Helsinki Travel Guide with Finnair

 

We recently spent 2 days in Helsinki as a part of Finnair's Stopover Program, a no-additional-cost way to break up a long flight and spend up to 5 days in Finland. Whether you have a few hours or a few days to or from your final destination there's a lot to see in Helsinki and take advantage of this program. After a few days in Helsinki, we made our way further north to the Arctic Circle to Santa's hometown of Rovaniemi. Stay tuned for our YouTube video and blog post coming out soon covering what to see, do, and eat in Rovaniemi, but in the meantime, here's a quick glimpse into our trip and things to not miss while you're in Helsinki.

 

Helsinki Architecture

We stayed at Hotel St. George located right in the heart of Helsinki, perfect for wandering around the city. Whenever we travel to a new city we love to set aside a few hours to walk around and get a feel for the city. We didn't have to walk far to see all of the different styles and colors of Helsinki's architecture. Every turn was beautiful!

 

 

 

Löyly Sauna

The Finnish sauna is a tremendously important piece of Finnish culture and a must try while in Helsinki. The average Finnish household has a sauna. It's not luxury, but a necessity.  Löyly Sauna is not far from the city center. The sauna has both wood-fired and smoked and access to the sea, where you can swim year round (yes, even in the winter). Going from the extreme heat to the extreme cold felt invigorating and now we completely understand the appeal. Forgot a swimsuit? They have rentals available and admission to the sauna for 2 hours will only set you back 19 euro.

 

 

Senate Square

Probably the most Instagrammed spot in Helsinki, this Square is one of the main tourist attractions and the center of the city. Make sure to stop here to grab some beautiful photographs of and with the Helsinki Cathedral. This spot is also very close to Helsinki's Market Square on the water.

 

Where to Eat and Drink

Facing directly across from the Senate Square Cathedral is a cocktail bar and restaurant called Chapter. Definitely the coolest presentation of drinks we have seen and loved their focus on minimizing their carbon footprint. The entire meal was delicious and they were able to easily accommodate for food allergies, which is always a plus! If you know us, you also know we love coffee! We found two really cool cafes worth checking out - Café Regatta and KUUMA Helsinki.

Café Regatta is a small wooden hut that only serves filter coffee and is stuffed with vintage items from floor to ceiling. From pots and pans, paintings, and instruments it's a photographer's dream. They also serve great cinnamon buns and there's seating out along the water. We stumbled across KUUMA, a tiny and trendy cafe, and sat here during the afternoon. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and beautiful blue color!