What to do in Helsinki, Finland?

contraband

Hello all! This summer, I'm planning on traveling with my mother to Helsinki, Finland, for two weeks. We'll be staying with family. Previous excursions have led to us just visiting the harbor and seaside, we've been to Sweden while we were there in the past, but thats not on the itinerary this time. Does anyone have insight as to something to do there to include the family on (places to see, events happening, etc) during that time frame? I'm eighteen, if it matters. Thanks!

Wheezer

I would perhaps consider Suomenlinna as a tourist attraction. It's a fortress just off of Helsinki. IIRC they even have a WWII submarine for visitors to see aside the castle itself (if that's your thing at all?)
http://suomenlinna.fi/index.php?lang=eng

It's tough to plan an itinerary for a full two weeks though, but perhaps that's just my style of traveling. Just consider that getting around Finland isn't impossible even if you don't speak Finnish, so you might plan to visit other cities as well. Tampere is about three ours away in the train, and Turku is within reach as well.

Bliss 101

I second Suomenlinna. I recommend taking a picnic basket with you and just kind of hanging out.

There's a very nice aquarium quite close to the city center, SeaLife, if you're interested in that kind of thing.

You can get to Tallinn, Estonia, pretty fast and the tickets are quite cheap. For example, the Superseacat takes you there in less than two hours. Tallinn is a beautiful city and definitely worth at least a day trip.

If you're into architecture, don't miss the Temppeliaukio Church.

If you want to see the entire city from a high vantage point while enjoying a ridiculously overpriced drink or a cup of coffee, visit the top terrace of Restaurant Torni in the city center.

Not sure about events, concerts etc yet but I'll see if I can find out something. I live here, so if you happen to have any specific questions at any point, feel free to PM me.

MagicPrime

Isn't that the place with the Hostage situation where the people started liking their captors?

Bliss 101

Helsinki Syndrome is fictional. Stockholm Syndrome is what you're thinking about.

MagicPrime

Thats what I get from getting my Doctorate in Psychiatry by watching Die Hard.

Doc

http://wikitravel.org/en/Helsinki

Some good stuff.

wmelon

Well helsinki is actually a very fun town. I lived there for most of 2002. There is an old timey market that gets set up at the dock end of the esplandi. Also in that area are lots of galleries and artsy type shops. A bit north of there along Mannerheimintie is the Mannerheim Museum which is very nice. Just north of that is a beautiful park between Mannerheimintie and Toolonlahti (Toolo lake)

Near the church that Bliss 101 mentioned there is a Dinner theater that had several very amusing shows while i was there. It was located on Katajanokanlaituri.

I'm not sure if you're old enough, but there are plenty of night clubs and bars in downtown Helsinki. My favorite was called Molly Malone's. Oddly enough an Irish bar in Finland

I'll have to also agree with Suomenlinna. It's a very fascinating historical place. When I went there they had the submarine closed, so we couldn't tour it. I was told that it was a captured Russian sub in the last days of WWII and that it's the only one that the Finnish navy is allowed due to the treaty they signed afterwards. Did you know that Finland allied with Germany during WWII? Neither did I!

Talinn is also a nice day trip as the others have said. Being the summer time you shouldn't have any problems getting there. The ferry tickets were only about 25 Euros when I was there, so it shouldn't be too much more now.

Wheezer

Sorry for the derail, but Isn't the submarine Vesikko and not a captured Russian sub?
After the first World War Germany wasn't allowed to build any submarines, so they couldn't do their development work before WWII within their boundaries. Finland built the early Type II submarines, I think four of them, and Germany then used the tested design to build their own subs for WWII.

Oh, and Kiasma might be worth checking out in Helsinki, it's the museum of modern art in the center of the city, easily within walking distance from the central bus station.
http://www.kiasma.fi/index.php?L=1

saint2e

The dish that I had while I was there, I try to have a local dish each place I go, was reindeer. It was pretty good, so try and find a restaurant that serves that.

wallabeeX

if hel-looks is anything to go by, people watching would keep me busy for days.

Bibble

Suomenlinna is nice and you should go there, there is even a pizza place on it. but Helsinki is also a pretty compact city and you can walk around it for quite a bit, just looking at stuff. I highly recommend just taking an aimless stroll.

(but for 2 weeks I have no idea what to do)

Muramasa18

But you always said Finland had a maudlin quality to it, rendering it unsuitable as a holiday destination!

Uh, sorry, nothing else to contribute besides Little Britain quotes.

wmelon

Wheezer wrote: »

Sorry for the derail, but Isn't the submarine Vesikko and not a captured Russian sub?
After the first World War Germany wasn't allowed to build any submarines, so they couldn't do their development work before WWII within their boundaries. Finland built the early Type II submarines, I think four of them, and Germany then used the tested design to build their own subs for WWII.

Oh, and Kiasma might be worth checking out in Helsinki, it's the museum of modern art in the center of the city, easily within walking distance from the central bus station.
http://www.kiasma.fi/index.php?L=1

Honestly it's been so long I could be very wrong about the Russian part. I do distinctly remember the tour guide saying that it was captured from somewhere though.