Sibelius-monumentti is a monument that visually gives the effect of organ pipes…read more The monument was created in honor of the composed Jean Sibelius and thus was designed to compose music through the pipes when it gets windy. We stopped in on our private tour while it wasn't too busy, but later found out that it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in Helsinki so we lucked out there wasn't a large crowd. All in all, Sibelius-monumentti is a must-see while in Helsinki and I definitely recommend dropping by.

I visited the Sibelius Monument in Sibelius Park and loved the photographic possibilities. From a…read morelow, centered vantage the clustered steel pipes form a circular frame of sky that's both dramatic and elegant. The reflective surfaces change with the light, so every shot feels different. The park is peaceful, easy to access from central Helsinki, and there's a bust of Jean Sibelius nearby for context. Great spot for photographers and anyone who appreciates modern public art.

Helsinki's Senate Square (Senaatintori) are part of the oldest part of the city of Helsinki…read more Surrounding this large plaza are the Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the University of Helsinki and the Sederholm House which is the oldest building in the city center. You'll also find the Statue of Alexander II here, who re-established the Diet of Finland and worked towards Finland's independence from Russia. Senaatintori is where the big things happen, including concerts and exhibits. There is plenty to see here and nearby. [Review 10086 overall, 1672 of 2018.]

Senate Square is the main public square in Helsinki. It contains the Cathedral, the Government…read morePalace, the University Main Building, the National Library, and a statue of Tsar Alexander II. I spent some time in this square to view the buildings, which had some beautiful architecture. I felt interested in how the Finnish people liked Alexander II for solidifying the use of the Finnish language. Please note, though, that pickpocketing can occur in this square. A pickpocketer stole a wallet from a man in my tour group. If you visit here, be careful to watch your belongings!

Ateneum gives a very good overview about Finnish and European art in 1800s and 1900s. The place…read morehouses some of the most important oil paintings of national artists. The cost is well in par with the historic value the expos provide.

Fantastic museum in a lovely historic building. The Kallela and Klimt collections are worth this…read morevisit alone. Helpful staff, worthwhile value of time and money.

While walking around Helsinki, I accidentally stumbled upon the 1952 Summer Olympics game stadium,…read moreand this was a really cool find!! Some of the grounds are still used for sporting events today . The whole complex was really cool to walk around. I didn't get to go into the museum, but the portion the exhibit that I did see and the gift shop were really cool! I do love stumbling upon parts of history!

Slightly outside of the "main downtown" area, this tourist destination is still technically…read morewalkable if you have time and a bit of energy. (or you can take any one of the timely, clean trams that run through the city). The view is really incredible at the top. It's a small fee (and the platform is small as well), but definitely well worth the time. You can see all the way to the waterfront and everywhere in between. Also, at the base, there are small exhibits dedicated to the olympics, a real-life 1st/2nd/3rd olympic podium to stand on (!), a cafeteria, and access to the main fields at ground level. I believe there is a hostel too, but I didn't stay there on my trip. The entire area is pretty well maintained but the staff were rather stoic (maybe a cultural thing?) Didn't get an overwhelmingly positive - or negative - vibe from any of them. All in all, it's slightly off the beaten path, a bit of history, and well worth the visit.

I have been to a handful of amusement parks in my time, and to be honest, Linnanmäki (aka…read moreBorgbacken) is not the best of the best. But what it does have going for it is that visitors can enter without having to pay an entrance fee. Then, they can choose to purchase a full-day wristband, or buy rides individually. I ended up visiting Linnanmäki after hanging out in the adjoining Alppipuisto Park. My companions and I had the idea to go up in the Panorama Tower, which is free to visit. As the name suggests, it gives riders a 360-degree view of the city from above. We also then opted to try out the Vuoristorata rollercoaster, which is the most iconic ride in the park. Although it wasn't the best wooden rollercoaster I have been on (the Giant Dipper is perhaps my favorite), it still is quite cool. Fun fact: it was the last rollercoaster in the world to be built with side friction technology. All in all, I think Linnanmäki knows what it's doing with allowing anyone to enter, because that means people will buy one-off ride tickets, food, etc. If you are in Helsinki for a few days and nearby, consider checking it out and, at the very least, taking a ride up in the tower.

Fun little amusement park in Helsinki which has rides, games, shops, a theater and places to eat…read moreand play. The park itself isn't that big but it actually has a lot going on. It's free to enter the park but the rides are insanely expensive. €8 for a single ride! You can get a wrist band for €36 which is still high seeing as there aren't that many rides. A couple of the rides are free such as the Ferris wheel, observation tower, carousel and the tea cups. I went on the wooden rollercoaster called Vuoristorata and it was fun. It's a good place to visit if you're visiting Helsinki even if you're not planning on going on any rides.

Wonderful nature and peace in Helsinki. Lovely place for walking and picnics. Trees, forests,…read morewater, nature. Nice open air museum and cafe, lots of happenings around the year.

June 2012. It's too…read morebeautiful to spend the day inside, so we visit Seurasaari. A century ago, an ethnographer named Axel Olai Heikel began collecting traditional Finnish structures out on this island. Sweden already had an open-air museum like that (Swedes!), so Heikel decided that Finland should have one, too. The number 24 bus drops us off at the entrance an hour before the island closes, so we rush to the ticket booth and grab a map, hoping to squeeze as much of Finland's glorious architectural heritage as we can into sixty minutes. We read that there are historical re-enactors in the buildings, so we're expecting a Finnish version of Colonial Williamsburg, with artisanal baking demonstrations and maybe some farriery or blacksmithing. Coopering. That kind of thing. But the re-enactors we encounter are mostly high school kids with attitude whose summer job is to hang out on the island wearing period costumes and make sure no one tags the traditional structures or steals stuff. We hustle through a series of smoke cabins, crofter's dwellings, granaries, and farmyards. We glimpse a wooden church. We spot a parsonage. We read that many of these buildings are the last surviving examples of early 19th-century Finnish architecture. They're lovely, these rustic wooden structures with elegant joinery and stripped down minimalism that look like something Alvar Aalto might have built if he'd been a crofter.

Very easy to get to from the City Center. You take #16 bus from central station and the last stop…read morebefore it heads back is the zoo. You can pay on the bus and it does not take very long. In the summer, you can take a boat but this was not an option in April when I visited. The main gate has a little cafeteria and bathroom. The zoo is located on an island and you walk across a bridge to get to the zoo. It is not a large zoo. It has a good number of animals to see. I really enjoyed the seeing the lions. I spent about 2 hours here and pretty much saw everything. It was not very crowded at all. Check what time of the year you are visiting. The weather was still chilly in April and only 1 restaurant was open. The gift shop was open but did not offer to much. The only item I found that said Helsinki Zoo was a postcard. Most of the items on sale are pretty generic non-branded animal related items. Overall, it was a nice visit.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my…read more As far as zoos go, this one is pretty good. While parking is not precisely convenient, you do get a nice little walk through the woods to arrive there a gigantic bear statue greets you. Unlike say, Berlin, you get the sense that these animals have plenty of space and are generally weather appropriate. I really enjoyed the information (in three languages, Finnish, Swedish, and English) about what level of threatened / endangered a particular animal is in the wild and what efforts this zoo is taking to help the natural environment. The cafes are well located throughout the zoo and the organization makes sense as well. Some odd (to me) bits. The jungle house (tropical house) has a weird insect area that looks like it was built a very long time ago and the insects have just been left to themselves. Creepy crawly indeed. The other odd bit if there are at least a dozen peacocks roaming free around the zoo. I don't know why. They are loud and not afraid of people and sometimes block entire paths with strutting. It's just weird to have so many peacocks in a relatively small space. As an added bonus we visited during hatching season so if you happened across a goose who was still sitting on her nest then her mate would hiss at you and sometimes try to chase you off the path. A bit silly but you know, nice that they all have somewhere to nest (I guess?!?) Definitely a nice half day for families with small children.

Beautiful church to checkout if you're into churches and religious. I'm triggered of the…read morearchitecture and the decoration of it. It's builded between Alexander II & III (I believed) and well kept and attained. Inside is magnificent well structured & breathtaking. Located on a hill overlooking the city and the water. Well worth checking out while in the city.

Beautiful Orthodox Church with stunning gold altar and icons plus great views of town and the…read moreoriginal iconostasis for Easter celebration