9 Best Sights in Helsinki, Finland

Opened in 2018 beneath the newly renovated 1930s Lasipalatsi (Glass Palace), this impressive contemporary art museum with 24,000 square feet of subterranean exhibition space is the expanded new home of the Amos Anderson Art Museum, the 590-seat handsome Bio Rex cinema (restored to its 1930s glory), a café, and a restaurant. The roof of the sizeable exhibition hall is a series of giant domes with angled roof lights that frame surrounding views and light the galleries. From outside, the roof's gently rolling forms are part of a popular public square that beckons to children and skateboarders and serves as a very modern counterpoint to the 1930s functionalist surroundings. Originally dedicated to Finnish and Swedish art of the 19th and 20th centuries, the museum is now also focused on international contemporary art.

Showing impressive changing shows, including in recent years the likes of Gilbert & George and Yoko Ono, the Tennispalatsi (aka Tennis Palace, a name that hints at its former function) adjacent to the Kamppi Center mall is a must for visitors with an appetite for cutting edge modern art. The first-floor halls are dedicated to the museum’s collection of Finnish modern art and works of the beloved Finnish artist Tove Jansson, creator of the much-loved but peculiar Finnish Moomin characters. The building also houses one of Helsinki's main movie theater complexes.

This large, shady, path-filled park close to the Baltic shoreline was once the site of a popular spa that drew people from St. Petersburg, Tallinn, and all of Scandinavia until its popularity faded during the Crimean War. All the spa structures were eventually destroyed (the main spa building was destroyed during World War II) except one, the Kaivohuone, now a popular bar-restaurant. From the Ursa Observatory at the top of the hill (a favorite local spot for winter sledding), sea views extend across the harbor entrance and islands including the Suomenlinna sea fortress. Across from the entrance to the Kaivohuone, take Kaivohuoneenrinne through the park past a grand Empire-style villa built by Albert Edelfelt, father of the famous Finnish painter who bore the same name. Built in 1839, it is the oldest preserved villa in the park. Many embassies—including those of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France—and diplomats' residences are located on the eastern side of the park, one of Helsinki's most beautiful residential areas.

The steep steps and green domes of the cathedral dominate the Senate Square, and its silhouette is a classic emblem of the city. Completed in 1852, the cathedral is the work of German architect Carl Ludvig Engel, who was commissioned to design a focus for the newly appointed capital during Russian rule and who also designed parts of Tallinn and St. Petersburg. Wander through the restrained but tasteful blue-gray interior, with its white moldings and the statues of German reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, as well as the Finnish bishop Mikael Agricola. Concerts are frequently held inside the church, and the expansive square in front of it is a venue for national celebrations and gatherings. The crypt at the rear is the site of historic and architectural exhibitions and bazaars.

Opened at the beginning of 2019 and conceived as a gift to its citizens marking the centenary of Finland's independence in 1917, sleek, ultramodern Oodi, made of steel, glass, and wood, is much more than a conventional book-lending library, although it serves that function too. A huge, convivial living room for the people, Oodi houses two cafés, a kids' area, 3-D printers, sewing machines, computer workstations, a music studio, and a movie theater, as well as a fair collection of books and magazines. The view from the balcony on the top floor (closed in the slippery winter months) extends across a broad plaza—the "People's Square"—bordered by the Music Center and the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, with Finlandia Hall also nearby. It is a manifestation of Nordic service planning at its finest, most imaginative and most elegant.

The Seurasaari Open-Air Museum was founded in 1909 to preserve rural Finnish architecture. The old farmhouses and barns that were brought to this island, which is about 3 km (2 miles) northwest of the city center, came from all over the country. Many are rough-hewn log buildings dating from the 17th century, a style that was a major inspiration to the late-19th-century architects of the national revivalist movement. All exhibits are marked by signposts along the trails; don't miss the church boat and the gabled church—and watch out for the very sociable red squirrels! Seurasaari is connected to land by a pedestrian bridge and is a restful place for walking throughout the year, with its forest trails and ocean views. You can walk there in about 40 minutes from the Opera House; follow Mannerheimintie northeast, then turn left onto Linnankoskenkatu and follow signs along the coast. Alternatively, take Bus 24 from the city center, in front of the Swedish Theater at the west end of Pohjoisesplanadi; its last stop is by the bridge to the island. It's free to enter and wander around the traffic-free island at any time of the year, but there is a €10 fee if you want to go into the museum buildings, open from May 15 to September 15, and the ticket includes daily guided tours at 3 pm in summer. There is a naturist beach on the north side of the island, well shielded from public view. Plan on spending at least three hours exploring and getting to the museum.

Grand gilded operas, classical ballets, and booming concerts all take place in Helsinki's splendid opera house, a striking example of modern Scandinavian architecture. All events at the opera house draw crowds, so buy your tickets early.

It feels like another world, but the sea views and rugged shorelines of this sea fortress, Helsinki's top historical destination, are a 15-minute harbor ferry hop from the Market Square in the center of town. It's a perennially popular collection of fortifications, museums, parks, and gardens and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1748, Finland's Swedish rulers started to build the impregnable fortress, long referred to as the Gibraltar of the North, across a series of interlinked islands. Although Suomenlinna has never been taken by assault, it came under Russian governance with the rest of Finland in 1808 and came under fire from British and French ships in 1855 during the Crimean War. Today Suomenlinna makes a lovely excursion from Helsinki at any time of the year but particularly in early summer when the island is carpeted by wildflowers and engulfed in a mauve-and-purple mist of lilacs, introduced from Versailles by the marshal and founder of the fortress Augustin Ehrensvärd. Visiting the islands is free but the various museums, including a wonderful Toy Museum, a Military Museum, a Customs Museum, a historical Suomenlinna Museum, and the Ehrensvärd Museum, do charge admission. There are several cafés and restaurants on the islands, including the Cafe Silo in a former Russian merchant's house and a quayside brewery restaurant. Note that the only place to stay on the islands is the hostel near the city ferry jetty.

The Suomenlinna Museo is housed in the same building as the visitor center. exhibits cover the building of the fortress and the fleet and early life on islands; the ticket price includes the Suomenlinna Experience multimedia show.