Six Top Attractions to Visit in Helsinki

Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, the city of Helsinki entwines with the Baltic’s inlets and islands to create a wonderfully beautiful and enigmatic place to explore. With bustling backstreets and boulevards, museums galore, magnificent architecture, quiet parks, and a high-paced nightlife, you are sure to have an unforgettable time in Finland’s capital. Here are six of the top attractions you will not want to miss.

Helsinki Zoo

This zoo is worth visiting because it occupies an entire island! Nearby to Helsinki center, the zoo on the island of Korkeasaari was established back in 1889. With 150 animal species from Finland and around the world, a tropical house, and a small farm, as well as around 1,000 local and foreign plant species, you are sure to want to spend hours at this wild and leafy destination.

Casino Helsinki

You do not have to enjoy playing casino games to have a fun time at Casino Helsinki because you are guaranteed to have a fun time at its fabulous sports bar and restaurant. But if you enjoy playing games as well, you are sure to have an even more unforgettable night out. Casino Helsinki has an extensive array of table games, such as Russian Poker, Punto Banco, and roulette, as well as more than three hundred slot machines spread over two floors. There is even a private poker room. You will also find a host of entertainment on offer throughout the year. And if you are still in a gaming mood when you arrive back at the hotel, you can always check out an online casino for Finnish players and foreign players, where you can play a variety of table and slot games.

Design Museum

To get a feel of classic and contemporary Finnish designs, check out the unmissable Design Museum. It contains a permanent collection that focuses on the roots of Finnish traditions, as well as changing exhibitions focusing on contemporary design. You will find everything from household furniture to antique clothing at Helsinki’s Design Museum. You can also get a combination ticket for entry to the nearby Museum of Finnish Architecture.

Ateneum

The Ateneum is Finland’s most famous art museum. Occupying a palatial neo-Renaissance building that dates from 1887, the building is worth seeing just as much as the exquisite artworks contained within. If you want a crash course in Finnish art, there is no better place to visit than the Ateneum. You will come across sculptures from Finland’s artistic golden age of the late 19th century to the 1950s, including works by Simberg, Edelfelt, and the von Wright brothers. But perhaps the most exceptional artwork in the museum is Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s masterpiece triptych Kalevala. You will also come across a small collection of international art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Van Gogh’s Street in Auvers-sur-Oise, which was the first-ever Van Gogh work to be purchased by a museum.

Kaivohuone

If you need a break from museums, you can relax with a drink and some excellent food at the Kaivohuone bar. Food is served until four pm every day, and come night-time in the summer, you can dance to your heart’s content as DJs and crowds pack out the venue. The establishment itself is a part of Helsinki’s history. It was originally built in 1838 as a spa. The pavilion was then later remodeled in the art-deco style, and inside, you can still see the fully-restored multicolored chandeliers. Kaivohuone has a vast terrace too, which overlooks the waterfront and the sprawling Kaivopuisto park. In the summertime, pop, rock, and classical music concerts are held in the park. And come wintertime, the snow-covered Kaivopuisto is a popular destination for tobogganing.

The Sveaborg of Suomenlinna

The fortified islands of Suomenlinna are only a 20-minute ferry ride away from the city center, and they are undoubtedly worth a visit. The picturesque UNESCO World Heritage site is made up of a large sea fortress that covers eight small islands. Construction of the fortress commenced in 1748 as a defense against Russian expansionism. In addition to the Sveaborg, which is Swedish for “castle,” the islands are full of natural beauty. You will love strolling around the tree-lined parks. There is also an excellent museum and arts venue, as well as Finland’s only remaining WWII submarine.