What to do in Helsinki: saunas, islands, urban culture

Sompasauna is part of Helsinki's unique mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces. This public sauna operates through volunteer work from the local community. Entry is free and it remains open at all hours of the day. Located by the sea, it offers an authentic place to experience Finnish sauna culture.

The Sininen Huvila Kahvila fits perfectly into Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces. This cafe opens from May to September and serves traditional Finnish pastries with views over the city harbor. It offers a quiet spot amid the city's activity, similar to other popular locations in Helsinki where visitors can enjoy local culture and food.

Kivinokka Beach is part of Helsinki's mix of nature and city access, providing direct contact with the sea from within a wooded area. The sandy beach sits surrounded by forest with pathways, and from here visitors can watch the sun descend into the water.

Trillby & Chadwick is a bar hidden behind a concealed door, decorated in 1920s style. The cocktail menu draws inspiration from detective novels. This hidden venue fits perfectly within Helsinki's blend of Nordic traditions and modern city culture, where you can discover creative spaces like this alongside public saunas and historic market halls.

The graffiti wall at Suvilahti is a key part of Helsinki's urban art scene. This legal space allows artists to freely create and display their work for anyone to see. The wall constantly changes as new pieces appear, drawing art lovers who want to experience the city's modern creative side. Suvilahti itself functions as a cultural center that supports various forms of artistic expression beyond just this wall.

Kamppi Chapel is a wooden structure in central Helsinki that creates a quiet place for prayer and reflection, without religious symbols. Within the collection of what to do in Helsinki, this chapel shows how the city blends Nordic traditions with contemporary design. Visitors can find stillness in the middle of urban activity, and the building reflects the architectural approach seen throughout the city, from stone churches to modern wooden buildings.

The Hakaniemi Market Hall fits into Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces. This market hall from 1914 offers Finnish specialties, fresh produce, handcrafted items and traditional products across two floors. Here you can meet local vendors and discover traditional Finnish foods that reflect the rhythm of daily life in the city.

Sisä-Hattu Island in Helsinki offers a quiet place to explore ancient rock carvings in natural surroundings. This uninhabited island reflects the mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces that define what to do in Helsinki. Visitors can walk through the island's preserved natural landscape and see traces of the past carved into stone, alongside the everyday visits of birds and small animals.

Liesjärvi National Park features marked trails through forests with blueberry fields and various mushroom species for foraging. This park complements Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces, offering visitors a chance to experience the natural landscapes that define the region.

Kruunuvuori Ghost Town is a collection of wooden villas from the 1920s standing in the forest, abandoned and marked by decades of decay. These forgotten buildings show how the city once looked and offer a window into a bygone era. As part of Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces, this location reveals the history behind the city's current structures.

Allas Sea Pool is a swimming complex at the harbor of Helsinki with three pools, including a seawater pool and a year-round heated freshwater pool. Within this collection, it shows how the city embraces its relationship with water, much like the free saunas by the sea. The location blends Nordic traditions with contemporary urban life and offers direct access to the sea, similar to other popular spots in Helsinki.

Löyly is a modern wooden sauna sitting right on Helsinki's beach. It fits perfectly with the Nordic traditions of the city, where public saunas like this one are a key part of daily life. The building holds two saunas, a terrace, and a restaurant serving Finnish cuisine. From here you can jump into the sea or simply enjoy the view. Löyly shows how Helsinki brings together old traditions with contemporary design.

Pihlajasaari Island offers sand beaches, hiking trails, and swimming areas that connect visitors to nature just outside the city. As part of Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces, this nature reserve provides an escape to the sea and forests that surround the city. Regular ferry service operates from the mainland during summer months.

The Ateljee Bar on the 14th floor of Hotel Torni is a central part of Helsinki's urban culture. This rooftop bar offers 360-degree views across the entire city and serves Finnish cocktails. It bridges the modern side of Helsinki with Nordic traditions, sitting perfectly between the historic buildings and contemporary spaces that define the city.

Kallio Church is part of Helsinki's blend of Nordic traditions and contemporary city spaces. This church was built in 1912 from granite and features a 65-meter tower. Its interior displays characteristic design elements of early 20th-century Nordic religious architecture. The church stands alongside other architectural treasures in the city, such as historic market halls and wooden buildings, offering a quiet spot amid the activity of downtown.

Within Helsinki's mix of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces, Teurastamo exemplifies the city's creative reuse of historic buildings. This former slaughterhouse complex now functions as a vibrant hub with restaurants, cafes, and event spaces. Regular markets and festivals here showcase the dynamic character of the city's contemporary culture.

Jädelino is an ice cream shop in Helsinki's Teurastamo district that makes Italian-style gelato using fresh ingredients and seasonal flavors. This vendor fits perfectly into Helsinki's blend of Nordic traditions and contemporary urban spaces, where both local craftsmanship and international influences are celebrated.

Naughty BRGR fits into Helsinki's contemporary food scene. This restaurant serves burgers made from local meat with homemade sauces, paired with sweet potato fries. The spot reflects the modern dining culture that shapes the city alongside its saunas, islands, and urban spaces.

Tempere Hall is a cultural center in Helsinki that brings together music, art, and community. The concert hall seats about 500 people and hosts performances throughout the year. On the first floor, exhibition spaces display works from local and visiting artists, while a café offers a place to gather and reflect. The hall stands as part of Helsinki's commitment to mixing Nordic traditions with vibrant urban culture, alongside public saunas, old market halls, and spaces for artistic expression.

The Seurasaari Open-Air Museum displays historical wooden buildings from various Finnish regions dating from the 18th to 20th centuries on an island setting. Within Helsinki's offerings of Nordic traditions and modern urban spaces, this museum provides a window into the past. The structures come from different eras and regions of Finland, showing how people lived in earlier times. Visitors can walk through the island and observe traditional craftsmanship, period furnishings, and everyday objects from the past.

This central street in Helsinki features several Finnish fashion houses and local clothing stores with contemporary collections. It fits perfectly into the collection, showing how the city blends Nordic traditions with modern urban spaces.

The Laajasalo Oil Tanks are former industrial facilities perched on rock cliffs that now function as a public viewpoint. These abandoned structures are covered with graffiti and street art, offering open views of the sea and surrounding islands. This location fits well into Helsinki's blend of industrial heritage and artistic expression, similar to the legal graffiti wall at Suvilahti.

The Puotila Manor is an 18th-century estate that offers a window into how people once lived in this area. Today, the building functions as a restaurant and event venue where visitors can dine and gather while surrounded by history. This manor fits naturally into Helsinki's blend of Nordic traditions and contemporary life, as it brings together past craftsmanship with present-day use.

Jazz Club Espa in this collection about Helsinki is a music venue where local and international jazz musicians perform regularly. The club seats around 120 people and offers a space for music lovers to experience live performances.

This bay is part of Helsinki's coastal offerings alongside public saunas and island visits. Vartiokylänlahti features walking paths that wind through forested areas along the shoreline. In winter, when the bay freezes, locals use it for cross-country skiing, connecting to the Nordic traditions that define the city.