17 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Helsinki - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland

Temppeliaukio Church

A subterranean house of worship carved right out of the bedrock.

Helsinki, Finland

The National Library of Finland

Architecturally stunning library serves as the hub of Finnish scholarly life and culture.

Helsinki, Finland

Kamppi Chapel

An alien church provides much needed silence in the midst of a Finland shopping center.

Helsinki, Finland

Götan Maailma

A lovingly curated curio shop in which the taxidermy wear newspaper party hats, and peanut shells are spread across every surface.

Helsinki, Finland

Bad Bad Boy

This endearingly discomfited urinating statue commemorates the sneaky pees had by us all.

Helsinki, Finland

Fortress of Suomenlinna

This irregularly shaped sea fortress has defended not one but three different sovereign states.

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki University Museum

A collection of collections ranging from dentistry to minerals.

Helsinki, Finland

Kruunuvuori

Villas that once served as playgrounds for the rich now fall away in decay.

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Stories About Helsinki

Russian troops march through Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia) in 1939.

How Cold War Fears Helped Create Helsinki's Subterranean Paradise

The Finnish capital's city-within-a-city has a church, a hockey rink, and stockpiles of life-saving supplies.

by Michael Hunt

Carpets drying in the Helsinki sun.

Finns Have Special Piers for Washing Their Carpets in Baltic Seawater

“It's the pleasure of being on the coast, and enjoying summer days and the fresh aroma of carpets.”

by Karen Burshtein

September 10, 2019

In 2012, this Cuban restaurant popped up in downtown Helsinki.

On Restaurant Day in Helsinki, Anyone Can Open an Eatery, Anywhere

By making everything from ceviche to ice cream, city residents show off their cooking chops.

by Karen Burshtein

September 6, 2019

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