Where to stay in Helsinki

See

Surrounded by sea and a vast archipelago, Helsinki is at its best in the summer when the dialogue between the city and nature is at its fullest. Classical Helsinki's sights can be divided into an eclectic set of churches and a wide variety of museums. For a coastal amble past some of Helsinki's minor and major sights, see the itinerary A seaside stroll in Helsinki. For the most part, Helsinki lacks the monumental historic architecture of Copenhagen and Stockholm. However, what sets it apart from other Nordic capitals is the Russian-influenced architecture from the 19th century, which resembles that of Saint Petersburg.

Do

The most common sport by attendance is ice hockey: the season starts in September and ends between March and early May (depending on the playoffs). Football (soccer) is also very popular, with the domestic season starting in March and ending in October (unlike in most of Europe). For ice hockey, there are two top-level teams in the Helsinki area: HIFK (capacity 8,200) and Kiekko-Espoo (in the neighbouring city of Espoo but easily accessible, capacity 7,000). Tickets start at roughly €25 (May 2025), and the matches are very safe and quite tourist-friendly, assuming you know the rules of the game. Food and beer are available at the concession stands, but can be expensive.

• Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
• UMO Jazz Orchestra
• Söderskär Lighthouse
• Skippered Day Sailing
• Lux Helsinki
• Vappu
• World Village Festival
• Helsinki City Run
• Helsinki City Marathon
• Helsinki-päivä
• Helsinki Pride
• Helsinki Samba Carnaval

Eat

Helsinki has by far the most cosmopolitan eating options in Finland, with eight Michelin-starred restaurants (Palace on Eteläranta got a second one in 2022), and is a good place to enjoy a good meal – if you can foot the bill, that is. As usual in Finland the best time to eat out if you are on a budget is lunch, when most restaurants offer lunch sets for €8–21. Lunch sets are typically served 10:30–14:00 or 11:00–15:00, but the times vary between venues. In the evening, only budget places are less than €10, while splurges cost well over €30 per head. Almost every place will have at least one vegetarian option.

Drink

Finland is the largest coffee consuming nation per capita and coffee breaks are written into law. However, in Finland most coffee is filter-brewed from a light, more caffeinated, roast that is quite different to what the rest of the world drinks. Finns often enjoy a bun (pulla) or cinnamon bun (korvapuusti) with their coffee. In Finland commonly espressos and lattes are called "special coffees" and a large number of establishments that make such coffees have popped up all over town ever since the 1990s when they arrived. One which will give any Italian cafeteria a go for their money is La Torrefazione next to Stockmann.

Stay safe

Helsinki is a safe city for its size. Helsinki has problems with drug trafficking and use, although this seldom affects visitors. Violent crime targeting strangers seems to be on a rise, but severe incidents are few enough to often reach the headlines. On weekend nights, intoxicated people wandering around city streets may be an annoyance, especially during summer festivals and on New Year's Eve and April 30, the eve of May Day, which is the most important beer-drinking festival in the Finnish calendar. Warm summer nights always gather a drunken crowd in the centre.