Beautiful park in the city center of Helsinki. Great for people watching and also eating ice cream…read morefrom one of the many kiosks. Many benches but they are full at peak times.

Great park to walk thru to get to the center of the city…read more Barely a block wide but about five blocks long, I was dropped off at the west end and walked thru it to the central market area just across from the Havis Amanda fountain. The central walkway is wide and lined with beautiful mature trees. In the center of the park is a statue of Johan Ludwig Runeberg. On my return walk back to the ship there was a musician playing a violin for tips in front of the statue. A beautiful sound with a fabulous setting. Near the east end is the Kappeli restaurant, opened in 1867. Across from the restaurant is a large outdoor stage, disappointed neither was open at the early time I came thru the park. Both looked wonderful. Across from the park on the north side are several shops, cafes and hotels to wander about while near the park. A very clean area to spend the day in.

One of my favorite places in Helsinki. Töölönlahti has a great running track going around the water…read moreand it's just stunning all trough summer and winter. This is where I go to run and / or just relax. It's also the perfect setup for a picnic in the summer,

Hillside park! I tramped through this park while trying to…read morefollow the scenic, historic tram line number three. This park is large, situated on a hill overlooking the bay where the ships moor. Since the whole park is on a hill, and was covered in ice when I went, it was a very tough climb to get across the park. The stairs have handrails, which were a welcome accommodation to help ascend and descend the stairways. It'd be tough to traverse this park in a wheelchair. There are some beautiful statues here, and large wide open spaces to run and play. It offers a great view of the bay at the east end of the park. Some of the pathways don't lead anywhere in particular, they go to someone's backyard or a business, or a wall. Part of the park seems to be used by the city for road maintenance. I can imagine that this park would be pleasant in the summertime, but when I went it was completely iced over and was a pain to try and get across due to all the ice and snow. It was a beautiful walk, but treacherous. I found no public restrooms here. There is plenty of parking here, as the park is so large that there's lots of street parking available.

Such a nice place to take a stroll. The park is on a hill, so you get a great view of the water at…read morethe top. You can also see the churches and other landmarks between the trees.

Even when the rhododendron is not blooming the Rhododendron Park (Alppiruusupuisto) in Haaga is a…read moreperfect destination for a nice weekend walk. The park was founded and still functions as a plant breeding experimental site of the University of Helsinki. Simultaneously the eight-hectare area is a park open to the public. The first rhododendrons have been planted here in 1975. Meanwhile several different species grow some of which were created on this site and are internationally well known to handle temperatures of up to -40 degrees. Many paths and duckboards as well as some look-outs make it possible to explore most parts of the park in a comfortable way and are also accessible for wheelchair-users without problems. Have a wonderful walk!

Vanha Kirkkopuisto is the Old Church Park and it's a very nice mostly green spot (it's November, so…read morethe trees are a little bare). Popularly referred to as the "Plague Park" as victims of the 1710 plague were buried here alongside the church. So there's that going for it. Several large grave markers alongside the paths that crisscross the park, which is the size of the city block. Modernized in the late 1990s, the overgrown trees were cut back. This brought more sunlight, allowing the grass and shrubbery to grown in. The paths are cleaner and definitely not muddy despite some recent rain. The main archway was restored and they've added a public toilet here. It is 3.5 hectares (8.4 acres). [Review 10089 overall, 1675 of 2018.]

Old Church Park! This old park is right in the middle of…read morethe Kamppi Design District in Helsinki. It's a big park that takes up an entire city block, with lots of places to sit and watch the trees grow. There's lots of walkways that allow you to traverse the park in any direction. When I went, most of the pathways were covered in ice, and were quite slippery. It's a picturesque park that'd be perfect for an afternoon stroll or even a picnic! The church at the end of the park is beautiful, and a great setting for photos. It's a quiet park, without much open space- it's all taken up by pathways, lines of trees, and tombs. It's not an ideal place for a game of football or to fly a kite. In the corner of the park, you'll find a cemetery with ancient tombstones in Finnish, and tombs. Some of the tombstones don't look to be in the best condition. One of the tombstones resembles a large book, marking the grave of the first print shop owner in Helsinki. Parking can be challenging here, no lots to park in. I also didn't find a public restroom, but there are more in the neighborhood. The other name for the park is "Plague Park." Creepy! It's where they buried the plague victims hundreds of years ago. Don't dig!

This triangle shaped park in the Kamppi Design District in Helsinki is a cool park! There's lots of…read morethings to see and do in this urban park that has a twin sister park right next door, separated by a traffic circle. Lastenlehdon is the larger of the two parks, which houses a playground, public restrooms, some landscaping and sculptures, and a big open space. The park was pretty frozen when I went, with the open spaces filled with ice and snow. There's a big, wide open space that would accommodate a baseball or soccer game, if it's not frozen. The park is safe, and rather well lit. There's plenty of places to sit, and the sidewalks were heavily tread to do away with the ice. The playground seems to be utilized during the day by a local school, as it was full of children wearing bright yellow reflective vests. Parking seems like it could be pretty challenging around here, but it is serviced by the public buses, and the taxi stand in the corner of the park.