12 must-sees in Helsinki: what to see and do (our experience)

For many people the Nordic countries They arouse a very special attraction. That's been my case since I was very young.

That's when I visited for the first time Finland for a long trip to North Cape by highway.

Later, I returned to Finland a couple of times on professional trips, but until recently I had not had the opportunity to meet Helsinki.

A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to visit Helsinki, a city where I stayed for three days that, contrary to what may be usual, were completely sunny.

And more recently I have returned to Helsinki as a stage in trip to Finnish Lapland.

On both occasions I have enjoyed splendid days, as you can see in the photos, which enhanced the attractiveness of the city.

Specifically in summer, its streets and terraces were always very crowded, undoubtedly in search of enjoying the sun and light, which in Finland has a value equivalent to gold.

Thus Helsinki It appeared to us as a bright city, very pleasant to walk around.

That was the best way to discover its most outstanding monuments and its neighborhoods where its numerous attractions catch your attention. modernist buildings and its designer brand stores.

How to fly to Helsinki from Spain

To travel to Helsinki, every day you have direct flights from Spain of the flag company finnish, Finnair.

It should be noted that this company offers an on-board service almost from times gone by, which is appreciated on a flight of just over four hours from Madrid.

Also several days of the week you can fly from Barcelona with the low cost norwegian with the notable advantage of having Wireless free on the plane.

You also have the option of signing up for one of the Baltic cruises who from May to September visit Helsinki as one of their main destinations.

How to get from the airport to the center of Helsinki

Once you have landed, go from the airport to Helsinki you have the bus line Finnair which will take you to the city center, specifically to the train station, in about half an hour.

One of the first things that will surprise you in Helsinki is to know that in Finland They have Swedish as a second language.

This is reminiscent of the many centuries in which that country was under the rule of Sweden before it came under Russian domination in 1809.

It was in 1918, after the Russian Revolution, when Finland finally achieved its independence.

Now, I will tell you that currently young Finns do not understand that they have to learn Swedish as an obligation in schools, as they prefer English as a second language.

However, don't be surprised to see indications everywhere, always in two languages, with information in Finnish and Swedish.

What to see and do on a visit to Helsinki (our experience)

as first Tip for your trip to Helsinki, behind the experience of our visit, I will tell you that it is a very easy city to visit.

Los most interesting monuments, The most attractive neighborhoods and the busiest streets are concentrated around the main port located in the marketplace.

Therefore, it is a city that you can largely get to know on foot, except when you are going to visit the monument to Sibelius or house museum Seurasaari, north of the city, in the area of Meilahti.

When you arrive in this area of ​​the city, you will discover that just 15 minutes by bus you can see a typical Finnish countryside landscape of forest and lake.

Yes, I will tell you that Helsinki is a city of trams, which from my point of view makes it more attractive.

The long, brightly colored trams that run through the city center allow you to get from one place to another very quickly.

Therefore, if you Helsinki visit It's going to be a stopover Baltic Sea cruise, you must be calm because you will be able to see the most interesting things in the city in a single day.

Market Square in the port of Helsinki

La marketplace It is a large space that opens in front of the Helsinki port, on whose front is located the Town Hall, and it is one of the nerve centers of the Helsinki historic center.

The marketplace the small boats that make panoramic cruises through the islands of the archipelago Helsinki.

And it is also very close to the dock where the large cruise ships arrive or the large line ships that take you from the Finnish capital to Stockholm, in Sweden, to Tallinn, in Estonia, or San Petersburgo in Russia.

Front of marketplace is the imposing Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral, and from the square extends the small Tori neighborhood that unites it with the nearby Senate Square.

Esplanadi Avenue, cosmopolitan street

The marketplace The main avenue of Helsinki also starts, Esplanades, which with its central garden area is perhaps the busiest and most cosmopolitan street in the city.

It is where the best hotels and restaurants, the most attractive terraces and the most expensive brand stores are concentrated.

But, above all, the marketplace It is, at least when the weather allows it, a meeting place to explore a market with a great diversity of products, from food, to artisanal or (without a doubt, aimed at cruise passengers) remembrances.

In my recent trip to helsinki I was able to see the great atmosphere that exists in said market, where there is no shortage of beach bars where you can eat and have a beer sitting on their terraces.

Helsinki City Hall

Another visit that you can make in the aforementioned square is the Helsinki City Hall, which is open to visitors, and where you can find Temporary exhibitions or sit down to do a query on a computer.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki

Along with the aforementioned marketplace you have the Uspenski Cathedral, of Orthodox rite, with its striking red brick facades and its golden domes.

Designed by a Russian architect, it was completed in 1868.

With a façade of characteristic Russian architecture, inside it shows a single nave with the characteristic Byzantine style and decoration.

Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral

From there through the streets of the so-called Tori neighborhood (Tori Quarter) you arrive at the large esplanade of the Senate Square.

You will be in the monumental center of the city, with the imposing and very white Helsinki Cathedral and the building of the Senate.

Of Lutheran rite, the building is neoclassical in style with a very bright white color, which was built between 1830 and 1952.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence in Helsinki

But the design, which will be the protagonist in your Helsinki visit, will be present in two other temples that, if you can, you should see in the Finnish capital.

Finland has a long tradition of wooden construction. A prime example of this can be found in one of Helsinki's most central squares, in its most commercial area.

This is the very curious Chapel of Silence Kamppi.

I warn you because you will not find a building that you will associate with the characteristic configuration of a church.

On one side of the large pedestrian esplanade of the Narinkka Square You will see a curious wooden structure shaped like a half egg. That is the chapel of Kamppi.

Very recently built, in 2002, it was designed by the Finnish architecture studio K2S Architects led by architect Mikko Summanen.

This design has already been awarded the international architecture prize in 2010 Chicago Athenaeum.

La Chapel of Silence It is a very special corner, and very small in size, unlike the aforementioned stone church.

Temppliaukio Stone Church

Do you know that one of the main tourist attractions in Helsinki is a stone church?

Located in the Kallio neighborhood, is dug into the rocks and is one of the most visited places by tourists.

Built in 1969 to the design of two Finnish architects, Temppeliaukio It is a circular church with rock walls.

Today it is a Lutheran church where, thanks to its excellent acoustics, a wide-ranging concert program is regularly held.

Here you can consult the stone church visiting hours Temppeliaukio, as well as information on guided tours and concert programming.

Helsinki Design District

Following the aforementioned Esplanadi avenue you reach the so-called Design District.

This is where many design-led shops are concentrated, especially prestigious Finnish brands of clothing, furniture, glass, and porcelain.

Tori hotel terrace in Helsinki

And very close you can go up to the terrace of Hotel Tori, a glass-enclosed cafeteria from where you have the best panoramic views of Helsinki.

Whenever I visit a city, I like to go to a place where I can have a good panoramic view of it, which is not always easy.

From recent trips I now remember the panoramic views from the Katarina Elevator Viewpoint in another Nordic capital, Stockholm.

Waves panoramic views of Heidelberg, in Germany, since Philosophers walk. Or the panoramic views of Lisbon from the Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa Lift).

In the case of Helsinki, you will find that it is a very flat city.

You barely have the elevations of the small hills where they are located Cathedral and the Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral.

Now, in the commercial area of ​​the city, next to the large Kampi square, where the big shopping center is Kampi Kampen, you can find Hotel Torni.

On the top floor, there's a bar with a glass-enclosed rooftop terrace, offering undoubtedly the best panoramic views of Helsinki.

El Hotel Torni It is a building built in 1931, and at the time it became the tallest in Helsinki, with its 70-meter-high tower.

Currently belongs to the Soko hotel chain, and its interior has been completely remodeled in 2005.

The Torni hotel is located in the heart of Helsinki Design Quarter, which you can see in the terrace bar itself.

With the name of Ateljee Bar, you will find a terrace divided into two areas, both with a very small surface area where the tables are distributed. The terrace is completely glazed, which warns of how cold it must be most of the year.

Once you sit at one of the tables, you have splendid panoramic views of the Finnish capital, and you see that it is surrounded by forests and sea on all sides.

El opening hours of the Ateljee Bar at the Torni hotel It is from 14 p.m. to one in the morning.

Boat cruise around Helsinki

In a city open to the sea, as it is Helsinki, during your visit you should not miss getting on a boat to take a scenic cruise which in an hour and a half gives you a different vision of the city.

During the cruise you will be able to see the small islands that surround it, as well as several of the ten leisure ports it has, with more than 10.000 berths.

If you do this cruise on a day as splendid as the one I enjoyed, it is hard to believe that in winter the sea is covered by ice, except for the sections opened by the icebreakers to allow the navigation of the liner ships connecting Helsinki to Stockholm y Tallinn.

Excursion to Suomenlinna fortification

If you have enough time on your visit and enjoy a good day, it is worth doing the Boat excursion to the Suomenlinna fortification.

It was built in 1748 and declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco as an example of European military architecture in its time.

This very pleasant walk through green fortified landscapes, between large canyons, and with several museums, like what the old one has become finnish submarine Vesikko, it can take you between two and three hours.

Tu Helsinki visit It will be incomplete if you don't go to one of its covered markets.

Helsinki Old Market

In the same port you have the Old Market, the main of these buildings, but you also have others of this type of market in a style very similar to the Ostermalms Saluhall in Stockholm in which very striking shops are combined with bars and tapas areas.

And next to them, some very busy street markets.

Los prices in Helsinki They are expensive compared to Spain, although it has the advantage over other Nordic cities, such as the aforementioned Stockholm or Oslo, that you will pay in euros.

How much does it cost to eat in Helsinki

So, I will tell you that the price of a tram trip It is 2,20 euros, a coffee, 2 to 3 euros and a pint of beer, between 6 and 9 euros.

Eat in an establishment fast food (Chinese, pizza, etc.) will cost you between 10 and 20 euros; for example, a pasta dish or gourmet burger will cost between 13 and 18 euros.

If your budget is more generous, go for the main course of one of the numerous finnish restaurants, but also Italian or Oriental, you will have to pay between 18 and 28 euros, so a dinner will not go below 40 euros per person.

Of course, to eat (between 12 and 14 p.m.) the bars and many restaurants offer you a Lunch menu with a single dish priced between 10 and 20 euros, plus a drink. Enough to eat.

You only have left enjoy the visit of Helsinki.