2 Best Places to Shop in Finland

Iittala glass and kitchenware represents the best and most stylish of Finnish design and makes classy souvenirs and gifts. Iittala's flagship store in central Helsinki is on the north side of the Esplanade, stocking the Iittala brand itself, exemplified by the Ultima Thule and Kastehelmi glassware lines, as well as other top Finnish design brands such as Fiskars, Hackman, and Arabia. There is also an Iittala store in the Mall of Tripla in the Pasila suburb, and the brand is prominent at the Iittala & Arabia Design Centre.

At this Helsinki institution, open year-round on the South Harbour quayside, wooden stands with orange and gold awnings bustle in the mornings when everyone—tourists and locals alike—comes to shop, browse, or sit and enjoy coffee and conversation. You can buy a variety of fish for dinner along with an array of forest mushrooms, a bouquet of bright flowers for a friend, or a fur pelt. In summer the fruit, berry, and vegetable stalls are supplemented by an arts-and-crafts and souvenir market. The crepes, made to order by one of the tented vendors, are excellent, while locals swear by the meat pies and fresh jam-filled doughnuts. In summer there are several vendors selling lunch plates. In early October, there's a Baltic Herring Market, a tradition dating back to the 18th century, with small boats from the outlying islands docked at the quay to sell their wares.