Helsinki lies in the far south of the country, on a peninsula that is fringed by fine natural harbours and that protrudes into the Gulf of Finland. It is an easily accessible city full of history and all the modern trimmings you expect in a major Scandinavian city.
Finland: Suomenlinna Sea Fortress on Helsinki’s Shore
🏰 Suomenlinna: Eight Islands, Eight Centuries of Stubbornness
We’d been in Helsinki for a couple of days when someone at the hotel mentioned Suomenlinna, and honestly, we’re glad they did. Getting there couldn’t have been simpler — you hop on a regular HSL ferry from Market Square (Kauppatori) right in the heart of Helsinki, and roughly fifteen to twenty minutes later you’re stepping onto one of the most historically loaded patches of ground in Northern Europe. The ferry runs year-round, operates as part of the standard Helsinki public transport network, and costs nothing beyond your normal travel card fare, which felt like rather good value for a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’d visited plenty of fortresses over the years, but Suomenlinna genuinely caught us off guard with how much it had to offer.
The island fortress sits across eight interconnected islands — Kustaanmiekka, Susisaari, Iso Mustasaari, Pikku Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari, Lonna, Särkkä, and Ryhmä — roughly three and a half kilometres from Helsinki’s South Harbour. What makes it peculiar is that it’s not simply a preserved ruin or a museum piece. Around 800 people actually live there permanently, going about their daily lives amid the ramparts and bastions, which gives the whole place an oddly normal, neighbourhood-like atmosphere despite the fact that you’re wandering around an eighteenth-century military fortification. There are schools, a post office, restaurants, and even a brewery. We always find that sort of thing quietly impressive — history that hasn’t been roped off and turned into a spectacle, but simply absorbed into everyday life.
⚓ Built by Sweden, Contested by Russia, Kept by Finland
The story of how Suomenlinna came to exist is rooted firmly in the politics and paranoia of eighteenth-century Northern Europe. Sweden controlled Finland at the time — had done for centuries — and by the 1740s, the Swedish Crown was growing increasingly jumpy about Russian expansion westward. Peter the Great had already given the Russians a solid foothold in the region, and his successors showed no signs of backing off. So in 1748, the Swedish military architect Augustin Ehrensvärd was given the job of building a sea fortress that would, in theory, make a Russian naval assault on Helsinki unthinkable. Construction started that year and continued for decades, with enormous quantities of granite quarried locally and thousands of workers — soldiers, craftsmen, and Swedish convicts — labouring to raise what was then the largest construction project in the Nordic world.
Ehrensvärd called it Sveaborg, meaning “Castle of Sweden,” and he was rather proud of it. He’s buried on the island, in a tomb that still stands in the Great Courtyard, which we visited. The Finns later renamed it Suomenlinna — “Castle of Finland” — after independence, a renaming that tells you everything you need to know about how national identity works. The fortress was designed on the principles of contemporary European military engineering, with star-shaped bastions, overlapping fields of fire, and cannon emplacements facing seaward. At its peak in the mid-eighteenth century, it housed thousands of Swedish troops and was considered one of the most formidable naval fortifications in the world. Whether it actually lived up to that billing is another matter entirely.
🤺 The Russo-Finnish War and an Unheroic Surrender
Here’s where the history gets a bit uncomfortable, at least from the Swedish perspective. In 1808, Russia finally moved against Finland in what became known as the Russo-Finnish War, or the Finnish War if you want to be strictly accurate. Tsar Alexander I ordered the invasion, and Swedish resistance in Finland collapsed with what can only be described as alarming speed. The garrison at Sveaborg, commanded by Admiral Carl Olof Cronstedt, surrendered the fortress to the Russians in May 1808 after a siege of only a few months. This was considered a catastrophic betrayal at the time — the fortress was virtually undefeated militarily, well supplied, and in a strong defensive position, yet Cronstedt handed it over. He was later court-martialled in absentia and convicted of treason by a Swedish military tribunal, though historians have argued ever since about whether he was genuinely a traitor or simply a realist who saw no point in prolonging the inevitable. Either way, the fortress passed into Russian hands, and Finland with it, following the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809.
Under Russian control, the fortress was renamed Viapori — a Russification of the Finnish name — and it served as a major Russian naval base for over a century. The Russians expanded and modified many of the fortifications during this period, and the island grew into an important military and administrative hub. It was during this era, in 1855 during the Crimean War, that the fortress experienced one of the more surreal episodes in its history: a combined Anglo-French naval squadron — Britain and France, mind you, allied with the Ottoman Empire against Russia — sailed into the Baltic and subjected Viapori to a prolonged bombardment. The shelling went on for two days, caused considerable damage to the fortifications and shipyard, and yet failed to force a surrender. It’s a strange footnote — British and French forces attacking what is now a Finnish World Heritage Site in the middle of a war that was primarily being fought in Crimea — but that’s nineteenth-century geopolitics for you.
✊ Rebellion, Revolution and Finnish Independence
The early twentieth century brought its own turbulence to the islands. In 1906, in the chaotic aftermath of Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and amid widespread revolutionary unrest across the Russian Empire, a group of Finnish and Russian soldiers stationed at Viapori launched what became known as the Viapori Rebellion. The mutiny, which took place in late July 1906, was part of a broader wave of revolutionary activity inspired by events in St Petersburg. It was quickly and brutally suppressed by loyalist forces, the ringleaders were executed, and the whole episode was largely buried by the Russian authorities. It is remembered today as an early expression of Finnish resistance, though it came to nothing at the time beyond a lot of bloodshed and several firing squads.
Finland declared independence from Russia in December 1917, in the immediate aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution, and control of the fortress passed to the new Finnish government in 1918. It was renamed Suomenlinna — “Castle of Finland” — formally replacing the Swedish Sveaborg and the Russian Viapori in one stroke. During the Finnish Civil War of 1918, the fortress was used as a prison camp, holding thousands of Red Guards captured by the White forces under General Mannerheim. Conditions were appalling and thousands died of disease and starvation — a dark chapter that tends to get less attention than the more celebrated military history of the site. For much of the twentieth century, Suomenlinna remained under military control, before transitioning to civilian administration in 1973. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1991, recognising its exceptional state of preservation and its significance as a surviving example of eighteenth-century European military architecture.
🚶 Wandering the Islands — What We Actually Did
We got off the ferry and immediately encountered a chap playing the accordion on the pier, which set the tone rather nicely. It felt less like arriving at a heritage site and more like stepping into someone’s slightly eccentric village. The visitor centre sits right beside the dock, and we stopped in to pick up a leaflet and map before heading off — well worth doing, because the islands are considerably larger and more spread out than you’d guess from the ferry, and without some sense of the layout you’d inevitably miss half of it. Entry to the fortress was free, which we always appreciate, though some of the smaller museums inside charge a modest fee.
There are no cars to speak of on the islands. During an entire afternoon’s wandering we spotted precisely one car and one motorbike, plus a handful of staff golf carts puttering about on errands. If you’ve ever been to Mackinac Island in Michigan, it has something of that same quality — a place where the internal combustion engine has been largely banished, and the air is better for it. The absence of traffic gives the whole place a genuinely tranquil atmosphere that’s rather at odds with its violent history. We walked cobbled lanes between stone walls, past brick and granite buildings that have been standing since the 1750s, and generally had a good nose around.
We stopped early for coffee and cake at a small café, which was quaint, reasonably priced, and much needed. We’d had a stressful couple of weeks on the road before Helsinki, and there was something about sitting in a quiet courtyard on a Swedish-Russian-Finnish island fortress in the Baltic with a decent cup of coffee that made the world seem considerably more manageable. We felt better afterwards. Sometimes that’s really all it takes.
The Suomenlinna Church is worth a mention — it was built in 1854 as an Eastern Orthodox garrison church for the Russian troops stationed here, then converted to a Lutheran church after Finnish independence in 1917, and it now doubles as a lighthouse, its distinctive green dome visible from the ferry long before you dock. What we particularly liked was the fence around its base, which is made from old cannons and enormous anchor chains — the sort of repurposing of redundant military hardware that feels both practical and quietly symbolic. It’s a handsome building that wears its complicated past without making a great fuss about it.
It was lovely to walk around the streets with their cobbled thoroughfares and quaint buildings, many made from bricks and local stone. Another pleasant aspect is the fact that there are virtually zero vehicles on the islands. We only saw one car and one motorbike during our visit. The only other motorised vehicles we saw were golf carts driven by facilities staff. It reminded us of Mackinaw Island in Michigan.
🏰 Strolling Through the Old Fortress at Suomenlinna, Helsinki
After a fair old walk, we finally reached Suomenlinna’s main museum. There were several small museums dotted about the islands, and most of them wanted a few euros off you to get in. The main museum had a café, which Karen spotted straight away, and you could also sign up there for a guided tour of Suomenlinna. We had a quick think about it and decided to carry on under our own steam. We had never been very good at following a man with an umbrella.
The main fortress stood across from the museum. To get to it, we crossed a little footbridge over a narrow inlet. The fortress walls were made of granite and were built right into the natural shape of the islands. We noticed this all over Suomenlinna. The builders had used the rolling rocks and slopes as part of the design. Karen said it was a sensible way of doing things, and she reckoned they would have saved a fortune on bricks. Being from the North, she always noticed when somebody had saved a bob or two.
Over the bridge we went, and through a gateway into the Great Courtyard. It was finished in the 1760s and was designed by a chap called Augustin Ehrensvärd. Back then it was the main square and the administrative centre of the whole fortress. The houses round the edge included the fortress commandant’s house and the main guard house, so this was clearly where the important folk hung their hats.
Augustin Ehrensvärd’s tomb sat right in the middle of the square. The memorial was designed by King Gustav III of Sweden, along with Augustin’s son, Carl August Ehrensvärd, and Johan Tobias Sergel. Having a king help design your headstone seemed like a pretty good send-off to us.
We wandered our way down the narrow little streets, which took us towards the sea. By then the weather had perked up a bit, or at least the sun had come out, though it was very blowy and not exactly warm. It was one of those days for blowing the cobwebs away, which was just what the doctor ordered after a stressful couple of weeks. Karen reckoned it was “bracing”.
There was a bit of a beach, mostly made up of rocks, with some steps going down to it. Well, it was too good to resist, so down we went, taking care not to go head over heels. The sun was glinting off the sea and the wind was whipping up white tops on the waves. We stood there for a good while, hair all over the place, grinning like a pair of daft kids. Just about perfect conditions, if you ask us!
🏰 The Big Guns at the Tip of Suomenlinna
We had reached the very tip of the fortress, which was where Suomenlinna kept its heaviest defences. Along this stretch sat a row of big cannons, all rusted from years of wind and rain, still pointing out to sea as if they expected trouble at any minute. A lot of these guns were mounted on rails, so they could be swung round to face whatever was coming. They weighed a ton, probably several, and there was no way a few blokes could have shifted them by hand. We gave one a shove just to check. It didn’t budge. The ground round here was full of grassy lumps and bumps, some natural and some man-made, which had been dug out to store ammunition. It all looked a bit like something off another planet, and Karen said it reminded her of the slag heaps back home.
Round the headland we came to another beach, though calling it a beach was being generous. It was really just a flat shelf of granite with a few rock pools dotted about. A family of gulls had moved in for a while. Three youngsters sat about on the rocks, now and then getting up to stretch their new wings, while Mum and Dad kept one eye on them and the other on us. We found a decent rock, sat ourselves down for a few minutes and just took it all in.
🏰 Through the King’s Gate
We carried on round the fortifications for a few more minutes, then left them by way of the King’s Gate. Not a bad way to make an exit, if we said so ourselves.
The King’s Gate was the big symbol of Suomenlinna, and we could see why. It was built in 1753–54 as the main way into the fortress. It went up on the very spot where King Adolf Frederick of Sweden had moored his ship in 1752, when he came over to check on how the building work was getting on. We reckoned the builders must have worked a bit faster that week.
The gate was two storeys high, with a front that curved inwards. It was made of rough-cut stone with marble round the edges. In the 1770s it was turned into a double drawbridge. A quay and a wide set of steps were added in front of it, made from limestone dug out near Stockholm and shipped all the way over. That seemed a long way to go for a few steps, but the Swedes clearly wanted to make an impression.
Before long we came to the end of the trail and headed back to the dock for the ferry to the mainland. As luck would have it, we’d just missed one. Still, every cloud and all that. It gave us time to nip into the little supermarket by the pier and buy some cakes, which turned out to be very nice indeed.
We sat down to eat them and soon found we had company. The local sparrows weren’t scared of people at all, and they had their eyes on our cakes. One of them flew straight in and pecked Karen on the hand. She’s from the North, so she’s used to tough characters, but she didn’t expect it from something no bigger than a teabag. It was a small bird but a scary one, and we kept a tight hold of our cakes after that.
Planning your visit to Suomenlinna
📍 Location
Suomenlinna occupies a group of eight interconnected islands in the Helsinki archipelago, sitting roughly 250 metres off the southern tip of the city’s peninsula. Five of the main islands are linked by bridges and form the core of what visitors explore. The fortress grounds are open to all, year round, at any hour — there is no wall, gate, or perimeter fence to pass through once you arrive.
🚢 Getting There
Suomenlinna is only accessible by water, and the journey itself forms part of the experience. The main way to reach the islands is the HSL public ferry, which departs from Market Square (Kauppatori) in central Helsinki. The crossing takes approximately 15 minutes and offers scenic views of the harbour and archipelago. Ferries run frequently throughout the day — roughly every 15 to 30 minutes — from early morning until close to midnight. The HSL ferry is part of Helsinki’s regular public transport network, meaning any valid HSL ticket covering zones A and B is accepted on board. As of 2026, a standard single ticket costs around €3.30, and a day ticket for zones A and B costs under €10, covering unlimited tram, bus, metro, and ferry journeys. Tickets can be purchased via the HSL app, from blue ticket machines at Market Square beside the ferry pier, or from the machine at Suomenlinna’s main quay. Look out for the HSL signage to avoid joining queues for sightseeing cruises or private tour boats, which also depart from the same harbour.
An alternative summer service, the FRS Finland waterbus, also operates between Market Square and Suomenlinna from May to September, dropping passengers near the King’s Gate and the Suomenlinna Centre. This is a private service and requires a separate return ticket (around €8.50); standard HSL tickets are not valid on it. The same FRS waterbus also serves the small restaurant island of Lonna, which lies between the city and Suomenlinna.
A second HSL service, the weekday service ferry, departs from Katajanokka on the east side of the city centre and arrives at the working harbour of Iso Mustasaari island, a short walk from the main sightseeing route. This is primarily used by residents but is open to visitors with a valid HSL ticket.
🚶 Getting Around
Once on the islands, everything is explored on foot. There are no cars, and the compact scale of the site makes walking the natural way to get around. The total land area is around 0.8 square kilometres and all the main sights can be covered comfortably within a few hours, though it is easy to spend a full day here if you visit the museums.
Upon arrival at the main quay, the first stop should be the Visitor Centre, housed in the distinctive red-brick Rantakasarmi building near the ferry dock. Here you can collect a free map in several languages, pick up a digital guide for your smartphone, and use the Wi-Fi. The map is especially useful, as the islands contain a network of paths, tunnels, and passageways that can be easy to get turned around in.
Blue waymarker signs throughout the islands indicate the main Blue Route, a marked walking trail that connects the principal sights. Following it takes you across bridges to the neighbouring islands and past all the key attractions. It is well signposted and straightforward to follow independently, though guided walking tours in English are available daily during the summer and at weekends through the rest of the year, departing from the Visitor Centre.
🗺️ What to See and Do
King’s Gate is one of the most photographed spots on the islands — an imposing ceremonial gateway built in the 18th century that opens dramatically out to the sea. It is free to visit and makes for a spectacular viewpoint.
The Suomenlinna Museum, located in the Suomenlinna Centre close to the main quay, is the natural starting point for understanding the fortress’s history. A wide-screen film, The Suomenlinna Experience, is screened every 30 minutes and traces the story of the fortress from its Swedish foundations through to the present day. It is open year round.
The Ehrensvärd Museum occupies the former home of Augustin Ehrensvärd, the fortress’s designer, and is considered one of the most absorbing of the island’s museums, with period interiors and artefacts relating to 18th-century life on the islands.
Submarine Vesikko is among the most popular attractions in Suomenlinna. The last surviving Finnish WWII submarine has been preserved and visitors can step inside to see the extraordinarily cramped conditions in which around 20 crew members once worked. It is open from May to September.
The Military Museum (Manege and Artillery Manege) is open year round and covers Finland’s military history within the fortress context.
Suomenlinna Church doubles as a lighthouse — its tower serves as a navigation beacon for ships entering Helsinki harbour. It is a striking building and an unusual combination of functions that reflects the island’s layered history.
There are six museums in total, with the others being the Customs Museum and the Toy Museum (the latter open in summer only). Individual tickets are sold at each museum, though a combination ticket covering all six provides better value. The Helsinki Card and the Finnish Museum Card (Museokortti) also grant free or reduced entry across the museums.
Beyond the museums, Suomenlinna rewards unhurried exploration. There are six kilometres of fortified walls to walk, old bunkers and tunnels to discover, cannons to clamber around, and rocky shoreline with views towards the open sea and back to Helsinki’s skyline. In summer, grassy areas and cliff tops become popular spots for picnics, and there is a small beach. Cafés and restaurants are dotted around the islands, and the on-site Suomenlinna brewery at Bastion Bistro serves food and locally brewed beer.
For those wishing to extend their stay, there is a hostel next to the main quay, as well as a small number of bookable saunas on the islands.
📋 Practical Details
| Attraction | Opening Hours | Entry Fee | Website / Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suomenlinna Island Grounds | Open 24 hours, year round | Free | suomenlinna.fi |
| Visitor Centre | May–Sep: 10:00–18:00; Oct–Apr: 10:00–16:00 | Free | suomenlinna.fi |
| Suomenlinna Museum | Daily 10:30–17:00 (closed 24–25 Dec) | Adults €10; Concessions €8; Children 7–17 €5; Under 7 free | suomenlinna.fi / johku.com |
| Ehrensvärd Museum | Summer season (opening hours vary) | Adults €7; Concessions €6; Children €4 | suomenlinna.fi |
| Military Museum (Manege & Artillery Manege) | May–Sep: daily 11:00–18:00; Oct–Apr: Wed–Mon 11:00–16:30 (closed Tue) | Adults €10; Concessions €5; Free for some groups | sotamuseo.fi |
| Submarine Vesikko | 11 May–30 Sep: daily 11:00–18:00 | Included with Military Museum ticket | sotamuseo.fi |
| Customs Museum | Summer season (opening hours vary) | See museum website | tulli.fi |
| Toy Museum | Summer season only | See museum website | suomenlinna.fi |
| Suomenlinna Church | Varies by season | Free to view externally; check for interior access | helsinginseurakunnat.fi |
| Combination Museum Ticket (all six museums) | As per individual museums | €14.90 (approx.) | reveel.guide/suomenlinnapass |
| HSL Ferry (Market Square ↔ Suomenlinna) | Daily approx. 06:00–midnight, every 15–30 min | ~€3.30 single (standard HSL AB ticket) | hsl.fi |
| FRS Finland Waterbus (summer) | May–Sep: Mon–Sat 07:00–midnight; Sun 08:00–22:00 | ~€8.50 return | frsfinland.fi |
Map of Suomenlinna
The Best Time to Visit Southern Finland
❄️ Winter (December – February)
Southern Finland in winter is a study in contrasts: short days of pale blue light, crisp temperatures that regularly drop to –10°C or below, and a quieter, more introspective version of the country. Helsinki feels intimate and unhurried; its design museums, Art Nouveau architecture, and excellent restaurant scene are best appreciated without summer crowds. The Christmas market at Senate Square is one of the most atmospheric in Northern Europe, and skating on the frozen sea is a genuine local pleasure.
Snow is not guaranteed in the south — it falls more reliably the further north you go — but when it does settle, the city is transformed. Cross-country skiing tracks open in parks and nature reserves, and the sauna culture, central to Finnish life, reaches its most essential expression in deep winter. The main drawbacks are limited daylight (as few as six hours in December), the cold, and higher hotel prices around the Christmas and New Year period.
What to pack: Thermal base layers, a heavyweight down or wool-lined coat, insulated waterproof boots rated to –20°C, wool or fleece-lined hat, gloves and scarf, merino wool socks, and hand warmers. Layers are essential; Finnish indoor heating is fierce, so you will be taking clothes on and off constantly.
🌱 Spring (March – May)
Spring arrives tentatively in March, when ice begins to retreat and daylight returns at a remarkable pace — Helsinki gains several minutes of light each day throughout April. By May, the city is vivid and energetic: terraces fill, parks burst with blossom, and migratory birds return to the archipelago in enormous numbers. Birdwatching on islands such as Hanko is exceptional.
This is a transitional season, and the weather reflects that unpredictability. March can still bring heavy snow and frost; April is changeable with rain and cold snaps; May is frequently glorious, with temperatures reaching 15–18°C and long evenings that feel like a collective exhale after winter. Prices are reasonable in March and April before the summer season pushes them up. Easter is a popular domestic travel period, so accommodation books up quickly around that time.
What to pack: A waterproof jacket, mid-layer fleece or light down jacket, comfortable walking shoes or light hiking boots (mud and slush in March–April), a light jumper for evenings in May, sunglasses (the low spring sun is surprisingly bright), and a compact umbrella.
☀️ Summer (June – August)
This is the peak season and the reason many visitors choose Finland in the first place. The summer solstice brings almost continuous daylight to Helsinki — around 19 hours — and the archipelago, with its 330 islands, is at its most accessible by ferry and kayak. The city empties slightly as Finns retreat to their lakeside summer cottages, but Helsinki’s outdoor spaces, food markets, and festival calendar are busiest. The Midsummer (Juhannus) festival in late June is a major national event, and the sea fortresses of Suomenlinna are at their best under blue skies.
Temperatures typically sit between 20–25°C, occasionally pushing to 30°C in July. Rain is possible throughout but rarely ruins a day. Accommodation prices are at their highest in July, and popular attractions such as Suomenlinna can be crowded on summer weekends. It is worth booking well in advance. Mosquitoes become an issue in forested and lakeside areas from late June onwards.
What to pack: Light clothing (t-shirts, linen shirts, shorts or light trousers), a waterproof layer for showers, comfortable walking shoes or sandals, sunscreen (the sun angle is low but persistent), insect repellent for forested or rural areas, sunglasses, and a sleep mask — it does not get dark enough to sleep comfortably without one.
🍂 Autumn (September – November)
Autumn is arguably the most underrated season in Southern Finland. September is warm by Nordic standards (typically 12–17°C), the light is golden and long, and the foliage — birch, rowan, and aspen — turns extraordinary shades of amber and red. The Finnish concept of ruska, or autumn colour, is typically associated with Lapland, but the forests and national parks around Helsinki, particularly Nuuksio, are genuinely beautiful in September and October.
September is excellent across the board: good weather, low crowds, reasonable prices, and the mushroom and berry foraging season in full swing. October turns cooler and wetter; grey days predominate by November, and the first frosts arrive. That said, November has its own quiet charm, particularly for those interested in Finnish culture, food, and design rather than outdoor pursuits. Prices are low and the city’s cultural calendar picks up considerably as winter sets in.
What to pack: A warm waterproof jacket (essential by October), mid-layers and jumpers, waterproof walking boots, comfortable trousers, a hat and gloves for October and November, and a small daypack for foraging walks in September. Layers remain the guiding principle.
📊 Summary Table
🏆 Overall Best Time to Visit
For most visitors, late May to early September represents the sweet spot — specifically June and the first half of September if you want to avoid the peak July crowds while still enjoying long, warm days and the full vibrancy of the Finnish outdoor season. Late May offers blossom and birdsong with pleasant temperatures, good value accommodation, and a city that feels fresh and unhurried. Early September combines the best of summer (warmth, long evenings, the archipelago still accessible) with the beginning of the golden foliage season and quieter streets. That said, those who enjoy winter cities, sauna culture, and the drama of snow and ice will find January and February deeply rewarding in a completely different way. Southern Finland has no genuinely bad season — only different reasons to visit.
Getting around Helsinki
Helsinki has an excellent public transport system (HSL) comprising bus, tram, metro, commuter train and ferry services. With a single ticket you can hop aboard trams, buses, the metro and even the municipal ferry to Suomenlinna. You can even change from one mode of transport to another as long as your ticket is still valid. Single tickets can be purchased using the HSL mobile app or from HSL ticket machines, R-kiosks and other HSL sales points.
A day ticket is handy if you plan to make several journeys during one day or several days. You can buy a ticket for 1–13 days. Day tickets can be purchased using the HSL mobile app or from HSL ticket machines and sales points in Helsinki Central Station. Other sales points include R-kiosks and many shops. One-day tickets (24 hours) can be purchased also from HSL ticket machines; these tickets are printed out and valid immediately upon payment.
The HSL public transport region is divided into four zones identified by the letters A, B, C and D starting from the city centre. Purchase a ticket for all the zones in which you plan to travel. If you plan to travel in zones A, B and C, you will need an AB, BC or ABC ticket, as there are no one-zone tickets for zones A, B and C. The online Journey Planner notifies which ticket you need together with the search results.
Helsinki Card holders can travel free of charge on public transportation depending on their card within zones A/ B or A/B/C.
Walking
Helsinki is a compact city that is easy to explore on foot, as most of the sights are within walking distance. Even in the busy city centre, you are never far away from green areas and the sea.
By bike
Cycling is a fast and easy way of getting around Helsinki. A popular route is the Baana pedestrian and cycling corridor that runs through the centre of Helsinki along a stretch of disused railway line. Baana is part of an impressive 1200-kilometre network of bike paths in Helsinki that makes it easy to get from the Keskuspuisto “Central Park” to the north to the ferry terminals to the south, and from the bustling city centre to the quiet fields and forests in the surrounding countryside – even to the islands of the archipelago.
City bikes
City bikes are a popular and convenient way of getting around the city in summertime. In 2023, there were no less than 4 600 yellow city bikes available in Helsinki and Espoo. The city bike season will continue until the end of October.
By tram
Trams are a convenient way of getting around the city centre. Tram 2 is the traditional sightseeing route, as it passes many points of interest along the way. You can also change into tram 3 at Eläintarha or Auroran sairaala stop and return to the city centre. Other tram routes that are good for sightseeing include 4, which passes many architectural gems, and 6, which is perfect if you are interested in design. Carry a route map with you to help locate all the stops and points of interest.
Single tickets and day tickets can be purchased using the HSL mobile app or from HSL ticket machines, R-kiosks and many other sales points cannot be purchased from the driver on trams. Helsinki Card holders can travel free of charge on all trams.
By metro
Helsinki’s metro network operates from the city centre to Espoo (M1 Kivenlahti/M2 Tapiola) and East Helsinki (M1 Vuosaari/M2 Mellunmäki). To travel from end to end (Kivenlahti to Mellunmäki, the world’s northernmost metro station) you will need an ABC ticket, and the journey takes about 49 minutes. The metro is also a convenient way to get out of the busy city centre and into nature.
Single tickets and day tickets can be purchased using the HSL mobile app or from HSL ticket machines, R-kiosks and many other sales points throughout the city. Helsinki Card holders can travel free of charge on the metro.
By train
Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) operates commuter train services throughout the metropolitan area. Commuter trains depart from and arrive at Helsinki Central Station. Commuter trains are a convenient way to get to Pasila, for example, where Hartwall Arena and the Messukeskus Expo and Convention Centre are located. You can also get to the tranquillity of Rhododendron Park (Alppiruusupuisto) in the Haaga district very quickly by commuter train (A, E, U or P).
Single tickets and day tickets can be purchased using the HSL mobile app or from HSL ticket machines, R-kiosks and many other sales pointsThis link opens in a new browser tab. throughout the city. Tickets cannot be purchased onboard commuter trains. Helsinki Card holders can travel free of charge on all commuter trains.
Trains to the airport
Commuter trains I and P are a fast and convenient way of travelling between the city centre and the airport. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. From the train station at Helsinki Airport, you can walk directly to your terminal without having to go outside. To get to or from the airport, you will need an ABC ticket.
Eating out for vegans in Helsinki
The range of vegan food in Helsinki’s eateries is impressive and expanding all the time. Numerous completely vegan restaurants and cafés can be found throughout the city, making it easy and convenient for those who want to enjoy vegan food without having to ask and check first.
Brindavan & Bhajan Café
Brindavan & Bhajan Café serves a generous buffet that invites you to savour an Indian-inspired lunch. Choose from a light and fresh selection of salads and spreads, or you can enjoy a hearty lunch with baked potatoes and stews – and everything in between! The price is determined by weight. The flavours vary from mild to fiery, so there is something for everyone in the wide selection.
Kumpulantie 1, Vallila
Bun2Bun hamburgers
That’s right, 100% vegan hamburgers! Bun2Bun has served only vegan burgers since 2018, resulting in a veritable stampede of customers. The restaurant is lcocated on Vaasankatu, where the aforementioned vegan boom began in Helsinki. In addition to the classics, the menu includes spicier originals and specials.
Vaasankatu 13, Kallio
Junk y Vegan
Describing itself unashamedly as a “junk food restaurant”, Junk y Vegan opened near Helsinki Central Station in 2021. It got its inspiration from the unique Finnish phenomenon of “chips and beer vegans”, which encourages people to enjoy good vegan food without worrying about how healthy it is. In addition to burgers, the bar restaurant also serves smaller portions, flatbreads, bowls and a variety of sweets.
Postikuja 2, Kluuvi
Rakastan
Rakastan is an absolute must for visitors in particular, as this café in the heart of the city serves vegan versions of a traditional Finnish delicacy, Karelian pies, filled with potatoes or barley. On top of the pies, you can choose “egg butter”, a favourite among Finns, fish roe and onion in the Swedish style, or pickles with syrup in the Slavic style. The café also serves soup lunches and pastries, and on weekend evenings you can enjoy Finnish tapas with wine. The milieu is beautiful and exudes history.
Mannerheimintie 13B, Etu-Töölö
Magu
Favouring seasonal ingredients and local food, Magu is a laid-back fine dining restaurant that invites everyone to try its exquisite cuisine. There is an extensive tasting menu and a smaller set menu, as well as a wine menu paired with both. The vegan dishes combine influences from around the world.
Korkeavuorenkatu 27
Round
These Americana-inspired cafés in the Punavuori and Kallio districts serve delicious vegan donuts with a variety of fillings. The Round café in Punavuori has the feel of a traditional diner, while the Round café in Kallio is more artisanal. In September 2022, Round announced that it was expanding its offerings to include bagels and breakfasts.
Kaivokatu 1, Kluuvi
Iso Roobertinkatu 16, Punavuori
Helsinginkatu 15, Kallio
Thai Vegan Kitchen and Peace Kitchen
Thai Vegan Kitchen, known originally for its legendary street food, has successfully maintained this spirit in its restaurant and positively exudes a desire to promote the cause of vegan food. In addition to the daily specials, you can enjoy a wide and varied selection of traditional Thai delicacies, as well as samples from other East Asian cuisines. Here you can familiarise yourself with a versatile selection of vegetable proteins, and the flavouring of the dishes is really skilful. Its sister restaurant Peace Kitchen in Punavuori specialises in noodles!
Where to stay in Helsinki
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hotel Kämp
Hotel Kämp is Helsinki’s grande dame — the most storied and prestigious hotel in Finland, and one of the great classic hotels of northern Europe. Originally opened in 1887 on Esplanadi, the city’s most elegant boulevard, it was for decades the meeting place of Finnish artists, politicians and intellectuals, and Jean Sibelius himself was a regular in the bar. After a complete renovation in the 1990s, it reopened as a five-star luxury hotel that manages the considerable trick of feeling genuinely historic without feeling tired or fusty. The rooms are large, beautifully furnished and very comfortable, with the kind of deep mattresses and proper blackout curtains that make sleeping in a hotel a genuine pleasure rather than a compromise. The lobby is magnificent — marble floors, ornate plasterwork, the kind of grandeur that makes you stand up a little straighter when you walk through the door. The spa is excellent, the restaurant is one of the better ones in Helsinki, and the bar is exactly the place to sit with a glass of something Scandinavian and feel that all is right with the world.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hotel Fabian
Hotel Fabian is a quietly excellent boutique hotel in the Design District, a short walk from the market square and the main sights. It occupies a nineteenth-century building on a handsome street and delivers a level of thoughtful, understated hospitality that larger hotels rarely manage. The rooms are individually designed and furnished with considerable care — good materials, decent art on the walls, proper bedside lighting — and the beds are genuinely comfortable, which is more than you can say for every hotel in this price range. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable without being fussy about it, and the breakfast is a cut above average. It is the kind of hotel that you stop noticing after the first ten minutes because everything simply works as it should, which is exactly what you want. The location is excellent — central enough that most things are walkable, but on a relatively quiet street that allows for actual sleep. We would go back without hesitation, which is probably the most useful thing I can say about any hotel.
⭐⭐⭐Citybox Helsinki
Citybox Helsinki is a smart, well-run Scandinavian budget-boutique hotel that has garnered an impressive number of reviews for good reason — it offers clean, modern accommodation at prices that feel almost reasonable by Helsinki standards, which is an achievement in itself. The rooms are small but efficiently designed and stylishly put together, with everything you actually need and nothing you don’t. Check-in is largely self-service, which suits the independent traveller who doesn’t particularly want a lengthy conversation after a long journey. The location is central and the tram network makes getting around straightforward from here. It is not a hotel for long conversations with the concierge or lingering breakfasts — it is a hotel for people who want a comfortable, well-located base and would prefer not to spend a small fortune on the privilege. At that job, it excels. The number of reviews it has accumulated speaks to a consistent experience that people are happy to recommend, and consistency is an underrated virtue in a hotel.
⭐⭐Hobo Helsinki
Hobo Helsinki is one of those budget hotels that makes you reconsider your assumptions about what budget accommodation can be. Opened in 2016 and aimed squarely at younger, design-conscious travellers, it offers compact but carefully thought-out rooms in a converted building in the Design District, with a visual identity and attention to detail that you would more usually expect at twice the price. The rooms are small but good-looking, with considered design touches and decent bathrooms. The common areas have a lively, social atmosphere, and there is a decent bar on site for those evenings when you can’t face venturing back out into the Finnish cold. The beds are comfortable, the location is good and the whole operation has a lightness of touch that makes it pleasant to stay in. It is not fancy, and it doesn’t pretend to be, but it is notably better than the category usually delivers, and the reviews bear that out. For budget travel in an expensive city, it is a very good option.
Hostel Diana Park
Hostel Diana Park is by some distance the most reviewed hostel in Helsinki, which is a reasonable indicator that it is doing something right. Located in the Kamppi district, within easy walking distance of the main sights and the Design District, it occupies a central position and delivers the kind of reliable, clean and sociable experience that budget travellers are actually looking for. Dormitory beds are well-maintained and there are private rooms available for those who prefer a door they can close. The staff are friendly and genuinely knowledgeable about the city, and the common areas have the relaxed atmosphere of a place that gets a good mix of international travellers passing through. Helsinki is an expensive city by any standard, and a well-run hostel like this one makes an enormous practical difference to whether a trip here is affordable or not. It is not glamorous, but it is genuinely good at what it does, and in Helsinki’s hostel market, that counts for a great deal.
More to Explore
