Top 10 Things to Do in Helsinki
Are you looking for things to do, see, and experience in Helsinki? Our staff has gathered their top tips for a delicious time in our home city.
Hotel and Restaurant Museum: We believe the best tip for Helsinki is, of course, our own museum at Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory). Our exhibitions extensively cover both the history and present day of Finnish food and drink culture, as well as the hotel and restaurant industry. In addition to the exhibitions, we organize delicious events.
The Finnish Museum of Photography and the Theatre Museum: Together with our beloved neighboring museums, we form Helsinki’s only museum center at Kaapelitehdas: the Kaapeli Museums. At the Kaapeli Museums, you can conveniently experience three interesting museums at once. We offer a joint ticket and organize various events together.
Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory): The former Nokia Cable Factory is one of Finland’s largest cultural centers, which has been used for culture and art since the late 1980s. The galleries in different parts of the building offer a diverse array of art. In the gateway, you will encounter Thierry Noir’s Let Me Be Your Mental Dentist mural, and in Lasipiha (Glass Courtyard), Miina Äkkijyrkkä’s Shikaani sculpture. From the Glass Courtyard, leading to the basement, the Baana offers the Cable Factory’s history corridor, featuring a mural series executed by Ruusa. At the main entrance, you will find Finland’s first Poesiomat (Poetry Jukebox), where you can listen to stories and sounds from the Cable Factory’s history and present.
Tehtaanmyymälä (Factory Shop): The Kaapelitehdas shop also serves as the museum shop for the Kaapeli Museums. Here, you can get great souvenirs from your museum visit and, at the same time, support the museums’ operations. The shop also sells products from Kaapelitehdas artisans and unique works from Kaapelitehdas artists.
Dance House Helsinki (Tanssin talo): We are happy to be located at Kaapelitehdas right next to the Dance House Helsinki. Dive into the whirl of a performance at the Dance House or just stop by to admire the architecture. Designed in collaboration by JKMM Architects and ILO Architects and connected to Kaapelitehdas, the Dance House beautifully combines the new and the old.
Kaapelitehdas Restaurants Hima&Sali, Kahvibaari, and Traba: If hunger or thirst strikes, you can find relief at Kaapelitehdas with the help of no less than three restaurants. If you have a Museum Card (Museokortti), check the restaurants for potential Museum Card benefits.
Helsinki’s Historic Cafés Cajsan Helmi, Ekberg, Fazer, and Kappeli: The museum staff’s heart beats for history and living cultural heritage, which these cafés represent. Cajsan Helmi is located in Kaisaniemi Park, in the historic and restored Restaurant Kaisaniemi building. Restaurant operations have been active on the site since 1827. You can find Café Ekberg on Bulevardi, with its history dating back to 1852. Café Fazer on Kluuvikatu has been in operation since 1891. Restaurant Kappeli on Eteläesplanadi has served gourmets since 1867.
Teurastamo is a center for urban and food culture in Kalasatama, Helsinki. The former slaughterhouse now hosts a wide selection of interesting restaurants and small food and drink producers: an ice cream factory, a bakery, a distillery, and a coffee roastery. The Hotel and Restaurant Museum even planned to move to Teurastamo earlier!
Hakaniemi Market Square and Market Hall: Of Helsinki’s numerous market squares and market halls, our favorite is Hakaniemi. In the square, you can find traditional market delicacies and a delightful market atmosphere. The square also hosts the Hakaniemi Countryside Market and Christmas Market. Next to the square is the Hakaniemi Market Hall, which offers diverse café and restaurant services, as well as high-quality groceries and household goods on two floors. You can conveniently zip to Hakaniemi by metro – even from us at the Hotel and Restaurant Museum, in Ruoholahti.
Helsinki Hotel Bars Ateljee Bar, American Bar, Kupoli Bar, and Kämp Bar: From Helsinki’s abundant bar offerings, we wanted to highlight hotel bars in particular. The historic Hotel Torni’s Ateljee Bar on Yrjönkatu offers great views over the city center rooftops for those sipping drinks – even from the restroom! Downstairs in the hotel, you can also find the equally wonderful American Bar. NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa’s Kupoli Bar on Mannerheimintie is a recently opened gem that many have not yet had the chance to visit. On Pohjoisesplanadi, you can find the legendary Hotel Kämp and its bar. The site housed one of Finland’s first cocktail bars as early as the beginning of the 20th century.
We hope you enjoy our list of top 10 things to do in Helsinki! You can find more Helsinki tips, for example, on the My Helsinki website.
Anni Pelkonen