HELSINKI

Helsinki Tourist Attractions

Helsinki Tourist Attractions - Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is among Europe’s top tourist destinations. It is definitely a cool city with bright summers and winter wonders. If you disdain very cold weathers then make sure to visit Helsinki during the months of July and August to get the most of the sun shine and warm weather.

A Finnish sauna is in order the first time you land on Helsinki soil if only to get warm and welcomed. The Suomenlinna Fortress is one of the places you should not miss before you leave Helsinki. The fortress’ architecture is a sight to behold plus it is filled with history.

Stockmann is an ideal place to go shopping in Helsinki for souvenirs and tokens for those left back home as it is the largest department store in the city. There are a number of specialty shops but make sure you have enough money as you will salivate on the various items on display. Unless of course you can bear just looking around and shopping with your eyes.

Museums are aplenty in Helsinki and on top of the list are the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, the Ehrensvärd Museum and the Mannerheim Museum. If you are fond of castles then the Olavinlinna Castle is a good mix of architectural wonder and history.

For family tours in Helsinki, Tapiola in Espoo is a great place to visit. It is a garden city that boasts of parks, shopping centers, fountains and a lot more. Plus you do not need to worry about going somewhere to eat after sightseeing because there is a cafeteria in one of the buildings. Also visit the Linnanmäki Amusement Park as it has plenty of rides and entertainment centers for kids and adults alike.

Suomenlinna Fortress
Suomenlinna C 74, Tykistölahti bay
Helsinki, Finland
This attraction is also home to 900 Finns who have made the renovated barracks their residence. The Fortress provides endless fun (with parks, 6 museums and guided tours) and history (built during the 18th century) to both locals and visitors. It has often been compared to the Fort of Gibraltar. This 250 year old military shipyard located in an island is also known as one of the world’s biggest dry docks.

Uspenski Cathedral
Unioninkatu 39 A 19, Katajanokka
Helsinki, Finland
This Cathedral, made of red bricks, reminds one of St. Petersburg and rightly so because it was designed by Aleksei Gornostayev. You known you are right in the Cathedral when you see the statue of Tsar Alexander II, built there as a reminder that Russia once occupied Finland. The icon of St. Nicolas The Wonder Maker, one of the valuable icons of the Cathedral, was stolen in August 2007.

Olavinlinna Castle
Nervanderinkatu 13
Helsinki, Finland
This 1475 castle, which was founded by Knight Erik Axelsson Tott, was built to protect the Swedish-ruled Savo region from Russian attacks. A visit to the castle will bring back memories of the clashing of medieval arms The Castle is a mix architecture piece, each design represented by the castle ownership. Two museums are found in the castle—the Castle and Orthodox Museum.

Linnanmäki Amusement Park
Tivolikuja 1
Helsinki, Finland
The Linnanmaki amusement park should be your first stop if you are traveling with the whole family. It is Finland’s oldest amusement park with over a million visitors annually. It has everything you need in a park and it is filled with rides the owners cannot bring in any new ones anymore unless the old ones are removed.

Senate Square
corner of Unioninkatu and Aleksanterinkatu streets
Helsinki, Finland
The Sennatintori or Senate Square, which is the location of the Prime Minister and the cabinet offices until 1907, used to be the center of political power in Helsinki and was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel. It is one of the political landmarks of Finland that is often visited by tourists.

Olympic Stadium
Paavo Nurmi tie 1
Helsinki, Finland
The Stadium, which was built in 1940, is famous for being chosen as the venue of two Olympic Games. The first Olympics in 1940 however did not push through because of World War II but it was able to host the 1952 Olympic Games. With a seating capacity of 40,000, the stadium is the largest arena in Finland. Have your photos taken at the controversial nude statue of the great runner Paavo Nurmi.

Temppeliaukio Church
Lutherinkatu 3,
Helsinki, Finland
This church, directly quarried from bedrocks, is rightfully called Church of The Rock. With naturally created rock-walls which opened to the public in 1969, the church is one of the most visited attractions in Helsinki. It is also a favorite concert venue, thanks to its magnificent acoustics.

Korkeasaari Zoo
Near the Kruunuvuori bay
Helsinki, Finland
The Korkeasaari Zoo holds the honor of being one of the world’s oldest zoos. Founded in 1889, the zoo boasts of a wide variety of animals from the tropics to the arctic tundra. The zoo is well known not only for protecting different animal but also plant species.

Botanical Garden
Unioninkatu 44
University of Helsinki,
Helsinki, Finland
This attraction can be found right inside the grounds of the University of Helsinki that would probably mean visiting two attractions at the same time. The garden does only serve as a tourist attraction but it also house plants and seeds that are used for scientific, research and teaching purposes.

Market Square
South Harbor, North side
Helsinki, Finland
The marketplace of any city or country will tell you the culture of its people. This bustling market in Helsinki is not an exemption. Along the Market Square are equally interesting attractions like the Swedish Embassy, a row of historic buildings and the Presidential Palace. Hurry with your purchases because you would not want to miss the changing of the palace guards.