Hands down ties for best yoga studio in Helsinki. Their Prenatal yoga is outstanding, especially…read morewith Kati. After one class with her, I was ready to go to 4 classes a week at Shanti. Being 8 months pregnant, other studios have been hesitant to allow me to actually practice YOGA and/or their prenatal classes mostly consist of sitting on the ground. Not the case at Shanti, where the prenatal class is active but gentle, a little more quick-paced and less meditation-y and hippie-dippy. I'm not a crunchy mama, I don't really want to chant and channel my inner goddess for an hour and a half, and I still enjoy working up a bit of a sweat. Shanti's prenatal classes move at a nice pace, thoughtfully allowing women to modify everything to suit their individual comfort levels. Also- as a native English speaker and functionally illiterate in Finnish, it is actually very easy for me to follow along and I find that my Finnish actually isn't as bad as I thought it was. It is very helpful that Kati generously prompts in English from time to time when it seems like I don't comprehend (classes that aren't noted as 'taught in English' are most definitely taught in Finnish). The studio itself is lovely, with ample water for participants, mats provided, and more props than I've ever seen at a studio. Super clean, airy, well-lit. With 3 floors of studios and a million classes going on everyday, it certainly doesn't have the feel of a "yoga factory". It feels very homey, cozy, and lovely. I can't recommend enough.

A friendly and nicely renovated yoga studio. I only gave three stars due to personal preference…read more(otherwise 4 stars). My impression was that many classes are rather slow-paced or then pilates-influenced. For people who like more dynamic classes like Vinyasa/Prana, try the Yoga Nordic school in Espoo/Mankkaa. Also, for some reason the temperature here felt quite hot, although I'm used to hot yoga.

This is a must see in Helsinki. Adorable little place with several cats and two bunnies that are…read moreadorable. You can feed the bunnies (they sell the greens for you to feed them) and pet the cats (no feeding them though a couple like to steal food from the tables). You can order lunch, snacks, desserts or just drinks (alcohol or non) and relax for a couple of hours watching the cats run around. It's a ver relaxed atmosphere with a very homelike environment. Service is great and the prices are reasonable. They also have a cute gift shop with some unique crafts. You remove your shoes when you enter and you only enter one party at a time so the cats don't get out. It's well worth the visit but make sure to make a reservation!

Cozy cat cafe in Helsinki! When you first get to the cafe, you have to ring a bell and wait to be…read morelet in by a staff member who will open the door for you so the cats don't run out. You can make reservations in advance or just drop by and see if they have seats. My boyfriend and I stopped by in the evening on a weekday, and they had space. Inside, the cafe has a nice, calm vibe with soft jazzy music and dim lighting. They have a huge selection of food and drinks on the menu, you could basically have a meal here. They have a few rules regarding the cats: you can't pick them up, you can't pet them if they're sleeping, you can't let them eat your food, etc. There are 8 cats in the cafe, and when we first arrived, they all seemed to be sleeping. We were allowed to walk around to look for them, and there was a basket full of cat toys to use. After a while, some of the cats started waking up and playing around. The staff were nice enough to give us some cat food so we could feed the cats too. The cafe also has seats next to an ozone generator if you have allergies. It seems like the cafe has an amazing ventilation system anyway, since I'm allergic to cats and was fine sitting in a regular seat. TDLR: This cafe has great ventilation, nice staff, and friendly cats. Entrance fee is 5€ on top of whatever you buy to eat/drink.

Sali on kelvollinen, mutta SISÄÄN EI PÄÄSE kuin hyvällä tuurilla. Aplikaatio on aivan saatanasta,…read moretaas kerran värjöteltiin lukkojen takana pakkasessa kun ovi ei toimi. Kun nollaa tähteä ei voi antaa...

Good selection of equipment and cardio. Definitely does the trick for a solid gym in a city where…read moreevery hotel seems to not have a gym. Women's area in the back which is nice if you're into that sort of thing. Cons are that it's only open to drop ins from 12-7. Makes it hard to work out when traveling on business and generally have meetings during work hours. Gym would be a lot more convenient for visitor to Helsinki if it were open to them beyond 7pm.