Helsinki Neighbourhoods, Locations and Districts

(Helsinki, Uusimaa, Southern Finland, Finland)

Situated on the Baltic shoreline, Helsinki contains a total of more than 50 different districts, which in turn comprises a series of smaller districts and local neighbourhoods. The area around Helsinki's port is especially lively in the summer months, while the area of Kluuvi is of special interest to business travellers, since many of the city's countless companies reside within this prominent central business district.

The southern side of Helsinki is where the oldest districts of Helsinki reside and it is here where you will encounter many of the city's main sights. Filled with historic buildings and spacious parklands, both the Eira and Kaivopuisto neighbourhoods are filled with elegance and character, while nearby, the area known as Ullanlinna contains excellent vistas across the coast. However, for tourists, the following locations will be of most interest.

Kamppi District

Sandwiched between the main Helsinki railway station (Rautatieasema) and the Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas), where many art galleries are based, Kamppi is full of interesting sights and contains a number of the city's most historical wooden buildings. Many attractions are located within the boundaries of the Kamppi district, such as Helsinki City Art Museum (Helsingin Kaupungin Taidemuseo) on the Salomonkatu, and the Linnanmäki theme park on Tivolitie, a family favourite famous for its wooden rollercoaster.

Kallio District

A particularly lively and bohemian part of Helsinki, Kallio is situated on the easterly side of the peninsula itself and around 1 km / 0.5 miles to the north of the actual city centre, being linked by the Pitkäsilta Bridge. Kallio is a densely populated area and features many tall apartment blocks, along with endless bars and pubs, together with a towering church, which was built around 100 years ago.

Punavuori District

Formerly a working-class district, Punavuori is now far more appealing to tourists, while retaining many of its oldest buildings, period character and historic waterways. Punavuori is perhaps best known in Helsinki for being home to the Hakaniemen Tori (Hakaniemi Square), where local markets are regularly held, with plenty of fresh Finnish produce from the region.

Töölönlahti District (Töölö)

The district of Töölö offers some of the best views of Helsinki's coastal scenery and for that reason has become a popular spot for photographs. Linnunlauluntie Road is a particularly good place to stroll and leads to a number of excellent vantage points and to Töölö Bay itself. Nearby are many picturesque parks, such as Hesperia Park (Hesperian Puisto) and also the City Winter Garden (Kaupungin Talvipuutarha) and their many hothouses.

Kauppatori District

Kauppatori has long been a prominent shopping district in Helsinki and this upmarket neighbourhood contains many popular shops and a busy market square, the Kauppatori. Located on the eastern side of the Esplanadi and directly next to the Baltic Sea itself, the Kauppatori Market Square is amongst the most famous of its kind in the whole of Finland and a major attraction in this area. Regular ferries operate between Market Square and the fortress of Suomenlinna (Viapori).