Souvenirs

Souvenirs from Finland and shopping in Helsinki

Finland is famous for glass products (e.g. Iittala), Fiskars scissors, Marimekko products (clothes and tableware, shops on their webpage), Marttiini knives, reindeer products (made of reindeer bones, horns and skins), wood products etc.

Götan Maailma (Göta's World) is a special curio shop or an antique shop in Helsinki (address Tarkk'ampujankatu 4). It is specialized in scientific and medical antiques. All items are displayed with a very special way.

The downtown Helsinki is full of good shops. The best and the biggest department store is named Stockmann (address Aleksanterinkatu 52). It is one of the biggest department stores in the whole Scandinavia. Shopping Centre Kamppi is also highly recommended. Remember also visit Shopping Centre Jumbo near the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and airport hotels.

A moomin gift shop named Moomin Shop is situated at Forum (address Mannerheimintie 20). Visit also Galleria Esplanad (address Pohjoisesplanadi 33).

Luontokauppa ("Nature Shop", address Simonkatu 9, Simonkenttä, near the Helsinki Bus Station) is a very good shop. They sell products related to beautiful Finnish nature: t-shirts and college shirts with wonderful pictures, other clothes, nature voice cd's, special liquorice candies (lakritsi in Finnish), sauna products, nature books etc. You find some of these products at http://www.luontokauppa.com (in Finnish). The shop was founded by Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto (the Finnish Nature Conservation Society). The society's symbol (logo) is the Saimaa ringed seal. This seal lives only in Lake Saimaa - not anywhere else in the whole world. There are about 200 Saimaa seals in Lake Saimaa.

Visit also the Market Square at the Helsinki Harbour: Souvenirs, food (also Finnish specialities), flowers - almost everything. Boat cruises. The nearby Market Hall (Kauppahalli) is a nice old building where you can get very tasty delicacies.

Scandinavia's largest shopping center called Itis (former 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.

Design District offers many good shops, galleries, museums and restaurants.

Isonkarhun Kauppa (Big Bear's Shop) is the best Teddybear shop in Scandinavia (address: Urho Kekkosen katu 1, Kamppi Shopping Centre, Helsinki). Also a smaller shop with more special products and a Teddy Bear Hospital (teddy bear repair, address: Hämeentie 6, near the Hakaniemi Marketplace, Helsinki). Teddy Bear & Hobby Museum is usually open on Sundays (address: Hämeentie 34, Helsinki).

Indoor shopping village (the biggest retail centre in the Nordic countries!) named IdeaPark, "Finland's first roofed town", is situated in Lempäälä, between Helsinki and Tampere (near the city of Tampere, only 23 kilometers), and it is easily accessible by car. See all these: department stores, restaurants, sport shops, toy shops, furniture shops, Catwalk Square (fashion shops), Central Park, Old Town (small shops, art shops and restaurants), outlet shops, children's culture centre PiiPoo (the world's tallest teddy bear, activities) etc. There is also Fun Park (the largest indoor amusement park in Northern Europe, laser plays, the most modern simulator world in Europe) in IdeaPark: http://www.funpark.fi/. Remember also Koskikellujat (riverfloating, floating on ice, a sauna boat and Segways): http://www.koskikellujat.fi/in-english/.

Remember to buy salmiakki candies. Salmiakki (sal ammoniac) is one of the Finnish specialities. It is a salty licorice candy. Salmiakki is a black candy with a sweet and sour taste. You will either love it or hate it but remember to taste it!

Factory shops in Finland (children's goods, clothing, food, drink, footwear, furniture, furnishing, games, toys, gifts, glassware, ceramics, hobbies, home, garden, jewelry, cosmetics, pet accessories, sweets, tableware, textiles): http://www.tehtaanmyymalat.com/index_en.html

Famous boutiques in Helsinki:

Aste 90: http://www.aste90.fi

Boutique Kirsi Nisonen - Minna Parikka - Tiia Vanhatapio: http://www.minnaparikka.com, http://www.vanhatapio.fi

Hanna Sarén: http://www.hannasaren.com

Hundpark: http://www.hundpark.net

Ivana Helsinki: http://www.ivanahelsinki.com

KirsiLille: http://www.kirsilille.com

Lux Shop: http://www.lux-shop.fi

Miun: http://www.miun.fi

Myymälä2: http://www.myymala2.com

Nina's: http://www.ninas.fi

SECCO Wasteland Market Square: http://www.seccoshop.com and http://www.seccoshop.com/index.php?k=8425

Finnish designers:

Finnish designers: http://www.finnishdesigners.fi/

Design shop outlet: http://shop.designshopoutlet.com/

Fiskars Village:

(Photo: JariJK)

Fiskars Village: http://www.fiskarsvillage.fi/en