What to See in Finland - Top Sights and Attractions

Fortress in Helsinki, Finland. Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg, is an inhabited sea fortress built on eight islands about 4 km southeast of the city center of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Suomenlinna is popular with tourists and locals who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. Originally named Sveaborg, or Viapori as referred to by Finnish-speaking Finns, it was renamed in Finnish to Suomenlinna in 1918 for patriotic and nationalistic reasons, though it is still known by its original name in Sweden and by Swedish-speaking Finns.

The Swedish crown commenced the construction of the fortress in 1748 as protection against Russian expansionism. The general responsibility for the fortification work was given to Augustin Ehrensvärd. The original plan of the bastion fortress was strongly influenced by the ideas of Vauban, the foremost military engineer of the time, and the principles of the star fort style of fortification, albeit adapted to a group of rocky islands. Famous for these bastion fortifications, Suomenlinna became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

During the Finnish War, Sweden surrendered the fortress to Russia on 3 May 1808, paving the way for the occupation of Finland by Russian forces in 1809, and the eventual cession of Finland to Russia at the conclusion of the war. Russia held the fortress until Finnish independence in 1918. Finland then managed Suomenlinna through the Defense Department until turning most of it over to civilian control in 1973.^[1]

Market in Helsinki, Finland. The Market Square is a central square in Helsinki, Finland. It is located in central Helsinki, at the eastern end of Esplanadi and bordering the Baltic Sea to the south and Katajanokka to the east. HSL maintains a year-round ferry link from Market Square to Suomenlinna, and in the summer there are also private companies providing ferry cruises, both to Suomenlinna and to other nearby islands. The Presidential Palace, Helsinki City Hall, Swedish Embassy and the Stora Enso Headquarters building are all located adjacent to Market Square.

From spring to autumn, the Market Square is active with vendors selling fresh Finnish food and souvenirs. There are also many outdoor cafés at the square. Some cafés also provide meat pastries (Finnish: lihapiirakka).

The height of the square's popularity is in early October, when the annual Helsinki herring market (silakkamarkkinat) begins.

A long tradition at the Market Square is a display of old American cars on the first Friday of every month. Any motorist with an interest in old American cars may participate in the display.

Seagulls have become an increasing menace in the Market Square, swooping down to snatch snacks and ice cream from the hands of unsuspecting tourists.^[3]

13th-century castle with history museum. Turku Castle is a medieval building in the city of Turku in Finland. Together with Turku Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use and the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. It was founded in the late 13th century and stands on the banks of the Aura River. The castle served as a bastion and administrative centre in Eastland, as Finland was known during its time as a province of Sweden. Only once did the castle figure in the defence of the realm, when Russian invaders from Novgorod destroyed Turku in 1318. It more frequently played a role in internal struggles for power within Sweden and the Kalmar Union. The castle's heyday was in the mid-16th century during the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon. That was when the Renaissance Floor and King's and Queen's hall were built, along with other features. It lost its status as an administrative centre in the 17th century after Per Brahe's period as governor-general of Finland came to an end. Turku castle is today Finland's most visited museum, with attendance reaching 200,000 in some years. In addition, many of the larger rooms are used for municipal functions.^[4]

Landmark 700-year-old church and museum. Turku Cathedral is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Finland, Tapio Luoma. It is also regarded as one of the major records of Finnish architectural history.

Considered to be the most important religious building in Finland, the cathedral has borne witness to many important events in the nation's history and has become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. The cathedral is situated in the heart of Turku next to the Old Great Square, by the river Aura. Its presence extends beyond the local precinct by having the sound of its bells chiming at noon broadcast on national radio. It is also central to Finland's annual Christmas celebrations.

The cathedral was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century, and was dedicated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300, the seat of the Catholic bishop of Turku. It was considerably expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, mainly using stone as the construction material. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, and was rebuilt to a great extent afterwards.^[7]

Granite-built church with 3 steeples. Tampere Cathedral is a Lutheran church in Tampere, Finland, and the seat of the Diocese of Tampere. The building was designed in the National Romantic style by Lars Sonck, and built between 1902 and 1907.

The cathedral is famous for its frescoes, painted by the symbolist Hugo Simberg between 1905 and 1906. The paintings aroused considerable adverse criticism in their time, featuring versions of Simberg's The Wounded Angel and The Garden of Death. Of particular controversy was Simberg's painting of a winged serpent on a red background in the highest point of the ceiling, which some contemporaries interpreted as a symbol of sin and corruption.

The altar-piece, representing the future resurrection of people of all races, was painted by Magnus Enckell.^[10]

The Puijo tower is an observation tower at the top of Puijo hill in Kuopio, Eastern Finland. Opened in 1963, the tower is 75 metres tall and has a revolving restaurant with 100 seats. It was the first tower with a revolving restaurant in the Nordic countries. The restaurant was an inspiration to Erkki Lindfors, the mayor of Tampere, who got the idea to build a similar one in his home town, resulting in the Näsinneula tower, which opened in 1971. The current Puijo tower has been visited by over 5.5 million tourists.

The current tower is the third overall. When it was completed on 27 July 1963, the second one, built in 1906, was dismantled. The first tower was built in 1856. On the western side of the tower there are three ski jumping hills.^[12]

Kuopio Market Square is the market square in the Multimäki district in Kuopio, North Savonia, Finland. The market is located about one hundred meters above sea level and the size of the area is 130×174 meters. The cover is made of dice and nubile stone. In the east–west direction, the area is crossed by flat walkways. As a surface, the market is slightly sloping, which poses challenges for use. The structure rests on a 10–15 m deep sand mattress, under which there is a ridge formation starting from Väinölänniemi, which runs under the church towards Puijo. Tulliportinkatu runs along the edges of the square in the north, Puijonkatu in the east, Kauppakatu in the south and Haapaniemenkatu in the west.

The locals use the nickname Mualiman napa in the square, which more freely translates to mean either "the pole of the world" or "the navel of the world".^[16]

Radio and TV Museum, also known as Mastola, is a museum located in Lahti, Finland. The museum is near the city centre on the Radiomäki hill. Next to the museum building are two 150-meter-high radio masts built in 1927. The masts are a well-known landmark and a symbol of the city. The museum operates in a radio station building designed by a Finnish architect Kaarlo Könönen and built in 1935.

The Radio and TV Museum was opened in 1993. The museum went through an extensive renovation between the years 2014–2016 and reopened in 2017.

The museum operates under the Lahti City Museum. The Radio and TV Museum collects, researches and exhibits objects related to radio and television especially in Finland. It is a national specialist museum in its field. Visitors can experience old radio and television programmes and see equipment of different eras. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, seminars and events.^[20]

Museum in Kuopio, Finland. The Kuopio Museum is an Art Nouveau-style museum building completed in 1907 on the edge of Snellman Park in Vahtivuori, Kuopio, Finland. The Kuopio Museum is the third oldest specially built museum building in Finland after the Helsinki's Ateneum and the Turku's Art Museum. It has national romantic features and was inspired by Finnish castles, such as St. Olaf's Castle and Vyborg Castle. The building's architect was J. V. Strömberg, who designed a significant number of Kuopio's public buildings at the turn of the 20th century. The Kuopio Museum houses the exhibition facilities of the Kuopio Museum of Natural History and the Kuopio Museum of Cultural History. The museum is visited by an average of about 30,000 visitors a year.^[21]

Science center and digital planetarium. Heureka is a Finnish science center in Vantaa, Finland, north of Helsinki, designed by Heikkinen – Komonen Architects. The aim of the science centre, which opened its doors to the public in 1989, is to popularize scientific information and to develop the methods used to teach science and scientific concepts. The name ‘Heureka’ refers to the Greek exclamation, presumably uttered by Archimedes, to mean “I’ve found it!”. The Science Centre Heureka features both indoor and outdoor interactive exhibitions with exhibits that enable visitors to independently test different concepts and ideas. There is also a digital planetarium with 135 seats.

The Heureka Science Centre is a non-profit organization run by the Finnish Science Centre Foundation. The Finnish Science Centre Foundation is a broadly based co-operation organization that includes the Finnish scientific community, education sector, trade and industry, and national and local government. The ten background organisations of the Foundation support, develop and actively participate in the activities of Heureka. The foundation’s highest body is the Board of Trustees, whose decisions are implemented by the Governing Board. Everyday activities are the responsibility of Heureka’s Director assisted by a management team and other staff.^[24]

Museum in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Tavastia Castle or Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Tavastia Proper, Finland. It is located in Hämeenlinna, the city between Helsinki and Tampere. Originally located on an island, the castle now sits on the coast of lake Vanajavesi. The castle consists of a central keep and surrounding curtain walls, enclosed by a moat. The keep originally had five turrets, but only two are apparent today. The curtain wall has a gatehouse, battlements, an octagonal brick corner turret, and a round gun turret. The lower tiers of the keep and curtain wall are of masoned granite and the upper tiers are red brickwork.

Although the exact date is disputed, the castle is generally considered to have been constructed in the 13th century. In addition to its status as a military fortress and home for Swedish nobility, the castle has seen use as a prison, and is currently a museum operated by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities. The castle is one of the main tourist attractions of southern Finland, being the centerpiece of the city and a popular venue for events, including renaissance fairs.^[27]

The Porvoo Town Hall is a former town hall and current museum in Porvoo, Finland. It is located in the old town of Porvoo, in the immediate vicinity of the market square.

Porvoo Town Hall is the oldest town hall building in Finland, as the first written mention of the older Porvoo Town Hall dates back to 1545. The main contractor of the current town hall was Gabriel Hagert (1706–1774), the Mayor of Porvoo, who received financial support from the parliament and the Nyland Brigade for construction work. The building was designed by master builder Gotthard Flensborg (1723–1803). It was built between 1762 and 1764 and was mainly built between 1763 and 1764. The town hall was commissioned no later than the autumn of 1764. Its wooden bell tower was completed in 1771. The building represents Hårlemanian Baroque classicism. It is two-floor, brick and with an attic roof. The foundations of the building have not initially withstood the weight of thick structures and it has been tilted obliquely. The depression has not been corrected, because the sloping floors have already been adjusted and the depression has stopped.

The Porvoo Museum has several exhibitions in the building. The permanent exhibitions in the town hall present the history of Eastern Uusimaa from the Ice Age to the 18th century, the town hall, and 19th century artists of the Golden Age of Finnish Art: Albert Edelfelt, Ville Vallgren, Johan Knutson, Louis Sparre, A. W. Finch and Saara Hopea.

In accordance with the medieval urban tradition, the Christmas Peace is declared every year in Porvoo. The declaration will be made on Christmas Eve at 4 pm from the town hall stairs. The local band and male choir will perform Christmas carols at the event.^[28]

Church in Rauma, Finland. The Church of the Holy Cross is a medieval fieldstone church in Rauma, Finland. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki.

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420. Historians assume the current stone church was completed in 1515–1520. The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The church itself is a two-aisle church made of grey granite. The choir features fresco-secco style murals depicting the Biblical story of salvation. The paintings are from the time of Arvid Kurck, who was Bishop of Turku 1510–1522. The Bell tower was built in 1816. It was made of stones from the ruins of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The white steeple used to serve as a landmark for seafarers.^[35]

Theatre in Oulu, Finland. Oulu City Theatre is a municipal theatre in Oulu, Finland. The current theatre building is located in the Vänmanninsaari island close to the market square in the city centre.

The theatre was established in 1931 as Oulun Näyttämö (literally Oulu Stage), name was changed to Oulun teatteri (Oulu Theatre) in 1951. The theatre became municipally owned in 1965 and its name was changed to Oulu City Theatre. At the time the theatre performed in the Oulu City Hall. The first specifically designed theatre hall, the current theatre, was opened in 1972. The building has been designed by architects Marjatta and Matti Jaatinen.

The theatre was renovated and extended in 2002–2004. After the renovation there are four stages in the theatre with the main stage having 527 seats.^[36]

Science museum in Oulu, Finland. Tietomaa is a science centre in Oulu, Finland. It is located in Myllytulli district near the city centre. It is the first science centre in Finland and it was opened to the public on 29 June 1988.

Tietomaa is located in old buildings of the Veljekset Åström Oy, a former leather processing factory. The main exhibitions are located in the former power station. Tietomaa's 45-metre (148 ft) observation tower with a glass elevator outside the tower is a former water tower of the factory. Tietomaa also features a giant movie theatre, which at its opening was the first-ever purpose-built IMAX theatre in Finland and in the Nordic Countries. The IMAX system was replaced with a Barco 4K system in 2013.^[37]

Cultural history exhibits and a kids' area. The Northern Ostrobothnia Museum is a museum of cultural history. This provincial museum focuses on the city of Oulu and its surrounding Northern Ostrobothnia region. The museum is situated in the Hupisaaret Islands park in the Myllytulli neighbourhood in Oulu, Finland.

The museum was founded in 1896 and it was maintained by a museum society until 1969, when the ownership was handed over to the city of Oulu. Between the years 1911–1929 the museum operated in an old wooden villa, Villa Ainola, which was destroyed in a fire on July 9, 1929. Some of the collections of the museum were also destroyed. Soon after the fire the current museum building began construction on the site of the old villa. The new stone house was completed in 1931. The building was designed by Finnish architect Oiva Kallio. Oulu City Library was also located in the building until 1982.

The basic exhibition extends in all the other floors of the building except the bottom floor, which is dedicated to the changing exhibitions and an exhibition for the children. The exhibition for the children is based on the Doghill books by Finnish children's author Mauri Kunnas. The ground floor hosts a large scale model of Oulu city centre in the year 1938 before the bombings of World War II.

In addition to the main museum the Northern Ostrobothnia museum maintains Sailor's Home Museum in Pikisaari, Pateniemi Sawmill Museum and Turkansaari Open-air Museum.^[38]

Lutheran church in Lappeenranta, Finland. St. Mary's Church of Lappee is a wooden Evangelical Lutheran church in the center of Lappeenranta, Finland. The construction began in April 1792 and the church was consecrated partially unfinished in June 1794. The adjacent bell tower was built half a century later in 1856.

The church was built by Juhana Salonen, a church builder from Savitaipale, and has a capacity of 840 people. Architecturally it is a so-called double cross church (Finnish: kaksoisristikirkko) and the only surviving such church from the 18th century in Finland. The altarpiece was painted by Alexandra Frosterus-Såltin in 1887 and depicts the Ascension of Jesus.

The church is listed as a nationally significant built heritage site by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities.^[41]

Castle in Kajaani, Finland. Kajaani Castle was built on the Ämmäkoski island of the Kajaani River in the centre of Kajaani, Finland, in the 17th century. Today, only roofless ruins remain of the castle.

The castle functioned as an administrative centre, prison, and military strongpoint. The most famous prisoner was the historian Johannes Messenius, who was forced to live in the poor conditions of the castle from 1616 to 1635.

Construction of Kajaani Castle began in 1604 and was completed in 1619. At first, the castle only consisted of a stone wall, two round towers, and wooden buildings in the yard inside the castle.

Count Peter Brahe ordered major additional construction of the castle in the 1650s, which was completed in 1666. During this construction, many wooden structures of the castle were replaced with stone structures to form a fortress.

During the Great Northern War (also known as the "Greater Wrath"), Russian forces besieged the castle for several months until it was finally forced to surrender because of lack of food, firewood, and ammunition. Shortly after this, the Russians blasted the castle, and its inhabitants were deported to Russia and imprisoned there.

In 1917 a hydro-electric plant was built at Ämmäkoski.

The first wooden bridge on top of the ruins was built in 1845. By 1937 the castle island became the foundation for a new road bridge made of concrete.

The bridge, called Linnansilta ("castle bridge"), was originally the only bridge across the Kajaani River. After the construction of later bridges, traffic across Linnansilta decreased, and there are plans to take down the bridge and give this national monument a due and proper restoration.^[43]

Museum in Pori, Finland. Pori Art Museum, is a museum of contemporary and modern art in Pori, Finland. It was established in 1979, mainly by the efforts of professor Maire Gullichsen, co-founder of the furniture company Artek. Pori Art Museum has several art collections as well as changing exhibitions.

The museum is located in the centre of the city by the river Kokemäenjoki. The building is an old weigh house that was designed by architect C. J. von Heideken (1832–1888). It was originally built in 1860 and renovated for museum use in 1979–1981 by the design of architect Kristian Gullichsen. The latest extension of the museum was completed in 2000. The exhibition area is about 800 m2. The museum does also have a library, picture archive, shop and a café.

Pori Art Museum's two main collections are the collection of Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation and the Pori Municipal Collection. Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation collection consists mainly of Finnish art from the late 19th century to the 1980s. The main focus of the Pori Municipal Collection is on 20th-century art together with 19th-century Finnish artists as Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931) and Victor Westerholm (1860–1919).

The collections have works by many notable international artists, including names like José Bedia Valdés, Ian McKeever, Leonhard Lapin, Yan Pei Ming, Georges Rousse, Yoko Ono and Dennis Oppenheim.^[44]

Cathedral in Espoo, Finland. Espoo Cathedral is a medieval stone church in Espoo, Finland, and the seat of the Diocese of Espoo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The cathedral is located in the district of Espoon keskus, near the Espoonjoki river. The oldest parts of the church were completed in the 1480s and it is thus the oldest preserved building in the city. The church became a cathedral in 2004 after the Diocese of Espoo was split off from the Diocese of Helsinki. The cathedral grounds include a graveyard, a vicarage and a parish hall completed in 1995. In addition to being the seat of the Diocese of Espoo, it serves as the church for the Espoo Cathedral Parish and hosts various concerts and other events including the "Organ Night and Aria" concert series.^[45]

Lutheran church in Pori, Finland. The Central Pori Church is a church in Gothic Revival style in the centre of the city of Pori, Western Finland. It is the largest church in region of Satakunta, and one of the largest in Finland. The church is also the main church of Pori.

The church was built in between 1859 and 1863, when it was inaugurated. It is known for its unique church tower, which is made of cast iron. The tower is 72 metres (236 ft) tall. The church was designed by C. T. von Chiewitz and C.J. von Heideken. Glass paintings in the church are made by Magnus Enckell.

Today the Central Pori Church is famous of its pipe organ, built by Paschen Kiel Orgelbau in 2007. The church is also the main concert venue of the annual Pori Organ festival.^[48]