Swimming pool is quite nice and has great facilities. Be careful however: because of someone…read morecomplaining at you, you can be blamed by the pool's staff for swimming too quickly in the lane for quick swimmers

During my summer vacation in Finland I stayed at a place on Lauttasaari. This is a quaint and…read morequiet, mostly residential island outside of the hustle and bustle of Helsinki. (If you can really say that city is hustling and bustling when compared to other capitals of the world.) There's a marina and lots of boat launching to do along the coast and plenty of nature along the edges of civilization. The main station has groceries and shopping attached for your convenience. If you find yourself visiting and are wanting a cheaper place to stay, you may find it here. It's still a short train ride to the center of Helsinki for all the frills without the cost.

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.

The facilities are nice and you can do everything track&field all the way up to pole vault. Much…read morerespect to the old school feel of the place with wooden seating etc. The only negative thing is that on the three occasions I've been there recently, I've never seen any staff around who could lend some track&field equipment like a javelin. I'm sure they're there - just my bad luck I suppose :)

Kumpula swimming pool is where it's at! .. on those rare sunny days in Finland, at least ;) After…read moreyears as a Helsinki resident, I finally paid a visit this past August with my kid. There aren't that many outdoor swimming pool in Helsinki, and furthermore the weather seldom allows for that. I was really surprised how well they are set up for youngsters. Big lawns where you can stake your claim and lay out. With my kid, I went to the sauna a few times, the kids pool, and also the fountain pool area. I'll knock off a star because the parking was dreadful -- on sunny summer days, expect some traffic :/ Also the food options were really lackluster -- fast food style, I was expecting something more refined and healthy. All in all, great outdoor swimming experience in Kumpula! Highly recommended -- go check it out :)

This park has a bad past but you can meet the most interesting people in Kallio. Go there. Don't…read moreworry about the rumors. They have good bars around there. People speak good English. This is one of the only places in Finland where strangers will walk right up to you and start talking. Kallio people are really open and artistic. Visit the bar nearby called Roskapankki, they have th cheapest beer in town.