Tourist advice needed: Helsinki

BlazeFire

I have the opportunity to go to Helsinki for a few days. I'm of course googling things to do there but I would love some recommendations from others who have been there. What should I make sure I see? Any suggestions on areas to stay?

BlindZenDriver

I haven't been there personally, but a friend of mine who went spoke highly about a museum covering WWII so if your interested in history and/or for that matter politics that should be on you list. Hint - it was pretty complicated with Russia being not only expansionist, but also changing side during the WWII.

Bliss 101

Oh hi, I live here. The most convenient areas to stay in are between the city center close-ish to the railway station, and the area called Kallio. Public transport in Helsinki is pretty good, you can use their website or phone app to figure out which tram or bus to catch to get where you want. Taxis are really expensive by most standards, but the drivers tend to be very familiar with the city so they're also a convenient way to move around if you don't mind the price.

There's a small island right next to Helsinki called Suomenlinna that is definitely worth a visit. It's an old Swedish/Russian fortress, and the entire island is full of old architecture and generally a really beautiful place for a day out. It's a short ferry drive, maybe 15 - 20 mins, and the ferries run constantly all day.

I would also visit the zoo. The animals are kept in good conditions, and the zoo participates in a bunch of breeding programs to save endangered species around the world, so they're well worth supporting.

Depending on how long you're staying, it might also be worth it to take a ferry for a day trip to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, since it's a pretty cool city and it's right there.

If you're into museums and/or want to take a more complete sightseeing tour, there's apparently a thing called Helsinki Card that you can buy to get free entry to most museums and other places of interest.