9 Best Sights in Side Trips from Helsinki, Finland

At the edge of the sea and surrounded by towering, wind-bent pines, the turreted brick-and-stucco Gallen-Kallela Estate on the Tarvaspää promontory was the self-designed studio and home of the Finnish Romantic painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931) lived in the mansion on and off from its completion in 1913 until his death. Inside, the open rooms of the painter's former work spaces make the perfect exhibition hall for his paintings. Also displayed are some of his posters and sketches of the ceiling murals he made for the Paris Art Exhibition at the turn of the 20th century. There is a very good and popular café selling pastries, ice cream, and lunches in the villa opposite the museum.

In an idyllic position at the top of a wooded slope is Hvitträsk, the studio home of architects Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren, and Eliel Saarinen, a wonderful day or half-day summer excursion destination from Helsinki. The property dates back to the turn of the 20th century and is now a charming museum. The whimsical main house reveals the National Romantic art nouveau style, with its rustic detail and paintings by Akseli Gallen-Kallela; Saarinen lived here, and his grave is nearby in the woods that slope down to the lakeside. A café and restaurant are set up in one of the architects' houses.

The former home of Finland's most famous son, composer Jean Sibelius, was designed by Lars Sonck in 1904 and takes its name from his wife, Aino. From late spring through summer, the intimate wooden house set in secluded woodland is open to the public as a museum. Cafe Aulis, in an adjacent modern building, serves refreshments, pastries, and cakes. A guided tour is included in the ticket price if booked in advance.

Near Porvoo in Haikko stands the studio of the painter Albert Edelfelt in a quaint wooden cottage tucked away in the woods. Edelfelt was born into a well-to-do Swedish-speaking family in 1854 and was one of the first Finnish painters to find international fame. He introduced the realist movement to his native country and was active in encouraging young aspiring artists to find success in Paris. In this studio he completed some 220 of his works, and it's here where he died in 1905, surrounded by the beautiful landscape that inspired so many of his works.

At Bianco Blu visitors can try their hand at blowing their own glass item during a 1½-hour-long guided session or shop the many professionally made pieces.

The Fiskars Museum gives a modest overview of the industrial heritage of the village, its culture, and the living conditions of 19th-century families.

The home of Finland's national poet—he also wrote the words for Finland's national anthem—is an authentic museum displaying the poet and his wife's original furnishings and paintings exactly as they were when he died in 1877. The Runeberg story is told by museum staff, and there's an exhibit related to Finnish history.

At this 15th-century stone-and-wood cathedral, the diet of the first duchy of Finland was opened in 1809, making Finland semiautonomous as part of the Russian Empire. This is one of the oldest churches of its kind in Finland—it's survived being burned to the ground by both Danish and Russian armies on several occasions and more recently in 2006 by home-grown arsonists, after which it was impressively and lovingly restored. Inside, you can make out some of the original Catholic artwork, before the Protestant Reformation led to the whitewashing of its walls. Just outside the front gate are some of the best views of the surrounding town.

The Porvoo Museum, inside the historic town hall built in 1764, captures the region's social and cultural history through exhibits on daily life and household objects.