Cycling in Helsinki’s Central Park

<p>Keskuspuisto offers excellent opportunities for a wide range of recreational activities, especially cycling, so you can get blow all the dust out of your throat and give your ears a rest from all the traffic noises. If you are unfamiliar with the network of trails through Helsinki’s “Central Park”, you should approach it with all the seriousness of an adventure into the unknown.</p>

Cycling Guy

Biking in Töölönlahti

Rolling through the woods on a city bike.

<p>Helsinki’s Central Park offers something for everyone and is highly recommended even if you don’t have a specific destination in mind.</p>

Places of interest in Keskuspuisto

The park around the Töölö Bay begins in the heart of Helsinki and there's a popular walking path circling the bay. The Winter Garden, boasting hundreds of plants, is located at the north end of the bay. Wooden villas along the shores are a reminder of Helsinki's history. The Töölö Bay is a treasure especially for bird watchers. Töölönlahti park is a new oasis for culture and city events that has been developed along the southern shoreline.

1. Töölönlahti Bay

Paloheinä is the most popular cross-country skiing centre in Helsinki during winter and is easy to get to by bus or by car. The trails are weather permitted and most of them are lighted until late in the evening. 

The Suomen Latu Paloheinä ski service is available for renting cross-country skis, snowshoes and toboggans as well as for waxing and preparation of skis. Cross-country ski schools are available upon request.

2. Paloheinä Recreational Area - Suomen Latu Paloheinä

Pirkkola Sports Park is located in the middle of Helsinki Central Park, and with its outdoor routes, sports fields and other sports facilities it makes for an active exercise hub. 

The Sports Park has facilities for the following sports: football, weightlifting, powerlifting, skiing, general physical exercise, volleyball, athletics, swimming, ice skating, ice hockey, table tennis, gymnastics, cheerleading and badminton.

3. Pirkkola Sports Park

Pirkkola swimming hall, built in 1968, is located at Helsinki Central Park at the Pirkkola Sports Park, which is an active sports and exercise centre with outdoor routes, sports fields and other sports facilities.

The swimming hall offers a big pool, children's pool, learners pool with waterslide, café and outdoor sun terrace.

"Plotti", run in summer, is a small shallow artificial swimming "pool" with a sandy bottom and beach, especially popular among families with small children.

4. Pirkkola swimming hall

Pitkäkoski hiking lodge and café  in the north part of the Helsinki Central park is a traditional hiking lodge in 50's style serving eg. coffee and doughnuts baked on site. Especially popular in winter among skiers.

5. Pitkäkoski hiking lodge and café

Haltiala is the largest recreational forest area in Helsinki. Several of the nature sights in the Central park are concentrated at the Haltiala area. Most of these can be seen along the nature trails in the area. 

Niskala Arboretum, a tree species park in the Haltiala area, can also be visited along nature trails. 

The whole Haltiala area is like a picture of a traditional Finnish rural landscape. At the Haltiala farm visitors have an opportunity to acquaint themselves with domestic farm animals. In the summers, the fields of the farm are cultivated with traditional crops and colourful flowers. There are also events at the farm, especially during Easter and Christmas. Café-restaurant Wanha Pehtoori is also located here.

6. Haltialan ulkoilualue

The Haltiala farm is like a piece of the Finnish countryside. The farm gives visitors an opportunity to acquaint themselves with domestic farm animals. In summer and autumn the animals are outside and can be seen from early morning until late in the evening, at other times they are inside. The sheds are then open mainly Mon-Fri 18-20, Sat-Sun 11-18 (please check opening hours in advance though). In addition to traditional grains, the Haltiala farm cultivates peas and flowers on some fields, and city residents are welcome to pick them for free in July-August. Events during Easter and Christmas. Restaurant-cafe Wanha Pehtoori is situated next to the farm.

7. Haltiala farm

Ruskeasuon siirtolapuutarha (Brunakärr koloniträdgård) is Helsinki's first allotment garden, founded in 1918, and the oldest allotment garden in Finland still remaining on the same place.

8. Ruskeasuo allotment garden

Ruskeasuon Keskustalli stable is a horse back riding stable and -school founded in 1929. The stable is fully approved by the Equestrian Federation of Finland (www.ratsastus.fi). Keskustalli has a long tradition in horsemanship being the oldest riding school in the country.

9. Keskustalli riding school

The café at the Maunula hiking lodge is known for its home made delicacies, eg. doughnuts, buns and gluten-free delicacies. The sauna is open for public on Wednesdays, why not have a sauna after a run on the trails in the nearby area. From Maunula hiking lodge you also reach the running-/skiing trails at the central park recreational area.

There are also events organized at the Maunula hiking lodge.

10. Maunulan ulkoilumaja - Maunula hiking lodge

Restaurant Wanha Pehtoori is located at the Haltiala farm, a unique country side location in Helsinki. In winter it is a café and lunch restaurant, in summer there's also an outdoor terrace and a grill serving eg. hamburgers. Pehtoori is especially known for their home made doughnuts. Also occasional events.

Dogs are also welcome here.

11. Wanha Pehtoori

Central Park is a nearly ten-kilometre-long forested green space running the length of Helsinki from south to north, starting near the city centre in Laakso and ending at the city’s northern border in Haltiala and the river Vantaanjoki.

Central Park - the central forest running the length of Helsinki

The paths that circle the Töölönlahti bay and the islands of Lauttasaari and Seurasaari are very popular among local joggers, but you can also find many other great jogging trails throughout Helsinki if you know where to look. Listed below are our top tips!

Helsinki’s best nature jogging trails

Biking in Helsinki

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Keskuspuisto offers excellent opportunities for cycling, so you can get blow all the dust out of your throat and give your ears a rest from all the traffic noises....