Must see attractions in Helsinki

At the former slaughterhouse Teurastamo, Helsinki Distillery Company produces unique spirits using Finnish ingredients, including single-malt and rye…

Housed in a Jugendstil-style building dating back to 1928, Kunsthalle Helsinki hosts up to seven major, mostly contemporary exhibitions every year. Recent…

From the kauppatori walk up the cobbled Sofiankatu to Senaatintori, Helsinki's majestic central square. Surrounded by early 19th-century buildings, the…

Mustard-coloured Ruiskumestarin talo is central Helsinki’s oldest wooden townhouse, built in 1818. The charming cottage, with hardwood floors, fireplaces…

In a charming wooden house built in 1909, this delightful museum shows how industrial workers lived in the early 20th century, with nine rooms decorated…

Helsinki has several city beaches, but this one is considered the best. It’s a wide stretch of golden sand just west of the city centre, ideal in summer…

Transport enthusiasts and kids will especially enjoy checking out the vintage trams at this engaging museum, which depicts daily life in Helsinki’s…

Close to Linnanmäki, Sea Life is an enjoyable aquarium complex with walk-through tunnels that let you spot sharks, rays, octopuses and myriad fish up…

In the leafy, waterfront Sibelius Park (Sibeliuksen puisto, or just 'Sibban'), this famous, striking sculpture was created by artist Eila Hiltunen in 1967…

Operating as an observatory from 1834 to 2010, this CL Engel–designed building within pretty Observatory Hill Park now contains an astronomy museum with…

Near the kauppatori, this bronze statue is the symbol of the city. Sculpted by Ville Vallgren in 1906 in Paris, and installed here in 1908, the nude…

Boardwalks lead you through one of Helsinki’s best-kept secrets. The Rhododendron Park is a wonderland of the eponymous bushes, trees and other flora…

In the Kaivopuisto park, this charming dome-topped observatory was built in 1926. During the darker months, it opens of an evening, while on summer…

Helsinki’s most venerable church is this white wood 1826 beauty, designed by CL Engel. Opposite the church is a memorial to Elias Lönnrot, compiler of the…

The heart of central Helsinki is the harbourside kauppatori (market square), where cruises and ferries leave for archipelago islands. It's completely…

Rautatientori (Railway Sq) flanks the eastern side of Helsinki's glorious National Romantic art nouveau train station. Designed by Finnish architect Eliel…

Carved in red granite in 1931, this statue in the small park of Karhupuisto depicts Finland's national symbol, a bear, trying to prise open an anthill…

Finland's national poet and composer of the Finnish national anthem, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, is commemorated by a statue in the city's central Esplanadin…

Architect CL Engel designed these naval barracks for the Russian military garrisoned here from 1816 to 1820 – the first of his many works in Helsinki. The…

On the Suomenlinna island of Iso Mustasaari, Sotamuseo Maneesi has a comprehensive overview of Finnish military hardware, from bronze cannons to WWII…