Helsinki in one day

Quite often tourists ask which the best place to see would be if you just happen to be in Helsinki for one day. Not an easy question to answer. There are so many great things to see and do in this city.

Luckily MindfulTravel by Sara has put together a list of 10 must-sees in Helsinki that can be seen within one day.

Have a look and also check out her other posts.

Free walking tours

New to Helsinki or just here for a visit? Then you probably would like to have a tour around the city and get to know the most imporant sights and facts about Helsinki.

picture by Luminoucity

Why don't you take a free guided walking tour then? Happy Guide Helsinki offers those every Saturday and Sunday at 12.00. Meeting point are the stairs of Tuomiokirkko (the big white church). Look out for someone with a reindeer hat. That's your guide. The tour lasts 2-3 hours and gives you a good first impression of the city. Tips at the end of the tour are of course welcome.

Give it a try and expore Helsinki!

Statues taking selfies

Helsinki has lot so statues. But often they are overseen. To put them in the spotlight again the photographer Rio Gandara from Helsingin Sanomat had a great idea. He helped statues around the city to take selfies of themselves.

Very prominent onese like Havis Amanda and Philip Melanchton are among them but also some less known and more hidden ones. Have a look!

From Café Torpanranta to the Finnair Sky Wheel

Helsinki's public transfer is one of the best in the world. It's save and reliable. And it's also a great way to explore the city. One great route to see many different aeas of the city is tram number 4.

Starting from Café Torpanranta in Munkiniemi, one of the most beautiful places next to the sea, it takes you along the Aalto House, the Olympic Stadium all the way through the center to the Finnair Sky Wheel in the Southern Harbour.

Find out more about the sights along the route on HelsinkiThisWeek.

Vagabrothers in Helsinki

This video of the Vagabrothers takes you on a trip through our wonderful city and gives a really good impression of the highlights of Helsinki.

And it also brings back some good memories of Finnish summer.

Have a great Sunday!

Run, Lasse, run!

Paavo Nurmi was not the only famous Finnish runner. In the 70s a new talent revived the legend of the Flying Finns: Lasse Virén

The long-distance runner from Myrskylä won four times Olympic Gold for Finland in 1972 and 1976. Today you can find a statue of him right around the corner from Paavo Nurmi at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. But apart from that also an annual 20 kilometer run in the Sycamore Canyon in California is named after him.

Lasse Virén still a very well well-known figure in Finland and even held a seat in the Finnish Parliament twice in recent years for the Kokoomus.

If you happen to pass by the Olympic Stadium, pay the two Flying Finns Lasse and Paavo a visit.

Wheel in the sky

The Finnair SkyWheel is one of the new main attractions and charakteristic landmark of Helsinki. And a ride on it is definitely worth it.

For 12 € (9 € for children) you board one of the blue cabin that brings you around 40 meters up in the air. 

From up there you have the probably best view over the city and the harbour. And that is because best thing about the Skywheel is most likely its location. From the seaside in Katajanokka just behind Kauppatori you can see most of Helsinkis important sights like the Tuomiokirkko, Uspenski Cathedral, Torni, Esplanadi and more.

The cabin has a capacity of up to eight persons. Depending on the day you might even have one just for yourself though. 

If you want to enjoy real luxury while enjoying the view over the city then you should book the VIP cabine (the blax one). It includes a champagne welcoming and a longer ride of 25 instead of just 15 minutes. The VIP cabine is for a maximum of four people and costs 195 € per ride.

Kauppahalli is open again

One of Helsinki's most famous sights reopened. After long renovations Vanha Kauppahalli at Eteläranta finally opened its doors again last week.

The renewals were important to keep the old market hall in shape. It hasn't lost any of its character and still feels as it always did. The vendors are now slowly moving back in. So don't be surprised if you still see some booths closed.

Kauppahalli again offers high quality groceries and all together a genuine shopping experience. It is open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 to 18.00.

Turn the wheel

You have probably already spotted the big ferris wheel in Katajanokka. As has been built already a few weeks ago. Well, good news. If everything goes well and the wheel passes today's inspection it will open in the evening at 19.00 for the first time.

The Finnair Skywheel will then be open for visitors on weekdays from 10 to 22.00, on Fridays and Saturdays till 23.00 and on Sundays till 20.00.

The entrance to the 40 meter high ferries wheel that offers an amazing view over the whole city is 12 € (9€ for children between 3 and 11). The operating company leased the area in Katajanokka till fall 2018.

Enjoy the ride!

Lantern men coming back

The four stone men at the main entrance of Rautatieasema (Central Railway Station) in Helsinki are one of the landmarks of the city. Since summer they have undergone some huge restoration now. Still they are not visible but should apparently be put back in place pretty soon.

So keep your eyes open when you pass the main station and leave a comment if you have seen them or have an idea when they will be unveiled again.

Where Paavo Nurmi ran

Next to the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki the Finns honor one of their greatest runners of all times. Here you find the memorial of Paavo Nurmi.

Between 1920 and 1928 the middle and long distance runner won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in Olympic Games. The so called “Flying Finn” set 22 official world records at distances between 1,500 meters and 20 kilometers. During his peak he was unbeaten at several different distances.

No wonder such a prominent spot was dedicated to him later. His statue stands right in front of the stadium where he trained for some of his biggest victories while and also broke a few world records. Come and pay a visit to him if you are in the area. 

Jean Sibelius in Helsinki

He is undoubtedly the biggest and most famous Finnish composer of all times: Jean Sibelius. To his honor a memorial was designed by Eila Hiltunen and built in 1967. This impressive monument consists of over 600 holow steel pipes arranged in a wave-like pattern to resemble his music. It is located in Töölö in a park also named after the great composer: The Sibelius Park.

The memorial is one of the big sights of the city and attracts visitors from all over the world every day. If you visit Helsinki make sure not to miss it.

And here is one small fun fact on Sibelius. Even though he is known as Jean he was actually born as Johan Julius Christian. For his family and friends though he was “Janne”, a very typical Finnish name. 

Walk and Feel Helsinki

That is the name of a cell phone supported route through Helsinki. From the harbor in Hernesaari to Errotaja at the beginning of Esplanadi Park you can now get a free guided tour along some of Helsinki’s sights. Everything you need for that is a smart phone with internet access. If you arrive to Helsinki by ferry from Tallinn this is the perfect way to get to know the city. But also if you are just interested in getting to know the western part of Helsinki like Hernesaari, Munkisaari, Eira and Punavouri you should consider taking a bus to the harbor and walking back this route.

On the path you find 10 check-points marked with signs where you should stop and check your phone. You will get information about the area (in texts and videos), get recommendations about places to visit (sights, shops, restaurants and events) and find out about your exact location.

You can of course start the tour at any of the stops. If your phone supports NFC just tap the butterfly on the sign. Otherwise scan the QR code or just visit http://www.walkandfeelhelsinki.fi/ with your phone. Information is available in English and Finnish.

Have fun exploring!

Take the vintage tram

You are in Helsinki on the weekend? What about a ride through the city in over 60 year old trams?

With old motor cars from 1955 or with an open trailer from 1919 you can go for a ride through Helsinki now every Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the flair of those historical vehicles and experience a whole different way of tram travelling. 

What better time could there be than now in the summer to drive around the city sitting in a historic open trailer?

The trams leave from Kauppatori on the weekend from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. every 20 to 30 min and will operate till the end of August. More information can be found on their website. Don’t get scared away by the pricelist there. They apply just for renting a whole tram for an event. A normal ticket is 5 Euros and can be purchased when entering the tram.

The city by bus or tram

The sightseeing busses are on the road again. For those of you that just arrived to Helsinki or are anyway just here for vacation it might be a nice way to get around. With the Hop On Hop Off busses you get to see all the main sights of Helsinki and get information about them in eight different languages. Prices for a day ticket are between 25 and 35 Euros (depending which route you choose). More information about the busses, stops and times can be found here.

If you are not interested in the guided tour and rather want to read the information from your own traveler’s guide the tram line 3 might be a good and cheap alternative to a guided bus tour. Tram line 3 (depending on where you hop on it is either 3T or 3B) is a circle line operating in both directions. On the HSL website and on all tram stops you find a map of all lines.

A day ticket for the whole center can be bought for 7 Euros. The ticket prices (you need just one zone) are listed here.