General tourist information about Helsinki

Sightseeing Tours

Walking tours in Helsinki
A guide brochure describing six different walks is available from Tourist Information.

Tram 3T
By tram line 3T you will see the most important sights of the Helsinki in the convenient way. (Routemap of trams)

Museums, churches and sights in Helsinki

Temppeliaukio Church
The church is built inside the rocks. Bold modern construction by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen (1969). Lutherinkatu 3. Tram 3T from Posthouse.

Cathedral (Lutheran)
Original plans by C.L. Engel (1778-1840), completed 1852. Senate Square. Open Mon-Sat 9-18, Sun 12-20. Get there: trams 1,2,3T,3B,4,7A,7B

Uspensky Cathedral (Orthodox)
A brick building in Byzantine-Slavonic style (1868). Kanavakatu 1. Open Mon, Wed-Sat 9.30-16, Tue 9.30-18, Sun 12-15. Get there: trams 2 and 4.

Ateneum, The Museum of Finnish Art
Finnish art from the 18th century to the 1960's. Foreign art from the 19th century paintings and sculpture. Kaivokatu 2. Open Tue, Fri 9-18, Wed-Thu 9-20, Fri-Sun 11-16, tickets 45 FIM.

Kiasma, The Museum of Contemporary Art
Finnish and international contemporary art since 1960's in the new museum building. Mannerheiminaukio 2. Open Tue 9-17, Wed-Sun 10-22, admission 25 FIM.

Arabia Museum and Gallery
Arabia porcelain factory design and history and factory's retail shop. Hameentie 135. Open Mon 10-20, Tue-Fri 10-18, Sat-Sun 9-15, admission 10 FIM. Get there: tram 6.

Sederholm House
The oldest stone building in downtown Helsinki, the house reflects the life of the merchant Johan Sederholm in 18th century Helsinki. Aleksanterinkatu 16-18. Open Mon-Sun 11-17, ticket 20 FIM.

Burgher's house "Ruiskumestarin talo"
The oldest wooden house in its original location furnished as a lower middle-class home in 1860s Finland. Kristianinkatu 12. Open Wed-Sun 11-17, ticket 20 FIM.

Museum of Worker Housing
The museum exhibits the housing and life of the blue-collar workers in Helsinki between 1909-1980. Kirstinkuja 4. Open Wed -Sun 11-17, ticket 20 FIM

Seurasaari Outdoor Museum
Old Finnish dwelling milieus. Folk buildings and farmsteads from different parts of Finland. Guided tours at 11.30 and 15.30. The buildings are open daily 11-17. Tickets 20 FIM. Bus 24 from Erottaja. A bus leaves from Erotttaja Mon-Fri 9.35, 9.55 and 10.20 and from Seurasaari 13.40, 14.00 and 14.25. ( The whole timetable)

Helsinki City Art Museum
Situated near Seurasaari in Tamminiementie 6, the museum has an interesting exhibition of the Finnish painter Tyko Sallinen (1879-1955). Open Wed.- Sun. 11-18.30, Tickets 15-25 FIM

Sibelius monument
This monument is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Helsinki. Sibelius Park. Bus 24 from Erottaja.

Suomenlinna
The biggest sea fortress in Scandinavia, founded in 1748 on the islands off the coast of Helsinki. Included in the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. The Island has many museums e.g. Suomenlinna Museum, Ehrensvard Museum, Submarine 'Vesikko', Doll and Toy Museum & Old Russian samovars. Guided tours of Suomenlinna at 11, 13 and 15. Tickets 20 FIM. Ferry from the Market Square. One-way ticket 10 FIM by ferry-boat. The normal tickets of the Helsinki City Traffic are valid on ferry-boat. Ferry-boat from Market Square 9:00, 9:40, 10:20 and from Suomenlinna 13:00, 13:40, 14:20. ( The whole timetable of the ferry-boat ). Motor-boat to the museum area from the Market Square. Return ticket 25 FIM. Motor-boat from Market Square 10-17 00 and 30 and from Suomenlinna museum area 11-18 00 and 30. (The whole timetable is in the booklet Helsinki this week)

Time Capsule 1747 in Suomenlinna Museum
An exhibition about the shipwreck of the St. Mikael, a treasure ship bound to czarist St. Petersburg. St. Mikael was shipwrecked in 1747 on its way from Amsterdam to St. Petersburg. The ship sank in the Nauvo Archipelago and took pieces of the era with it. The exhibition shows navigation and crew equipment along with golden and porcelain treasures meant for the czarist aristocracy in St. Petersburg. The beautiful Meissen porcelain utensils meant for the Russian Court were already at that time precious collector pieces. Open daily 10-18. Ticket 30 FIM.

Korkeasaari Zoo
One of the most northerly zoos in the world with several rare species. Open 10-20. Waterbus and admission 40 FIM. Waterbus from Market Square and Hakaniemi. Admission 25 FIM when you take a bus 11 from Herttoniemi metro station to Mustikkamaa.

Linnanmaki, Amusement Park
Tivolitie-Helsinginkatu. Open in June 13-22, in July 12-22, ticket 15 FIM. Trams 3B, 3T and bus 23 stop right near the north gate and tram 8 close to the south gate.

Something very Finnish

FeStadi Tango Evening
on Thursday, July 1st the Senate Square will be the world's largest tango dance floor to celebrate Helsinki's European Union Presidency. Between 18-22 a dance orchestra will accompany the best-known Finnish tango soloists and invite the audience to join the tango on a large dance-floor in the centre of Senate Square. The cathedral steps will be a good place to enjoy the festival. There will also be many restaurants to cater for the hungry and thirsty. More about Finnish tango http://www.publiscan.fi/cu11e-9.htm
http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/tangoeng.html

Kotiharju Sauna
the only wood-heated public sauna in Helsinki has just reopened after major renovation. Harjutorinkatu 1, open Tue. - Fri. 12-20, Entrance 35 FIM

General information about sauna http://www.hut.fi/~icankar/sauna/bigindex.html

Smoke sauna of the Finnish Sauna Society
The saunas of the Finnish Sauna Society, at Vaskiniemi, Lauttasaari, are available for non-members from 21 to 01 on weekdays by reservation. The price is 92 FIM/person, 9 FIM for the towel. The Sauna Society has four saunas, each for about 10-13 persons. Two of them are traditional smoke saunas. For information and reservation phone 678 677.

Outside Helsinki

Porvoo
The idyllic wooden town of Porvoo, a medieval village and the second oldest town in Finland, has retained its original charm. Porvoo has delightful little shops and craftsmen's workshops by the river. Sights: Porvoo Medieval Church, Town Hall Square and home of the Finnish national poet J.L. Runeberg (1804-1877). Half-day tour with sightseeing bus (ca. 4 hours) either 28.6 or 29.6 from 13-17. English Guidance. Ticket 210 FIM. It is also possible to cruise to Porvoo by the boat J.L Runeberg through the enchanting eastern archipelago. The boat leaves, on Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri at 10 from Market Place (Linnanlaituri) and arrives at Porvoo at 13.20. Return trip can be taken by regular express bus. It takes about an hour by bus from Porvoo to the main bus station at Kamppi. One-way trip by boat to Porvoo is 100 FIM and one-way bus trip is about 54 FIM. You can also return by the same boat, which leaves 16.00 arrives in Helsinki at 19.20. The cost of the return ticket is 150 FIM. Boat tickets can be obtained an hour before the departure from the ticket boot near the boat.

Hvittrask, Kirkkonummi
The studio home of architects Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren, designed by them and build of logs and natural stone in 1902-04. The studio is on a beautiful location by lake Vittrask about 30 kilometres from the city of Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10-19, Admission 20 FIM. Hvittrask can be reached either by bus 166 from the main bus station, platform 60 or by taking the train from Helsinki Railway Station to Masala and then taking a short taxi ride or by taking train from Helsinki to Luoma and then walking 2 kilometres. One-way train ticket 24 FIM. Train L leaves from Helsinki 9-23 42 minutes past and takes 36 minutes to Luoma and 38 minutes to Masala. The bus trip takes about 50 minutes and one-way ticket price is about 20 FIM. The bus leaves from Helsinki 10.15, 13.15, 16.15 and from Vittrask 11.15, 14.15 and 17.15. ( The whole timetable) Half-day tour with sightseeing bus (ca. 4 hours) is only on Saturdays from 13-17. English Guidance. Departure Esplanade Park, Fabianinkatu. The tour continues to Ainola, home of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, at Jarvenpaa. Tour ticket costs 210 FIM.

Gallen-Kallela Museum at Tarvaspaa
The national artist of Finland, Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931), had his unique studio at Tarvaspaa built between 1911 and 1913. Open Mon-Thu 10-20, Fri-Sun 10-17. Gallen-Kallelan tie 27, Espoo. Tram 4 to Munkkiniemi, whence it is a 2-km walk. In this summer the museum houses the 150th anniversary exhibition of Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. Admission 35 FIM.

Heureka, Finnish Science Centre, Tikkurila, Vantaa
Hands-on exhibitions of various fields of science. Tiedepuisto 1, centre of Tikkurila. Open 10-18, Thu 10-20, tickets to exhibitions 65 FIM. The short-distance trains K, P, H, R and bus 611 from Central Railway Station stop in Tikkurila.

Shopping

Forum
Shopping centre in the city centre, with 120 shops. Mannerheimintie 20.

Itakeskus
Largest shopping center in the Nordic countries. It takes 10 minutes by the metro from the city center to Itakeskus.

The Kiseleff Bazaar
Finnish handicrafts, giftware, fashions, Christmas ware and toys. Aleksanterinkatu 28. Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16, Summer Sun 12-16, Midsummer Eve 25.6 9-13, Midsummer Day 26.6 11-16.

Kamp Galleria
Finnish and international design, design products and gift articles. Entrances: Kluuvikatu 4, Pohjoisesplanadi 33, Mikonkatu 1 and Aleksanterinkatu 42.

Tourist Information on Finland