{ "city_report": { "@appeal_score": "70.4", "@region": "northern", "metadata": { "title": "Helsinki", "name_it": "Helsinki", "flag": "🇫🇮", "source_url": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Helsinki" }, "indicators": { "hotel_count": "10", "hotel_price": "150.78", "safety": { "@index_score": "76.8" }, "environment": { "@green_score": "90" }, "cost_index": { "@value": "81.5" }, "economic_accessibility": { "@score": "18.5" } }, "transport": { "b": [ "Helsinki", "Helsinki" ], "#text": "Getting in is easy as almost all local bus and rail lines end in or pass through the city centre, or at least enable you to get to central with just one change, like the buses connecting to metro stations in the eastern suburbs. Moreover the Central Station is here, the bus station in Kamppi about 500 m from the same and the passenger ports (except Vuosaari) are not far away." }, "accommodation": { "hotel": [ { "name": "Best Western Hotel Carlton", "price": "Prezzo N/D" }, { "name": "Cumulus Kaisaniemi", "price": "From €83 off season" }, { "name": "Hobo Hotel", "price": "Prezzo N/D" }, { "name": "Hotel Arthur", "price": "Prezzo N/D" }, { "name": "Hotel Kämp", "price": "Rooms from €120" } ] }, "highlights": { "attraction": [ { "@lat": "60.1702", "@lon": "24.9522", "name": "Helsinki Cathedral", "description": "Evangelical Lutheran cathedral and iconic city landmark." }, { "@lat": "60.1453", "@lon": "24.9888", "name": "Suomenlinna", "description": "UNESCO sea fortress located on a cluster of islands." }, { "@lat": "60.1731", "@lon": "24.9303", "name": "Temppeliaukio Church", "description": "Unique church excavated directly into solid rock." }, { "@lat": "60.1675", "@lon": "24.9542", "name": "Market Square", "description": "Central square hosting food markets and events." }, { "@lat": "60.1821", "@lon": "24.9135", "name": "Sibelius Monument", "description": "Abstract sculpture dedicated to composer Jean Sibelius." }, { "@lat": "60.1686", "@lon": "24.9602", "name": "Uspenski Cathedral", "description": "Eastern Orthodox cathedral with golden onion domes." }, { "@lat": "60.1825", "@lon": "24.8847", "name": "Seurasaari", "description": "Open-air museum on a beautiful forested island." }, { "@lat": "60.17", "@lon": "24.9441", "name": "Ateneum", "description": "Museum housing the biggest collection of art in Finland." }, { "@lat": "60.1704", "@lon": "24.9362", "name": "Amos Rex", "description": "Contemporary art museum with iconic underground skylights." }, { "@lat": "60.1513", "@lon": "24.9303", "name": "Löyly", "description": "Modern public sauna and restaurant on the waterfront." } ] }, "districts": { "district": [ { "name": "Central", "description": "Central Helsinki consists of the central parts of Helsinki east of Mannerheimintie, south of Pitkäsilta, west of Unioninkatu and north of Esplanadi; in short the commercial downtown. This is undoubtedly the liveliest part of Helsinki and much of what a visitor would like to see and experience is located in central Helsinki or — while in other districts — just a few hundred metres away. Here you can find the Central Railway Station with its surroundings; the art museums of Ateneum and Kiasma with the statue of Marshal Mannerheim in the front of the latter, modern architecture like the Oodi library, Sanomatalo and the Citycenter mall also known as the \"Sausage house\". One block south is Aleksanterinkatu, which together with its side streets make up Helsinki's main shopping area with small shops and department stores. And still one block south is Esplanadinpuisto, the Esplanade park that is very popular in the summer. The area also offers plenty of alternatives for eating and drinking, and some cultural venues. Getting in is easy as almost all local bus and rail lines end in or pass through the city centre, or at least enable you to get to central Helsinki with just one change, like the buses connecting to metro stations in the eastern suburbs. Moreover the is here, the bus station in Kamppi about 500 m from the same and the passenger ports (except Vuosaari) are not far away. If arriving by plane, you can get to the central railway station by the I or P trains going on the new Ring Rail Line, alternatively you can take bus 615 or a taxi. Getting around the centre is probably easiest by foot or by bike. If you don't feel like walking, though, you can always use the metro or the trams provided you have a valid ticket. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* From the and the you have a quite nice view of the city. Of course they aren't as high as the Empire State Building or even the Olympic Stadium Tower but entrance to both are free. * \n* * \n* \n* Performances are mostly either in Finnish or Swedish. The city theatre (Kaupunginteatteri, Finnish) is in Kallio to the north, across Eläintarhanlahti. * \n* Helsinki's main shopping drag is Aleksanterinkatu (Aleksi), which runs from the Senate Square (Senaatintori) to Mannerheimintie. On Aleksi you can find plenty of shops and the largest department store in Scandinavia, Stockmann, which is definitely worth a visit. The parallel Esplanadi boulevards have specialist and generally very expensive boutiques. Access to the area is easy, as trams 2, 4 and 7 all run down Aleksanterinkatu, and the area is near the Central Railway Station and Kaisaniemi metro stations. Close by, in the Kamppi area, you can find the shopping centres Kamppi and Forum and the department store Sokos. Large shopping malls can be found in the suburbs and accessed by public transport from the Central Railway Station." }, { "name": "West", "description": "Western Helsinki comprises the parts Helsinki that are west of the railway, northwest of Baana and all the way past Munkkiniemi and Munkkivuori shopping mall up to the Haaga roundabout. Choosing the right form of transportation very much depends on which part of this city district you want to visit. For the northern parts, many buses from central Helsinki to western Vantaa and northern Espoo travel along Mannerheimintie. So do the trams 4 which goes all the way to Munkkiniemi and 10 which goes to Pikku-Huopalahti. If you are going in the direction of Seurasaari or the Sibelius monument, bus 24 brings you there. Tram 2 takes you to Töölö. From the Inner East, trams 8 and 9 connect you with most of the central western and southwestern Helsinki and the circular lines 3 (changes to 2 on the way) and 7 connect Pasila with Töölö. One option to get to the Lehtisaari and Kuusisaari islands on the western edge of Helsinki is to take the Helsinki Metro to Keilaniemi metro station in Espoo and then walk or ride a bike across the Otaniemensilta bridge to Lehtisaari. The westernmost metro stations in Helsinki (Koivusaari and Lauttasaari) are located further away. Highway 1 and the older Highway 110 from Turku end in Western Helsinki, and Highway 3 from Tampere turns into Mannerheimintie here. Finnair's airport bus from Helsinki Airport stops at Scandic Continental on Mannerheimintie on its way to the city centre. If coming by train, Pasila Railway Station serves this part of the city and all trains to Helsinki, both local and long-distance, except the Allegro service from St. Petersburg, stop there too. Töölö, both Etu-Töölö and Taka-Töölö districts, are great places to see functionalist architecture. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* * \n* Helsinki is an Olympic city, the host of the 1952 Olympic Games. The Games were planned for 1940, but due to the Second World War, they were postponed. Burdened by the post-war shortages and the war reparations that had to be paid, arranging the Olympic games just eight years after the war was quite a feat. In the same year 1952, a month before Helsinki Olympics\nArmi Kuusela won the very first Miss Universe pageant, another thing for Finns to be proud of. * \n** *A seaside stroll in Helsinki * \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* * \n* * * * * \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * * \n* \n* * \n* \n* Wireless internet can be used in some of the branches of the city library (for example Töölö library, Topeliuksenkatu 6). Also some cafés (Picnic), restaurants and fast food chains (McDonald's) offer wireless internet connections. * Espoo\n* Southwestern Helsinki" }, { "name": "Inner East", "description": "Inner East comprises the parts of Helsinki east of the railway, north of Pitkäsilta, south of freeways 4 and 45 and west of Kulosaari. In this part of the city you can see districts of old wooden houses and postmodern, blocky concrete districts built as the \"city districts of the future\" in the 1970s. Most buses to and from the eastern parts of Vantaa (including the airport bus 615 to the city centre) and north-eastern Helsinki drive along Hämeentie, the major artery of this district. Trams 1, 3, 6, 7 and 9 as well as the Metro (get off at Hakaniemi, Sörnäinen or Kalasatama) all bring you to the Inner east from the city centre. From Western Helsinki, catch tram 2 or 8 from Töölö or tram 6, 7 or 9 from the south-west. Motorways 4 from Lahti and 45 from Tuusula enter Helsinki here, as does highway 170 from Porvoo. If coming by train, serve the Inner East and all trains to Helsinki, both local and long-distance. The old wooden houses are found in parts of (take tram 1 or 1A to its northern terminus) and (in the area between Sturenkatu, Teollisuuskatu, Hämeentie and Päijänteentie). The blocky concrete districts are fpund in (east of Pasila railway station) and (east of Hakaniemi). * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* ]] * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n** \n* * \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* * \n* \n* Adjacent to the Pasila railway station is the Tripla shopping mall, as it's west of the railway it is listed in Helsinki/West. * * \n* \n* * \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * * \n* \n* \n* Drinking in Helsinki (and in Finland generally) is relatively expensive, wherefore the Kallio district with its lower prices in pubs and bars has established itself as a party district. There are lots of pubs to choose from, just walk along the parallel running Helsinginkatu or Vaasankatu; the latter one was partly changed into a pedestrian zone in summer 2013. You can reach Kallio from the centre by walking, by tram (lines 1, 3, 6 or 7B) or by metro (get off at Hakaniemi and walk uphill, or Sörnäinen, and head west). Nearly all bars in Kallio have to close at the latest at 02:00, whereas in city centre there are many that are open until 04:00, reinforcing Kallio's status as a 'party district'. * \n* \n*\n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n*\n* * * \n* \n* * \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* * \n* The Kallio area is generally a bit rougher than the rest of the city and is as close as Helsinki gets to a red light district. However, it is a lot more tame than most 'such parts of town' in Europe. You will be fine there at any hour as long as you look out not to get in between a fight of two drunkards about who the remaining vodka belongs to. * Helsinki's central\n* Helsinki's eastern suburbs\n* Linnanmäki" }, { "name": "Eastern suburbs", "description": "Helsinki's Eastern Suburbs are the easternmost part of Helsinki. The most convenient mode of public transportation from the city center is the metro – actually most of Helsinki's metro stations are located here. Alternatively you can take the bus. From the airport, bus 561 brings you to Itäkeskus, the main public transportation hub of Eastern Helsinki. If you are driving, highway 170 from Porvoo via Sipoo goes right through the area, and the eastern ends of the ring roads are located here. The ferries from Germany nowadays dock at Vuosaari harbor, which is located in eastern Helsinki. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n*\n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * * \n* \n* * There are plenty of fast food joints in the area, both McDonald's and its Finnish competitor have a few places here. You usually don't have to travel far to find some place making pizza or kebabs which can be enjoyed with a soft drink or a beer for under €10.\n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* Like most cities, suburbs aren't the place to find an abundance of restaurants. Your choice in the mid-range section are pretty much the restaurants of the shopping malls, some pubs that happen to serve food plus the ordinary Chinese, Thai and Middle Eastern restaurants which might be very good value for your money. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* Most suburbs have a shady local pub or two where you can get a cheap pint and some drinks. If you want something more hip, head west.\n over Vuosaari]] * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * * * \n* \n* * Free Wi-Fi is available in the Itis shopping center, some fast food joints, public libraries and the metro. * Helsinki's inner east\n* Helsinki's northern suburbs\n* Sipoo" }, { "name": "Northern suburbs", "description": "Helsinki's northern suburbs are the northernmost part of Helsinki and form the continuum between Vantaa and more central parts of Helsinki. Here, this is defined as northwest of motorway 4 and north of Käpylä, Hakamäentie and Haaga roundabout; in other words north of the tram line termini. Like much of the peripheral Capital Region it's dominated by apartment buildings, industrial areas and a couple of malls but no major attractions are located here. Still, if you're a fan of outdoor activities like running or biking you might be interested in Helsinki's own \"Central Park\". You can get in from elsewhere in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa by local trains and local buses. See Journey Planner or Google Maps for routes and schedules. One notable bus route is the 550, known as Jokeri, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line. As of 2023, it was replaced by a light rail line, Raide-Jokeri (tram line 15). If coming by intercity train from the north or east and are going to somewhere in northeastern Helsinki, get off in Tikkurila and take a local train to your destination. Also, the trains from the () along the Ring Line stops at many suburbs. One of the most significant traffic points in northern Helsinki, , is located along the railway line between the center of Helsinki and Tikkurila, in the immediate vicinity of many commercial services. Helsinki's general aviation airport Malmi is located in northern Helsinki. Roads leading north from Helsinki, i.e. highways and freeways 120, 3, 130, 45 and 4 go through the northern suburbs. The first ring road (Kehä I), numbered 101, is the main east-western road in northern Helsinki. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * Northern Helsinki has some large and mid-sized shopping malls with dozens of different shops and places to eat and drink. * \n* \n* \n* In addition to these, many districts have smaller \"shopping malls\" usually consisting of a supermarket, a local pub/restaurant or two, perhaps a barber shop and a pharmacy and some other business. * \n* \n* The shopping centres in the district usually have a few cafés and restaurants where you can have a budget or mid-range meal during the day. In the evening you don't have to travel far to find a fast food joint or a Chinese or Middle Eastern restaurant. Self-catering is also an option. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* * \n* \n* * \n* \n* \n* Most suburbs have a pub or two. If you want something fancier, head to central Helsinki, that's what the locals do. * \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* \n* Northern Helsinki is likely the least touristy part of the city but does have a couple of hotels, moreover Airbnb accommodation may be available if you wish to stay overnight here. For a bigger selection of official hotels, head to another district or to Vantaa. * \n* \n* * In emergencies, . This includes social services, although for non-urgent matters you could contact the social services directly. * Helsinki's eastern suburbs\n* Vantaa" } ] }, "description": { "b": "Helsinki", "#text": "Pioneer of the 'Smart City' concept, integrates nature into the urban fabric with impressive fluidity. Its public data management and safety place it at the top of every quality-of-life ranking." }, "wiki_intro": { "b": [ "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki", "Helsinki" ], "link": [ { "@href": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Swedish_phrasebook", "#text": "Swedish" }, { "@href": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Finland", "#text": "Finland" }, { "@href": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea", "#text": "Baltic Sea" } ], "i": "Senaatintori", "#text": "(: Helsingfors) is 's capital and largest city. combines modern and historic architectural styles with beautiful open spaces. The city is surrounded by hundreds of tiny islands, and is a cultural bridge between the East and West. The \"Pearl of the \" is easy to explore on foot or on bike, and it has a laid-back vibe. The city of forms the core of Finland's largest urban area, known in Finnish as the \"capital area\" (pääkaupunkiseutu). is bordered by the Gulf of Finland to the south, while the posh suburban city of Espoo, with the embedded tiny enclave city of Kauniainen, is to the west. The more industrialized city of Vantaa (where the airport is) is to the north and east. The Capital Region has a population of about 1.2 million, 650,000 of them living in proper. Beyond these, the suburbs rapidly give way to small towns, farms and forests, most notably Nuuksio National Park at the intersection of Espoo, Vihti and Kirkkonummi. On the eastern side, at the tri-point of , Vantaa and Sipoo you can find the Sipoonkorpi National Park. 's city centre is on the southern peninsula at the end of the city's main thoroughfare Mannerheimintie (or just Mansku). The central railway station and the main bus terminal are in the city centre. Shopping streets Aleksanterinkatu (or Aleksi for short) and Esplanadi (or Espa) connect to Senate Square (), the historical centre of the city. See the Helsinki Guide Map for an interactive searchable map of the city. was established as a trading town by the Swedish Empire in 1550, but it wasn't until 1812, when the Russian Empire made it the capital of Finland, that it started growing. Today, this hustling and bustling city has 690,000 inhabitants and the capital area 1.36 million (2025). It is the northernmost capital of an EU member state. metro is the northernmost subway in the world. was founded in AD 1550 by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden, of which Finland was the eastern part, as a trading post to compete with Tallinn to the south in Estonia, which was Danish at that time." }, "landmark_image": "assets/images/helsinki.jpg", "nightlife": { "venue": [ { "@lat": "60.1677068", "@lon": "24.9363589", "@category": "nightclub", "name": "Alcatraz Club" }, { "@lat": "60.1625836", "@lon": "24.9143167", "@category": "pub", "name": "Amsterdam" }, { "@lat": "60.1672061", "@lon": "24.9366771", "@category": "pub", "name": "Anna.K" }, { "@lat": "60.19261", "@lon": "24.9612206", "@category": "pub", "name": "Backas Bar" }, { "@lat": "60.1952162", "@lon": "24.8999173", "@category": "pub", "name": "Bar 36" }, { "@lat": "60.1715906", "@lon": "24.9463852", "@category": "pub", "name": "Bar Chaplin" }, { "@lat": "60.1719895", "@lon": "24.9204769", "@category": "bar", "name": "Bar Favela" }, { "@lat": "60.2296028", "@lon": "24.896449", "@category": "pub", "name": "Bar Keskari" } ] } } }