Helsinki Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
capital and most populous city of Finland
About Helsinki
Helsinki was established as a trading town by theSwedish Empirein 1550, but it wasn't until 1812, when theRussian Empiremade it the capital city of the country, that it started growing. Today, this hustling and bustling city has more than 658,000 inhabitants (2021), and it is the northernmost capital of an EU member state. As Finland became part of theSwedish kingdomin the 13th century withTurkuas its regional capital, Helsinki was founded in AD 1550 by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden as a trading post to compete withTallinnto the south in Estonia, which was Danish at that time. Helsinki was established about 5 km north-east of the current centre in the area today known asVanhakaupunki("the Old Town"), at the rapids where Vantaa river (at that time known as Helsinge river) flows into the Baltic
Top Attractions in Helsinki
Explore the best things to see and do in Helsinki:
- ★Finland-Sweden athletics competition
- ★Flow Festival
- ★Helsinki City Marathon
- ★Helsinki City Run
- ★Helsinki Festival
- ★Helsinki International Film Festival
- ★Helsinki-päivä
- ★Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Helsinki Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 17 sections including: