Helsinki Tourist Attractions

The Nordic country of Finland is a great place to visit for family holidays. In winter there are the amazing ski resorts in Lapland – not to mention a chance to see Father Christmas at work – and in summer there are lakes, pine forests, mountains and rivers just waiting to be explored.

Finland is ideal for active out-door holidays. Fans of water sports like boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, diving and swimming will be spoiled for choice. Hiking, horse-back riding, rock climbing, bird watching, skiing, paragliding and much, much more compete in summer with going to some of Helsinki’s great music festivals.

Helsinki tourist attractions include the many wonderful places just outside the city limits where nature takes over and tranquility and peace reign. The country where sauna and wellness were practically invented offers much to relaxation-deprived city dwellers. Island hopping to beautiful places like the Åland Islands, which are accessibly by ferry and great for cycling holidays and camping, is not just a popular way to spend the summer with foreign visitors, Finnish people themselves use every opportunity to get out into the sunshine before the harsh winter sets in again.

There are some 6,500 islands in the Åland archipelago and visitors to Helsinki are never far away from a beach, a lake, a seashore to explore. Within the city tourists should head to the Tölö district, where many events are being staged and many Helsinki tourist attractions are located. The Finnish National Opera has its home here, as has the rather unconventional Lutheran church Temppeliaukio, a modern domed building of outstanding architectural grace.

In the very centre of Helsinki visitors will find the popular Market Square (Kauppatori/Salutorget), where during summer months artists sell their works and producers of typically Finnish food produce try to tempt visitors into sampling the wares. It also hosts the traditional herring market in October, when local fishermen sail into Helsinki Harbour.

Although it is possible to get to most place within the city by public transport, hiring a car makes the visit more enjoyable and avoids wasting time waiting for trams or buses, particularly when heading outside the city to enjoy outdoor pursuits. Families will enjoy a day out at Helsinki’s amusement park Linnanmäki, which has some 44 rides, arcades, games, kiosks with food, restaurants and various other attractions. It even has a wooden roller coaster, the Vuoristorata, which dates back to the days when the park opened in 1951.

Finland’s National Museum, the Suomen kansallismuseo, showcases the country’s heritage from the stone ages to today. The almost church-like building is located in the heart of Helsinki. A museum of an entirely different nature can be found at Seurasaari, an island that is part of Helsinki. It is home to an open-air museum that displays mainly historic wooden buildings that were rescued from other parts of the country and transplanted into the dense and lush vegetation and woodland covering the island.

Within Helsinki’s city limits – or rather floating in it – are also the six islands that provide a home for a huge sea fortress called Suomenlinna. It is UNESCO World Heritage site and very popular with tourists. Built in 1748 by the Swedish crown as protection against aggressors from Russia, the fortress later became the military base for modern day soldiers, until it was finally handed over in 1973 to civil administration and tourism.

Among the most visited Helsinki tourist attractions is undoubtedly the Uspenski Cathedral, which is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral built between 1862 and 1868 and said to be the largest orthodox church located in Northern Europe. It houses many splendid icons and many other treasures on display.