Helsinki/South

From the central railway station, bus station or downtown Helsinki in general, there isn't anywhere in southern Helsinki you couldn't get on foot within half an hour or so. Out of public transport modes, tram (1A, 2, 3, 6 and 10) are probably your best bet, though there are some bus lines too. If you wish to go to Suomenlinna, board the ferry from the Market square.
For yachts, customs clearing (if needed) is handled at the coast guard station on Iso Mustasaari of Suomenlinna (until after the 2016 season); phone +358 295-426-310. There are guest harbours at Suomenlinna and Pihlajasaari.

If you aren't going by foot or bike, tram is the best alternative; line 3 takes you around southern Helsinki.
To get to Suomenlinna, take the ferry from the Market Square.

• Observatory HillAs the name reveals, this hill rising above the Olympia and Makasiini terminals of South Harbor hosts an observatory, operated by the Astronomical Association Ursa. The observatory is now and then open to the public, and from the hill you have a nice albeit partial view over the city centre (part of the view is obstructed by trees). It is also the place for people to picnic on the may day festival Vappu and on the morning of the Finnish Independence Day the hill hosts a televised flag rising ceremony.

• Diana ParkAlso known as Kolmikulma (the triangle), this pocket sized park is a nice place to take break from your sightseeing in the summer and just sit down on a park bench and have an ice-cream.

• KaivopuistoA beautiful park by the sea in the southernmost part of the city. In summer you might want to sit down for a cup of coffee in one of the seaside cafes and enjoy the view of sailboats and the people on the promenade. Housing surrounding this area is the most expensive in Helsinki.

• Sinebrychoffin puistoAlso known as "Koffin puisto", it's in Punavuori district next to the Sinebrychoff art museum. Popular with young people, in the summer it is full of people having picnics or just drinking pussikalja (literally: "beer in a bag", means buying beer from a supermarket and drinking it outdoors), while in the winter kids ride sleds down the snowy slope.

• St. John's Church

  phone: +358 9 7092370
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 12
  The largest church in Helsinki and a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture.

• German Church

  address: Bernhardinkatu 4
  The Lutheran Church of the German community is situated at the foot of the Observatory Hill and is a visible landmark if you are walking from the Silja Line ferry towards downtown. The Neo-Gothic church was built in 1864 and is also a venue for liturgical and classical concerts.

• Mikael Agricola Church

  address: Tehtaankatu 23
  A prime example of 1930s Functionalism at the border of districts of Eira and Punavuori.

• Mannerheim Museum

  address: Kalliolinnantie 14
  Finnish Marshall Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim lived in this villa 1924—51. The museum contains his personal home and his vast array of items acquired during his life and on his long travels.

• Newspaper museum

  address: Ludviginkatu 2-4
  In the newspaper museum you can learn more about the history of newspapers - journalism and printing.

• Sinebrychoff Museum

  address: Bulevardi 40
  Promotes itself as the only museum in Finland specializing in old European art.

• Design Museum

  phone: +358 9 622 0540
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 23
  Exhibitions of modern commercial and industrial design and modern art. The permanent exhibit in the basement showcases the history of consumer-goods design over the course of the 20th century, with a particular focus on the contributions of Finnish designers. If you're a fan of Finnish design products like Marimekko fabrics, Arabia porcelain and Iittala vases and their prototypes this is definitely not a place to miss.

• PihlajasaariFew tourists find their way here, but this is a very popular summer spot for Helsinkians, with sandy beaches (including a mixed nude beach) and a restaurant dishing out cold beer and ciders. Ferries run from Merisatama pier at the southern end of Kaivopuisto Park (tram 3) hourly from 09:30 to 20:30, 10-15 min, €5.50 return.

Suomenlinna

If you see only one place in Helsinki in the summer, make it . The "Gibraltar of the North" was once the greatest sea fortress in the Baltic, built by the Swedish in the mid-1700s at great expense to protect their eastern flank. But when the Russians invaded in February 1808, the bulk of the unprepared and bankrupt Swedish army hastily withdrew, allowing the Russians to conquer Helsinki without a fight and besiege the fortress. With no reinforcements in sight, commander Carl Olof Cronstedt surrendered unconditionally two months later, and Finland was ceded to the Russians. Cronstedt's actions probably saved countless civilian lives, but King Gustav IV needed a scapegoat and sentenced him to death for treason; fortunately, the losing king was himself soon overthrown, and Cronstedt lived out his years gardening.
Today's Suomenlinna is still living in its own time with only old buildings, few cars, fewer than a thousand inhabitants and lots of old fortifications, catacombs and cast iron cannons. But it's not just a museum: the sprawling complex houses restaurants, cafes, theaters and museums, and is a very popular place for a picnic on a fine summer day, watching the vast passenger ferries drift by on their way to Estonia and St Petersburg. It was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991 as a unique monument to European military architecture.
Entry to the island itself is free, but you need to pay for the ferry ride. The HSL ferry from Market Square is the cheapest and most convenient way of getting there at €5 for a 12-hour tourist return. The ferry is a part of the Helsinki local traffic, so if you have an HSL Day Ticket it includes ferry travel. The ferry runs approximately every half hour. On summer weekends the island is a popular picnic destination and you may have to wait for a long time as hundreds of people crowd the ferry terminal. In this case it may be worth it to use the more expensive private ferry company at the other end of the Market Square.
Guided tours of the island in English are available daily at 11:00 and 14:00 in Jun-Aug, and on Sa Su only at 13:30 the rest of the year, €7/person, and history buffs will want to drop into the Suomenlinna Museum at the Visitor Centre (€6.50).

• Military Museum Manege

  address: Suomenlinna, Iso Mustasaari
  Exhibits vehicles and armament used by Finnish forces during the Winter War and World War II.

• Submarine Vesikko

  address: Suomenlinna, Susisaari
  Vesikko was one of five submarines to serve the Finnish Navy during the wars in 1939-44. It´s also the only surviving German Type II (Vesikko was the prototype) submarine in the world.

• Toy MuseumLovely old house with a dense collection of toys, notable for the wealth of information provided about the historical toys. The house includes the excellent Cafe Samovarbar.

• Beach of Uunisaari

  address: Uunisaari island
  One of the better kept secrets of Helsinki is the beach on Uunisaari, an island a short ride away from the south coast.

• Jääherne

  address: Hernematalankatu 6
  Try some ice hockey with your friends in the Jääherne ice hall on the southwesternmost tip of Helsinki.

Design

• Ivana Helsinki

  phone: +358 9 6224422
  address: Uudenmaankatu 15
  Internationally recognized designer clothes, handmade in Finland.

• Aero

  address: Yrjönkatu 8
  New and vintage design furniture, lighting, textiles, jewelery, glass. Finnish designers represented include Eero Aarnio, Alvar Aalto, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva and Ilmari Tapiovaara. Not for the budget traveller.

• Left Shoe Company

  address: Eteläesplanadi 8B (also inside Stockmann department store)
  Step on a high tech gadget that measures your foot and then choose what sort of shoe you would like to wear. Get the tailored shoe sent home by post. Only mens shoes. Prices start at around €300 and go up €450 depending on the materials used.

• Myymälä2

  address: Uudenmaankatu 23
  Gallery and shop for young designers, artists and musicians. And while you are there, check out Lux shop on the opposite side of the street.

Record stores

• A.H. Records

  address: Fredrikinkatu 12
  Used rock, Finnish, funk.

• Digelius

  address: Laivurinrinne 2
  Jazz/classical/world. Very recommended.

• Eronen

  address: Laivurinrinne 2
  Dub/jazz/salsa.

• Levylaivuri

  address: Laivurinkatu 41

• Darkside Records

  address: Albertinkatu 12

• Stupido

  address: Iso Roobertinkatu 23
  Rock/indie/electronics misc.

Budget

• Bar No 9

  address: Uudenmaankatu 9
  Popular bar that also serves a variety of dishes with a twist of cross-kitchen style, priced from €4.90-15.90, most main courses under €10. Tends to be packed at lunch and dinner time.

• Event Arena Bank

  address: Unioninkatu 20
  Free flow lunch restaurant that offers a spacious and luminous environment to spend the lunch hour. The daily Lunch Club menu consists of four different choices all for €9.20. There is choice of Scandinavian style home-cooking, Mediterranean or Asian delicacies, salad bar and soup of the day or vegetarian meal.

• Fredan Murkina

  address: Fredrikinkatu 16
  Very simple and inexpensive lunch place, no gourmet-stuff going on here, but the sort of food Finns eat at home made fresh on site. Run by a friendly husband and wife team, this kiosk/restaurant melange a stone's throw away from five corners serves one of the cheapest healthy warm lunches you can eat in central Helsinki. Take away also possible if the few tables are full. Soup €4.50, lunch of the day was €5.70 or €7 depending on portion size (Sep 2015).

• Ravintola Kamome

  phone: +358 9 657422
  address: Pursimiehenkatu 12
  The Japanese tourists come because the cult hit movie Kamome Shokudo was filmed here! Japanese cuisine.

Mid-range

• Central

  phone: +358 9-636 483
  address: Pietarinkatu 15
  One of the oldest restaurants in Helsinki, dating back to the 1890s. It has been in its current location since the 1960s. Serves a wide variety of common restaurant fare in Finland: salads, pastas, steaks and hamburgers.

• China Tiger

  phone: +358 9 949 5098
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 47
  One of the best Chinese restaurants in Helsinki. Excellent food, a nice atmosphere and really good service. Extra points for the interior design.

• Gastone

  phone: +358 9 666116
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 45
  Nice restaurant with an Italian flavor. Reservations suggested, particularly on the weekend.

• Juuri

  phone: +358 9 635 732
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 27
  Tiny restaurant known for its special Finnish entrées called sapakset (a play on tapas), with roots in Finnish food tradition. Try the cabbage roll with crayfish or the egg cheese with marjoram.

• Sea Horse

  phone: +358 9 628 169
  address: Kapteeninkatu 11
  Established in 1933 as a basic eatery, this joint has slowly become a local legend affectionately known as Sikala ("Pigsty"), and both the decor and the menu are still preserved from the 1950s. A long-time Wallpaper Magazine favourite. Try the famous herring dishes or the onion steak

• Tamarin

  address: Iso Roobertinkatu 18, Fredrikinkatu 49, Eteläesplanadi 4
  Tasty Thai food.

• Zucchini

  address: Fabianinkatu 4
  Cozy vegetarian lunch restaurant with a daily changing soup and main dish (around €9).

• Cafe Samovarbar

  address: Suomenlinna C66
  Lovely cafe in the toy museum with proper espresso, ice cream, local snacks and wines, with a terrace overlooking the sea.

Splurge

• Saaga

  phone: +358 9 74255544
  address: Bulevardi 34 B
  Traditional Lapp food in kitschy Lapp surroundings — reindeer horn chandeliers and the lot — but unlike some of the competition, they don't compromise on food quality. The octolingual menu runs the gamut from smoked elk to bear meatballs. Don't miss the buttermilk pancakes (äkäset) for dessert.

• Särkänlinna

  phone: +358 9 1345 6756
  address: Särkänsaari island
  Särkänlinna offers a Nordic cuisine. Located Särkansaari island, it provides a magnificent premise for any kind of function from dinners for two to elegant weddings or private parties. Särkänlinna is especially famous for its traditional crayfish parties.

• Savoy

  phone: +358 9 684 4020
  address: Eteläesplanadi 14
  A luxurious restaurant with a magnificent view of downtown Helsinki's rooftops. Savoy is decorated just as Alvar Aalto designed it in the 1930s, and they still serve some of the dishes that Field Marshal Mannerheim used to order, such as the famous Vorschmack (a comparatively cheap €18). Other mains from €40, while the opulent "Menu Savoy" will set you back €102.

• Boathouse

  phone: +358 9 5840 9603
  address: Liuskasaari island
  On Liuskasaari island, Boathouse offers seasonal kitchen and a wide selection of wines.

• Demo

  phone: +358 9 2289 0480
  address: Uudenmaankatu 9-11
  An unusual high-class restaurant geared towards the young and trendy, Demo's decor is minimalistic, but the food is of excellent caliber. There are no menus, only set courses pre-chosen based on what is fresh and available for the evening. Easily deserving of its Michelin star. Reservations essential.

• El Greco

  phone: +358 10 320 4410
  address: Ludviginkatu 3-5
  Greek restaurant. Serves authentic Greek food, based mostly on lamb, chicken and fish. Stylishly decorated and spacious.

• Palace Gourmet

  phone: +358 9 1345 6715
  address: Eteläranta 10, 10th Floor
  Fine dining restaurant that also offers private rooms for meetings and events up to 500 guests.

• Olo

  phone: +358 9 665 565
  address: Kasarmikatu 44
  Combines North European ingredients into a modern Scandinavian cuisine while using seasons best ingredients available.

• Havis

  phone: +358 9 68695660
  address: Eteläranta 16
  The successor of the legendary Havis Amanda, "Daughter of the Baltic", and still the best upscale seafood restaurant in town.

• Saslik

  phone: +358 9 74255500
  address: Neitsytpolku 12
  Traditional Russian delicacies. Russian music and decor of old samovars, stained-glass windows and paintings. Try traditional blinis or Saslik's bear specialities.

Cafés

• Cafe Succès

  phone: +358 9 633414
  address: Korkeavuorenkatu 2
  This traditional cafe serves excellent delicacies. Famous for their enormous cinnamon rolls (korvapuusti), also available in Cafe Esplanad.

• Kakkugalleria

  address: Erottaja 7
  French-type cafe in the Design Forum. Try the lovely Sacher cake. Take away is cheaper.

• Plootu Furniture & café

  phone: +358 44 988 7589 (mobile)
  address: Iso Roobertinkatu 32
  The café/furniture shop Plootu offers a great tea selection (served in a 600ml/1000ml presso pan), smoothies, salads, coffee and pho soup. An atmospheric and fun little coffee shop where everything you dine or drink coffee on is on sale.

Alcohol

• Ahjo

  phone: +358 20 7704711
  address: Bulevardi 2
  Named after the forge where the mythical Sampo of the Kalevala was made, this is a slick modern bar-lounge with two sides to it: a pure white space as you enter, with a bar counter and sofas, and a darker back room with nooks and crannies for a quieter chat.

• Black Door

  address: Iso Roobertinkatu 1
  English pub. Weekdays are relaxed, weekends have live DJs and a full bar. A place to go for quality beers, ales, ciders and whisky.

• Erottaja Bar

  phone: +358 9 611 196
  address: Erottajankatu 15-17
  A small, consciously crude bar, that used to be one of the primary hipster hangouts in central Helsinki. The bar is now all but deserted by the trendy crowd, and the music turned into the usual fare of hit-list pop, but on the upside the service is friendly and there is ample sitting room at the tables.

• Kaarle XII

  phone: +358 9 6129990
  address: Kasarmikatu 40
  A Helsinki institution better known as Kalle, this former church hasn't had a renovation in years and really needs one. It still continues to pack in a hard-partying thirty-something crowd, especially on Thursdays. Six bars (all small), playing top-40 tunes, rock and Finnish pop. The last of the bars has a dance floor and gets particularly packed, with people dancing on the tables. Minimum age 24.

Budget

• Hostel Suomenlinna

  address: Suomenlinna C 9
  All year open hostel located at the Suomenlinna sea fortress. Great for a quick escape from the city. The ferry runs from 6AM to 2AM so you are not totally cut off.

• Hostel Diana Park

  address: Uudenmaankatu 9
  A small, clean, and friendly hostel with a central location.

Mid-range

• Hotel Anna

  address: Annankatu 1

Splurge

• Klaus K

  phone: +358 20 7704700
  address: Bulevardi 2
  Helsinki's first boutique hotel, although they prefer the term "personal contemporary hotel". Rooms range from the small Passion & Mystical types to the aptly named Envy Plus. Central location, funky styling and reasonable prices make this a winner.

• Hotel Haven

  phone: +358 9 681930
  address: Unioninkatu 17
  Hotel Haven, Finland’s first member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is designed to provide homely warmth, exclusive comfort and high-quality services for the discerning guest.

• Sokos Hotel Albert

  phone: +358 20 1234 638
  address: Albertinkatu 30