Tourist Attractions & Monuments Finland

This company offers a range of summer activities such as canoeing, paddling, buggy rental, "fat" bike rental, group hiking trips, brown bear watching excursions... In winter, Ruka Safaris also offers a wide range of activities with this time on the menu: snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, snowmobile rental, excursions with a stopover to "float" on the frozen sea in a specific wetsuit... There is something for every taste, every budget and every desire!

The Archipelago Trail (literally saariston rengastie) is a sumptuous patchwork of thousands of islands! This 230 km loop around the archipelago begins and ends in Turku. It will take you through magnificent natural and cultural landscapes where you will encounter 12 bridges, 9 ferries and numerous parishes.
By car, you can certainly cover the road in one day, but why hurry? Biking and hiking are great options for discovering the region at your own pace!

Built in 2008, the Vellamo centre is entirely dedicated to the sea. You won't be able to miss it: this ultra-modern building is shaped like a giant wave. The design speaks for itself! This important educational structure contains the National Maritime Museum, temporary exhibition rooms, a documentation centre, a cafeteria... And this is where you should collect your ticket for the icebreaker visit in summer (5 €/adult). Good plan: the museum and the visit of the icebreaker are free for all on Wednesdays from 5 pm.

Beach east of Helsinki, in Vuosaari. Very pleasant for swimming or a picnic.

Would you like to enjoy a breath of fresh air and nature during your stay in Turku, by visiting a national park that's easily accessible without a car? Then go to Kurjenrahka National Park! A favorite with locals, this park offers everything you'd expect from such a place: long, beautiful hikes, accommodation and a plethora of seasonal activities. If you're here for just a day, there are five circuits (from 1 to 30 kilometers) to choose from.

The Kuopio Art Museum is housed in a former bank and the main themes of the collections and exhibitions revolve around Finnish artists from the late 19th century to the present day - who have mainly worked on themes related to nature and the environment. You will see how visual perception and emotional experience alternate in the artists' modes of representation, with a real impact of prevailing ideologies on their work. Temporary exhibition also.

Head to the port of Käringsund for a peaceful stroll in a pretty cove with red wooden boathouses and a path leading to a beach. The place turns into a seaside resort in the summer, with boats for rent to make the most of the sea. And to continue the walk, you can go 9 km south of Storby to the beach of Degersand. The most beautiful white sand beach of the archipelago for swimming in complete tranquillity (calm and shallow water), or even spending the night there in its friendly campsite.

The Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden is one of the most popular tourist attractions. After extensive restoration work, the greenhouses will bring nature lovers a tropical breeze away from city life. In the Palm House, visitors can see an impressive collection of orchids. The outdoor garden invites you to discover the world of plants. In summer, the most attractive part of the grounds is the central garden, with ponds and flowers, bordered by rose bushes.

This local company offers tours all year round. In winter, you can enjoy fantastic dog-sledding, reindeer-sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, not to mention ice-fishing! In summer, excursions include canoeing, rowing, rafting and cycling, as well as fishing and hunting. Guided tours or equipment hire for those who wish to remain independent. For a taste of the Far North...

We love the private tours organized by Pascal, a Frenchman who has been living here since 1998 after deciding to pursue his dreams as a child in the Great North! The philosophy of Arctic Horizons is to propose excursions in small groups in order to preserve a spirit of solitude and arctic silence, far from the hubbub of multilingual tour operators. You will be able to enjoy the Lapland nature without any background noise, in all intimacy. And above all, you will be accompanied by Pascal, a wonderful guide who is jovial and inexhaustible about the local culture and activities.

Like the Polar Explorer, the icebreaker Sampo offers an incredible and memorable adventure in the Arctic wilderness with the unique experience of swimming in ice. Sampo is like a moving museum that has faithfully preserved its original 1960s structure. You will feel the past glory of the ship on board! Restaurant and coffee shop on site. Possibility to opt for a luxury cruise with private room and guide with arctic food and snowmobile safari.

Since 1998, Axtours has been providing land and sea excursion services ranging from private yachts to classic cruise ships. In addition to standard programmes, the agency has a very good knowledge of the local places and providers in order to offer you the best possible tailor-made itineraries. You can choose from a wide range of stays focusing on outdoor activities, cultural experiences or culinary delights. Do not hesitate to contact them to tell them about your wishes and your budget so that they can offer you a perfectly adapted stay.

Timo, the very friendly captain of the boat M/S Charlotta offers cruises around Pori and Reposaari, an old fishing village. A true sailor, Timo has a great experience of the sea and he gladly shares his stories with visitors! You will have an unforgettable time on the Kokemäenjoki delta, one of the largest in the country, watching rare migratory birds and the beautiful seascape. Comfortable outdoor space.

Oy Kinos Safaris offers guided and personalized excursions. The most popular safaris are by snowmobile, husky, reindeer and canoe. While fishing and mountain biking trips are organized in summer, the most popular summer activity is the 2-hour cruise on lakes Sirkkajärvi and Levijärvi. On-site, Kinos Safari also offers simple equipment rental, including snowmobiles, bicycles, small boats, fishing gear and canoes... Budget-wise, there's something for everyone.

One of the highlights is the old water tower which, at 65 m high, offers a fantastic view of the Hanko region and the Baltic Sea (lift and telescope!). We discover the Hauensuoli bay. The narrow passage between the islands Tullisaari and Koppen was used as a shelter port in the 15th century. It was a wide natural harbour, where ships came to shelter during storms and shipped drinking water. Sailors carved their names on the rocks with their knives and even little stories: there are more than 640 of them.

The old town with its wooden houses that survived the great fire of 1855 is well worth a visit, with its Market Square whose surrounding buildings were designed by Georg Chiewitz. See also the town hall dating from 1862, the neo-Gothic church from 1865, and further east, the Ungern and Rosen bastions. From the top of the Kukkukivi tower you have a breathtaking view of the Bay of Loviisa. Visit the Sibelius House, which belonged to his aunt. Sibelius spent his summer holidays there and composed his Kullervo symphony.

Head for Place du Sénat for a guided stroll. Finland, a Swedish province for almost six hundred years, came under Russian domination following the war of 1808-1809. Almost all of Helsinki, built of wood, was destroyed by fire during the conflict. On the orders of Tsar Alexander ^I, the center of the future capital of the Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire was designed as a work of art. At the time, Finland was extremely rural. The very low level of urbanization, with the exception of a few towns scattered along the west and southeast coasts, attests to a certain provincialism. In this respect, Helsinki's acquisition of capital status marks a major turning point.

Senate Square is the work of two men: Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel.

The north side of Senate Square is dominated by the white Lutheran Cathedral. From the top of the staircase, the view of the southern harbor (Eteläsatama) and surrounding streets is splendid.

To the right of the square, opposite the cathedral, the Government Palace, one of Engel's major works completed in 1822, houses the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister's office is located on the second floor, at the corner of Aleksanterinkatu. The colonnade over the main entrance conceals one of the most beautiful Empire-style interiors. At the far end of the building is Helsinki's oldest public clock. Unfortunately, this area is closed to the public.

On the left, Senate Square is flanked by the main building of the former University of Finland, transferred to Helsinki by Tsarist decree after the great fire of Turku in 1827. The façade has the same structure as the Governor's Palace. However, much of the university was destroyed in the bombing raids of 1944, including the main concert hall and works of art.

Behind the cathedral, in the Unioninkatu, the small Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, also by Engel, houses several fine old icons, including the Virgin of Smolensk. Also in Unioninkatu, the magnificent university library (Yliopiston Kirjasto), with its frescoed ceiling, is one of Engel's finest works. Open to the public, its lavish interior is matched by its splendid yellow façade, adorned with a majestic Corinthian colonnade.

At the center of the square stands the statue of Alexander II, assassinated in 1881 by an anarchist group, created by Walter Runeberg in 1894 (son of the famous writer Johan Ludvig Runeberg). It was during the reign of Alexander II that the Duchy of Finland acquired a large measure of autonomy, hence the special place it holds in the memory of the city's inhabitants.

To the south, Senate Square is also lined with the former residences of Helsinki's merchant bourgeoisie. Among these early ^19th-century mansions, note the pretty little grey-blue house built for the powerful businessman Sederholm, which today houses a children's museum of Helsinki history. Maison Kiseleff, on the corner of Unionkatu, is home to many of the chic boutiques that make up the touristy Baazar Kiseleff. Helsinki also has a touch of St. Petersburg about it... In fact, the Finnish capital has been used as a location for a number of films, the action of which was supposed to take place in the city built by order of Peter the Great in 1703.

Let's continue our stroll behind the magnificent Lutheran Cathedral, in Snellmaninkatu Street, home to the Bank of Finland, erected in 1882. A stone's throw away, note the metal-welded fountain by Eila Hiltunen (designer of the Sibelius Monument ). Opposite the Bank of Finland stands a statue of Johan Wilhelm Snellman (1806-1881), a remarkable ^19th-century Finnish statesman who took the initiative in minting a Finnish currency distinct from the rouble. The latter, by Emil Wikström, also sculpted the frieze of the nearby House of Orders (Mariankatu 5), designed by Gustaf Nyström and restored to house the state's salons d'honneur. Completed in 1891, it serves as a meeting place for the commoner orders during the national assizes of the orders. Nyström was also responsible for many of Helsinki's public buildings, such as the National Archives (Rauhankatu 17), whose oldest document dates back to 1316. Continuing along Unioninkatu, take a look at the Faculty of Humanities, housed in one of Helsinki's oldest hospital buildings.

Continuing along Unioninkatu, we reach the University Botanical Garden and the large Kaisaniemi Park (Unioninkatu 44). Further on, take Liisankatu Street to the end and cross the beautiful Kruununhaka district, where the sea and quayside come into view. Once you reach Pohjoisranta, you'll see some of the tallest buildings of the late ^19th and early ^20th centuries. An arm of land connects with Tervasaari, the ^17th-century site of merchants' tar stores. This area, now restored as a park, is one of the locals' favorite places for a stroll.

Just across the square is the exceptional (and free) Helsinki City Museum: don't miss it (especially with children).

Stromma is an agency that organizes bus and walking tours of Helsinki. It offers really interesting itineraries, and the route is well laid out. What's more, on the bus, you can listen to the tour in French through headphones. I particularly like the Living & Design tour, which is particularly well done and gives you the chance to see some of the capital's lesser-known places! Want more? Why not opt for a visit to the Fazer chocolate factory after a bus tour of the city? Or, in summer, opt for the neighborhood walking tours.

A world of tastes and smells opens up to you. Stop to taste the local products, we particularly recommend that you try the speciality of Tampere; the Mustamakkara. This is a black pudding with rye that is eaten with its cranberry jam and accompanied by cold milk. You should find what you are looking for. It is indeed no more and no less than the largest covered market in northern Europe! It's like being in an old movie. An obligatory stopover to make in Tampere as the charm operates here!

If you've always dreamed of observing Finland's (and indeed Scandinavia's) majestic animals in perfect conditions, then look no further than the Bear Center! With 17 specially equipped private huts, contemplating bears and other wolverines is child's play. Even better, if you want to photograph them in perfect conditions, that's possible too! Various activities are offered throughout the year. In short, highly recommended!

If you like to discover a city through its architecture, then you'll love our ArchitecTOUR walks. These three circuits (each around three kilometers long) will allow you to admire Turku's history from building to building, on either side of the river. Easily interchangeable, you can combine them into one long walk. All departing from the center, they're ideal for a first approach or to keep you busy for a few hours!

Located on the island of Suomenlinna, this museum traces Finnish military history, with a particular focus on the Second World War. Numerous exhibits and objects retrace the episode of the "Winter War" and help visitors understand the civil and military issues of the period. An impressive tank and period weapons are on display. The ticket also includes a short but unusual visit to the Vesikko submarine.

A relatively small but charming museum of modern art, the Tampere Museum of Modern Art is housed in a magnificent brick building (the oldest of its kind in the city). On the program: numerous temporary exhibitions featuring national and Scandinavian artists who have won prizes in competitions. Although the works are sometimes a little difficult to grasp, they are well contextualized. There's also a well-stocked store. A worthwhile visit if you're in the area.

Museum of the marine environment and fish in Finland. There are 22 themed aquariums, the most beautiful being the 500,000-liter cylindrical tank, which includes fish from the Baltic Sea region. Its depth is seven meters, which is also the average depth of Finnish lakes. In addition to aquariums, Maretarium also features a marine theater, exhibitions, an aquatic souvenir store, a café and a research and nature study center.

The new Musée du Jouet (formerly located on the Emma premises) is an absolute paradise for children... and for those who want to play! Here, in addition to an impressive collection of toys from all ages and eras, it's all about having fun, manipulating and playing "as if". Many local families come to spend an afternoon at the museum to let their offspring play freely: a very good sign!