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Helsinki

 
 
Helsinki - the capital of Finland
 
Helsinki, "the white daughter of the Baltic Sea" , is the northernmost national capital on European continent. There are 315 islands, 70 museums and 750 restaurants in Helsinki. There are 555 481 inhabitants in Helsinki (in the metropolitan area 1.2 million).
 
The new market town Helsinki was founded in 1550. It became the capital in 1812. The first Finnish railroad was built from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna in 1862. The 15th Olympic Games were held in Helsinki in 1952.
 
Helsinki has got many international awards: the 5th best city in the whole world, the best Scandinavian travel destination 2005, Dream World Cruise Destination with the best tour guides & the most improved destination.
 
Tip: Walk along Korkeavuorenkatu street and you will see very beautiful buildings: e.g. Erottaja fire station (address Korkeavuorenkatu 26, built in 1891, designed by architect Theodor Höijer, perhaps the most beautiful fire station in Europe), Design Museum (address Korkeavuorenkatu 23, http://www.designmuseum.fi) and St. John's Church (Johanneksen kirkko, address Korkeavuorenkatu 12, built in 1888-1891). 
 
For details how to get from the Helsinki-Vantaa international airport to the city see our category Traveling, please.
 
Accommodation: See our category accommodation, please.
 
Shopping: Scandinavia's largest shopping center called Itäkeskus with 190 shops and 27 restaurants is in Helsinki. Only 10 minutes by metro (subway) from the city centre. By car ten kilometers east of downtown along the Itäväylä highway. See also our category Souvenirs, please.
 
General information
 
City of Helsinki: http://www.hel.fi/english/
 
Capital & University City: http://www.helsinki.fi/en/
 
 
 
 
Helsinki Arounder: http://helsinki.arounder.com
 
 
Helsinki Gallery by Friday VanTassel: http://www.geocities.com/ikkuna_prinsessa/gallery.html
 
 
 
Search addresses & maps: http://kartta.hel.fi/
 
"Welcome to Helsinki" by Friday VanTassel: http://www.geocities.com/ikkuna_prinsessa
 
Sightseeing, events & activities
 
Aerohot (hot-air balloon flights): http://www.aerohot.fi
 
Amos Anderson Art Museum (address Yrjönkatu 27): http://www.amosanderson.fi
 
Arabia's Museum (history of Arabia porcelain factory, factory's retail shop, address Hämeentie 135): http://www.arabia.fi
 
Automobile and Motor Racing Museum (address Töölönkatu 51 B): http://www.moottoriurheilumuseo.fi
 
 
BizarreOne (guiding services especially for young people, fantasy tours, rent a party guide, visit a Finnish home or sauna, shopping with Santa, ice-fishing): http://www.bizarreone.fi
 
Cable Factory (the biggest cultural centre in the Nordic countries): http://www.kaapeli.fi/~cable
 
 
Design Forum Finland (address Mannerheiminaukio 3): http://www.designforum.fi
 
 
Finlandiapark (arts, culture, events, recreation): http://www.finlandiapuisto.fi/index2.phtml?page_id=1042&navi_id=1042
 
Finnish Museum of Natural History: http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi
 
 
 
Gardenia (tropical garden): http://www.gardenia-helsinki.fi
 
Guided tours to Finnish architecture: http://www.archtours.fi
 
Helsinki Card (your key to Helsinki with almost 100 benefits including free travel on public transport, free admittance to 43 museums and main sights, free boat trips to the Zoo and Suomenlinna sea fortress etc.): http://www.helsinkiexpert.fi
 
Helsinki Expert (city tour guidance in English, Finnish, French, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, German, Italian, Russian and Lingua Latina, half-day tours to old wooden town of Porvoo, Finnish lakes and forests, the home of the composer Jean Sibelius and Fiskars ironworks village, one day tours to Tallinn in Estonia, city packages to St. Petersburg in Russia, also "Helsinki this week" PDF magazine): http://www.helsinkiexpert.com/ (the old site at http://www.helsinkiexpert.fi/index_english.html)
 
 
Helsinki For You Tours (very good!): http://www.helsinkiforyou.com
 
Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (timetables, travel card etc.): http://www.ytv.fi/eng
 
 
 
IHA-Lines (archipelago cruises, guidance on request in six languages): http://www.ihalines.fi
 
Kaikuva Tours: http://www.kaikuva.fi
 
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art (address Mannerheiminaukio 2): http://www.kiasma.fi
 
 
Linnanmäki Amusement Park: http://www.linnanmaki.fi
 
Museum of Art and Design (address Korkeavuorenkatu 23): http://www.designmuseum.fi
 
 
Nuuksio National Park: http://www.outdoors.fi/nuuksionp
 
Open Top Tours (Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours on open top double decked buses): http://www.stromma.se/en/sightseeing/helsingfors/
 
Port of Helsinki (cruises to archipelago, Tallinn in Estonia, Stockholm in Sweden etc.): http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/english/
 
Railcar to Porvoo (relax on a genuine Finnish railcar of the late 50's, enjoy the beautiful scenery during the trip to the old wooden town of Porvoo, spend about five hours in this charming medieval town): http://helsinkiww.net/pmr/
 
Royal Line (Helsinki by sea): http://www.royalline.fi/english/english.html
 
Rudolf's City Experience: http://www.rudolfcity.com
 
 
See Finland (nature trips): http://www.seefinland.com
 
Serena (the biggest indoor water amusement park in Europe, many kind of  waterslides, even 140 meters long, pools, saunas etc., also a large outdoor section, open every day, 20 kilometers from Helsinki): http://www.serena.fi
 
Sun Lines (Helsinki archipelago): http://www.sunlines.fi/en/home.html
 
Suomenlinna Island Fortress (the island fortress no visitor to Helsinki should miss, included in the list of World Heritage Sites of the United Nations, the biggest sea fortress in Scandinavia and one of the largest in the world, founded in 1748, many museums, beaches for swimming, a wonderful "Suomenlinna Experience" multi-image show, guided tours, boats from the Market Square): http://www.suomenlinna.fi and  http://finland.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=162945&contentlan=2&culture=en-US and http://www.suomenlinnatours.com/frontpage
 
Swimming (pools) & other sports: http://www.hel2.fi/liv/eng/pools.html
 
Taidehalli Exhibitions of Art (address Nervanderinkatu 3): http://www.taidehalli.fi/
 
Theatre Museum (Cable Factory, Tallberginkatu 1 G): http://www.teatterimuseo.fi/english/index.html
 
Top attractions (most of them are in Helsinki): http://sites.google.com/site/finlandtravelclub/top-sights
 
 
Tropicario - the Tropical Animal House: http://www.tropicario.com/eng/index.html
 
Uniq (the Arctic Icebar in the heart of the city of Helsinki, address Yliopistonkatu 5): http://www.helsinki360.fi/ravintolat/seurusteluravintolat/arctic_icebar/arctic_icebar.htm and http://www.labodega.fi/showPage.php?page_id=16
 
See our category Traveling for details about one day cruises to Tallinn, Estonia's beautiful capital! Passport needed!
 
Eating (restaurants)
 
See our category Food, please.
Towns near Helsinki 
 
Espoo (the studio-castle of Finland's national artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Nuuksio national park, the biggest indoor water amusement park in Europe, Family entertainment center Huimala, Villa Elfvik, the Garden Town of Tapiola etc.): http://www.visitespoo.fi/tourist_guide
 
Järvenpää (the home of Jean Sibelius): http://www.jarvenpaa.fi
 
Tuusula (the cultural town with many museums, cultural events etc.):  http://www.tuusulanrantatie.info/etusivu_eng.asp and http://www.tuusula.fi/english/
 
Vantaa (Heureka Science Centre, shopping centre Jumbo and many museums): http://www.vantaa.fi/en/i_etusivu.asp?path=110