All you need to know about visiting Helsinki, Finland in Winter
About Finland
Finland is a country of contrasts — with a very warm summer and a long, cold winter, it’s important to be prepared for the particularities of each season.
When I went to Helsinki in March, I was surprised how cold and snowy it still was. The Baltic Sea was frozen around the city, which was a totally new experience for me and something definitely worthwhile to see.
In Finland you can still ski and snowboard in March — April, which can come in handy if you’re a snow-sports-lover as you can escape the February crowds in the Alps and the Pyrenees.
Also, albeit less famous than its Norwegian neighbours, the Northern Lights are a spectacle you can enjoy in the north of Finland.
These 2 activities can be done in Lapland, a city located a 12-hour-drive or a 2-hour-flight north of Helsinki, so have a thought about visiting Lapland if you got some spare time to discover Finland beyond Helsinki.
About Helsinki
Some of the best things to do in Helsinki include:
Explore the City Centre
Walk around the city centre and discover Helsinki’s signature spots:
Senate Square
Where you’ll find the Main Cathedral and highest point of the city.
Uspenski Cathedral
Distinguished among the city’s architecture for its Russian look. Take a waterside stroll and appreciate it from different angles.
Market Square
Lively port area where you can stroll around the street markets, take a ride in the panoramic wheel and take the ferry to different islands — Suomenlinna being the most popular one.
Old Market Hall
In addition to the street market you’ll find a fixed market in the old ticket office building. Located on the opposite side of the pier from the panoramic wheel, it’s the ideal place to try traditional foods and buy typical art crafts.
The Rock Church
Carved underground from a natural formation of rock, this unique church is a place to relax while listening to the different orchestras rehearsing throughout the day.
Panoramic view from the Torni Hotel
At the top of the traditional Torni Hotel there is a rooftop with panoramic views of the city. Take what once was the fastest elevator in the world and enjoy a drink with a view. The restrooms have their own panoramic view so make sure to check them!
Take a tram
If you’re not a big fan of walking, trams are a comfortable way to do sightseeing around Helsinki.
You can find the full list of buildings to visit in Helsinki’s City Centre here.
Hietaniemi Beach
Not far from the centre, visiting Hietaniemi was one of the most unique things I experienced in Helsinki. We arrived in a completely frozen beach where the Baltic Sea had become an ice field. It’s a common activity for the locals to take a walk over what is usually the sea water, and definitely worth a try if you’re not too afraid that the ice will break under your feet!
Watch the sunset by the sea
Sit by the outdoor fireplace at the lovely Cafe Regatta and enjoy some of the most beautiful sunsets of the Northern hemisphere.
Suomenlinna Island
A 20 minute ferry ride from the Market Square port you’ll find this UNESCO-heritage-listed military fort that belonged to the Swedish, then to the Russians and finally to the Finnish after their independence in 1917.
In summer it’s meant to be a green, lively place but in winter it was one of the spookiest places I’ve ever visited.
Abandoned houses, empty playgrounds, military cannons, dark tunnels and a toy museum build the perfect setting for a terror winter movie.
Visit its quirky bars
Live music, craft beers and traditional recipes with a twist are some of the enjoyments of Helsinki’s bar scene.
Relax in a sauna!
Last but not least, make sure you visit a Finnish sauna. Saunas are probably the most important trait of the Finnish culture, and they have traditional saunas as well as smoked saunas, which you’ll only find here.
To enhance the experience, take a dip in the frozen sea just after coming out of the 90–100 degrees Celsius sauna rooms! And enjoy the vapour coming off your body as you walk towards the jumping deck.
Something you won’t likely live anywhere else and will make your visit unforgettable!
Helsinki offers a wide range of inner-city and seaside saunas. One of the newest is Löyly Sauna, a chic venue featuring a restaurant, a rooftop bar and very comfortable sauna facilities.
Helsinki has a lot more to offer than you’d actually expect, so give it a couple of days and soak in the “Hel-yeah” experience!
