Way Bakery

Bars & Nightlife

Kaffa Roastery

Café

El Fant

Torikorttelit

Sights and Attractions

Senate Square

Kaisa House, Helsinki University Main Library

Iittala & Arabia Design Centre

Design Museum

Museums & Galleries

Vanhankaupunginlahti bay area - a bird oasis in the middle of Helsinki

Löyly

Restaurant Nokka

Restaurant

Restaurant Sunn

Grön

Restaurant Olo

Old Market Hall

La Torrefazione

Recommended by Giulia Mule

In Helsinki, when I was not shopping or admiring art, I relaxed in one of the many saunas of the city

In the days before my trip to Helsinki, I felt a mix of excitement and worry. I was excited to re-visit a city I had previously visited on a short two-day trip, and fallen in love with. I wanted to explore more of the city and also introduce it to my husband who had never been to Finland before. But it was December and a part of me was worried about travelling to Helsinki in the middle of winter. Would it be too cold, would the days be too short, would there be enough activities to keep us entertained? – I wondered. It turns out I shouldn’t have worried at all! Helsinki has so much to offer to visitors, no matter their tastes and interests and no matter the season. Yes, the hours of daylight are limited in December, but there is plenty to keep you entertained after the sun goes down.

In the evenings, I got into the festive spirit by walking through the wooden stands of the Christmas Market at Senate Square, sipping glögi (a hot spiced drink) and nibbling on a freshly-baked tähtitorttu, a star-shaped pastry typical of the Christmas season.  As a food and coffee lover, my favourite part about being in Helsinki was learning about Finnish cuisine, its traditional dishes and seasonal ingredients. I was blown away by the sheer amount of amazing restaurants, bakeries, bars, food markets and specialty coffee shops. I never spent too long outside in the cold weather because I was always inside a cozy café or a trendy restaurant. I spent hours chatting to baristas, waiters/waitresses and chefs.

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British Giulia Mule & Sandeep Patel visited Helsinki in winter and published several posts about their stay on Giulia's popular Instagram account mondomulia. ...

In Helsinki, when I was not shopping or admiring art, I relaxed in one of the many saunas of the city | My Helsinki