bandstand at its centre hosts free concerts throughout the summer and the park is a favourite gathering place for Helsinkians.

The Old Market Hall (Vanha kauppahalli) is a stunning 19th-century cast-iron and red-brick market hall on the South Harbour waterfront, built in 1888 and one of Finland's most beautiful historic buildings. Meticulously restored and reopened in 2014, it now houses specialist food stalls, artisan producers, and restaurants selling the finest Finnish ingredients including smoked salmon, reindeer, local cheeses, and freshly baked bread. It is the perfect place to taste Finnish culinary culture in a magnificent historic setting.

The Ateneum is Finland's national gallery, housing the country's most extensive collection of Finnish art from the 18th century to the 1960s, including important works by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Albert Edelfelt, Helene Schjerfbeck, and Hugo Simberg. The museum building, opened in 1887, is a grand neoclassical palace opposite Helsinki Central Railway Station and is one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. Its collection of around 20,000 works also includes significant foreign paintings and drawings, with works by van Gogh, Cézanne, and Chagall.

Senate Square (Senaatintori) is Helsinki's most important civic space, flanked by four of the city's most impressive neoclassical buildings: Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the University of Helsinki, and the Helsinki City Hall, all designed by the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel. The square was built in the early 19th century to serve as the administrative centre of the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule and is centred on a statue of Tsar Alexander II. It remains the venue for major national celebrations including Finnish Independence Day on 6 December.

Linnanmäki is Helsinki's beloved amusement park, open since 1950 and maintained by the child welfare charity Lasten Päivän Säätiö, which donates all profits to the care of Finnish children. The park sits on a forested hill north of the city centre and features over 40 rides including the historic wooden roller coaster Ukko, built in 1951 and still running today. The park is free to enter, with individual ride tickets available, making it a democratic and very Finnish institution.

Suomenlinna is an 18th-century sea fortress built on a cluster of six islands just off the Helsinki coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Finland's most popular tourist destinations. Construction began in 1748 under Swedish rule to defend the country's southern coast; it later fell to Russia and served as a Russian military base until Finnish independence in 1917. Today around 800 people live on the islands year-round, and it is accessible by a 15-minute ferry from the Market Square.

The Market Square (Kauppatori) is Helsinki's historic open-air marketplace on the South Harbour waterfront, where vendors have sold fresh produce, fish, handicrafts, and local delicacies since the 18th century. In summer the square bustles with red-and-white-striped market stalls selling freshly caught Baltic herring, Finnish strawberries, reindeer sausages, and handicrafts, while ferries depart for Suomenlinna and the islands. The famous Havis Amanda fountain — a bronze statue of a sea nymph — stands at the square's centre and is a beloved symbol of Helsinki.

Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church) is one of Helsinki's most extraordinary buildings, excavated directly into solid bedrock in the Töölö district and completed in 1969 to the designs of brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. The circular copper-domed interior, with its rough-hewn stone walls and natural light flooding in through 180 skylights set into the copper rim, creates a remarkably spiritual and acoustically excellent space. It is one of Finland's most visited tourist attractions, drawing around 500,000 visitors per year.

Kiasma is Finland's national museum of contemporary art, housed in a striking curvilinear building designed by American architect Steven Holl and opened in 1998 near the heart of Helsinki. The building's unusual interlocking geometry creates a series of naturally lit, organically shaped gallery spaces over five floors, housing rotating exhibitions of Finnish and international contemporary art from the 1960s to the present. The museum's name refers to the concept of chiasm — a philosophical term for the intertwining of body and environment.

Esplanadi is Helsinki's elegant central promenade, a tree-lined boulevard with two parallel parks flanking a central walkway running from the Swedish Theatre down to the Market Square and South Harbour. Opened in the 1810s as part of Carl Ludwig Engel's urban design for the new Russian capital of Finland, it has always been the city's social hub, lined with outdoor café terraces, boutiques, and department stores. The bandstand at its centre hosts free concerts throughout the summer and the park is a favourite gathering place for Helsinkians.

The Old Market Hall (Vanha kauppahalli) is a stunning 19th-century cast-iron and red-brick market hall on the South Harbour waterfront, built in 1888 and one of Finland's most beautiful historic buildings. Meticulously restored and reopened in 2014, it now houses specialist food stalls, artisan producers, and restaurants selling the finest Finnish ingredients including smoked salmon, reindeer, local cheeses, and freshly baked bread. It is the perfect place to taste Finnish culinary culture in a magnificent historic setting.

The Ateneum is Finland's national gallery, housing the country's most extensive collection of Finnish art from the 18th century to the 1960s, including important works by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Albert Edelfelt, Helene Schjerfbeck, and Hugo Simberg. The museum building, opened in 1887, is a grand neoclassical palace opposite Helsinki Central Railway Station and is one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. Its collection of around 20,000 works also includes significant foreign paintings and drawings, with works by van Gogh, Cézanne, and Chagall.

Senate Square (Senaatintori) is Helsinki's most important civic space, flanked by four of the city's most impressive neoclassical buildings: Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the University of Helsinki, and the Helsinki City Hall, all designed by the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel. The square was built in the early 19th century to serve as the administrative centre of the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule and is centred on a statue of Tsar Alexander II. It remains the venue for major national celebrations including Finnish Independence Day on 6 December.

Linnanmäki is Helsinki's beloved amusement park, open since 1950 and maintained by the child welfare charity Lasten Päivän Säätiö, which donates all profits to the care of Finnish children. The park sits on a forested hill north of the city centre and features over 40 rides including the historic wooden roller coaster Ukko, built in 1951 and still running today. The park is free to enter, with individual ride tickets available, making it a democratic and very Finnish institution.