Things to Do in Helsinki

Helsinki was founded in 1550 by Swedish King Gustav I Vasa and was almost entirely rebuilt after a devastating 1808 fire, giving it one of Europe's most cohesive neoclassical city centres.

The iconic white Uspenski Cathedral, completed in 1868, is the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe and dominates the city skyline with its golden onion domes.

Finland's sauna culture is strongest in Helsinki, where there are around 40 public saunas; the country has more saunas than cars, and Helsinki hosts the annual World Sauna Championship.

The Finnish design scene is globally influential—Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen, and Marimekko all emerged from Helsinki's creative tradition, and the city remains a hub for minimalist Nordic design.

Helsinki sits on the edge of the Baltic Sea with numerous nearby islands; in winter, locals regularly ice-swim and the frozen sea becomes part of the city's landscape and recreation.

The city library Oodi, opened in 2018, is one of the world's most architecturally striking public libraries and has become a symbol of Finnish innovation and open society.