Helsinki attractions

There’s something about tram networks that suggests (and usually, affirms) that a city will be easy for tourists to navigate – and Helsinki is no exception! With an extensive tram network throughout the city center and adjacent suburbs, the city also offers convenient bus and metro lines. Tickets are transferable between all public transport options, making them your best bet for getting around. Taxis are costly and not recommended. And, though there are bike lanes, they’re better-suited to locals than tourists, given the complicated routes, challenging seasonal conditions, and the fact that pedestrians and cyclists share the same paths. The Helsinki Card not only covers admission to some of the city’s best attractions, but also provides free access to public transport.

They say light itself is different in Helsinki, and with good reason: from season to season, Helsinki glows, glimmers, beams and burns with every color of the rainbow. From vivid greens and blues during springtime to snow-covered translucent winter, Helsinki is beautiful year-round. However, as one of the world’s northernmost capital cities, its weather skews cold. Rarely exceeding the low 20s in the summertime, Helsinki winters can drop to as low as -10 °C. This is why the majority of tour guides recommend visiting during the short (but glorious!) summers, though locals tend to recommend springtime even more. For those who aren’t afraid of the cold, Helsinki is one of the best bets to catch a White Christmas… as long as you’ve got the thermal clothes for the occasion!

Cosmopolitan yet cozy, Helsinki is a bit of a hidden treasure. Finland’s capital is historical yet unapologetically hipster, combining neo-classical architecture with a buzzing culture of festivals, food culture and damn good coffee. Though good-natured rivalry from its Nordic neighbors see the Finnish language dismissed as ‘unintelligible gibberish’, there’s no reason to fear a language barrier: the locals have an excellent command of English and decent competency at Swedish. Whether jaunting to one of the neighboring islands in the archipelago, scampering among wild reindeer, visiting one of the most unique stone-carved churches in the world, or sampling the culinary and party-oriented delights of the city, Helsinki will capture your heart.