Hometown Secrets: Helsinki
Our newest intern Eeva has written the latest entry in our "Hometown Secrets" series. The staff here at the Embassy of Finland in Australia want to show you the secret attractions and activities in the places they call home in Finland.
The beautiful city. Photo: Elise Kulmala| Helsinki marketing
Helsinki is probably the most well-known Finnish city just for being the capital. However, the city has many other contributions in addition to that. I have lived in Helsinki for the past few years and consider myself lucky to call it my hometown.
As a history nerd, let us start with a little debriefing about the city’s past. Helsinki was selected as the capital in 1812 so that it would be closer to Saint Petersburg, as Finland was still under the rule of Tsarist Russia. The city is located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and nowadays it belongs to the region of Uusimaa. The population of Helsinki is about 631,700, which therefore makes it the most populous city in Finland.
When visiting Helsinki, there are a few specific things I encourage you to do. If you’re there for the first time and really want to experience a little culture, I recommend taking enough time to go through its marvellous museums, such as Ateneum and the National Museum. Especially Ateneum is really worth your while, as the building itself is so beautiful!
Ateneum. Photo: Aleksi Poutanen | Helsinki marketing
Helsinki Cathedral Church. Photo: Aleksi Poutanen | Helsinki marketing
The city has many examples of great architecture from different eras, and they are all quite impressive. For example, the famous Helsinki Cathedral, a masterpiece of neoclassical style is worth mentioning, same as St. John’s Chruch in Ullanlinna, a gothic revival styled building St. John’s is actually the largest church in Finland by seating capacity seating, 2600 people! Likewise, the newly opened central library Oodi is something you should not miss!
Oodi. Photo: Tuomas Uusheimo |Helsinki marketing
St. John’s Church. Photo: Jussi Hellsten | Helsinki marketing
Visiting the Esplanad’s park is another great thing to do, as many of the Finnish design shops are located on both sides of the park. Finland is a strong design nation, and we are proud of it. Visit Artek, a furniture shop that has the most iconic pieces of Finnish design, or Iittala and Marimekko! I am sure you will get a good sense of the Nordic style.
The Esplanad Park. Photo: Jussi Hellsten| City of Helsinki
Marimekko store . Photo: Yiping Feng, Ling Oyang | Helsinki marketing
Besides the museums and shops, there is so much more to Helsinki. I personally love just walking around the city and soaking in the atmosphere. For us city lovers, Helsinki indeed is an ideal place to live in because of its variety. One can, for example, enjoy the sea and have a picnic on the island of Suomenlinna – only a short ferry ride away! Other possibilities include a nice dinner at one of the city's award-winning restaurants or a swim at Allas Seapool outdoor spa.
The Suomenlinna Fortress. Photo: Jussi Hellsten | Visit Finland
Allas Sea Pool. Photo: Julia Kivelä | Visit Finland
The Southern part of Helsinki is worth a stroll, if you are looking to enjoy some of the prettiest streets Helsinki has to offer. Ullanlinna, Eira and Kaivopuisto are great places to grab a coffee and breathe in the coastal air. If you are feeling hungry, just hop on the ferry and take it to Lonna for a delicious pizza! During summertime, Lonna also has outdoor movies and live music to enjoy.
If you feel like experiencing the real Finnish sauna while in Helsinki, do not hesitate to visit Löyly. Löyly is an urban building containing the perfect terrace to soak up the sun, eat the best salmon soup in town and afterwards head to the sauna. You can also take a dip straight to the ocean! What could be better?
Löyly. Photo: Pekka Keränen | Löyly | Royal Restaurants
I hope these tips gave you a little inspiration when visiting Helsinki. As said, Helsinki really is so much more than just the capital, take your time to enjoy its beauty!