Oiva Toikka owl in Iittala store

©Tim Bird/Lonely Planet

Iittala

Helsinki


Finland's famous glass manufacturer – established in 1881 in the southern Finnish town of the same name and later shaped by Alvar Aalto – has a central outlet here on Pohjoisesplanadi, and an outlet at Arabiakeskus, 5km north of the city, which has a museum covering the brand. Along with glassware, it now creates ceramic, wood and textile designs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Helsinki attractions

1. Johan Ludvig Runeberg Statue

0.05 MILES

Finland's national poet and composer of the Finnish national anthem, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, is commemorated by a statue in the city's central Esplanadin…

2. Esplanadin Puisto

0.05 MILES

Locally known as 'Espa', oblong-shaped Esplanadi stretches for four blocks between the squares Erottaja to the west and the kauppatori to the east…

3. Havis Amanda

0.09 MILES

Near the kauppatori, this bronze statue is the symbol of the city. Sculpted by Ville Vallgren in 1906 in Paris, and installed here in 1908, the nude…

4. Helsingin Kaupunginmuseo

0.12 MILES

This museum complex spreads over five buildings from different eras, including Sederholmin talo, Helsinki’s oldest central building (dating from 1757 and…

5. Senaatintori

0.16 MILES

From the kauppatori walk up the cobbled Sofiankatu to Senaatintori, Helsinki's majestic central square. Surrounded by early 19th-century buildings, the…

6. Kauppatori

0.19 MILES

The heart of central Helsinki is the harbourside kauppatori (market square), where cruises and ferries leave for archipelago islands. It's completely…

7. Tuomiokirkko

0.2 MILES

One of Carl Ludvig Engel’s finest creations, the chalk-white neoclassical Lutheran cathedral presides over Senaatintori (Senate Sq). Created to serve as a…

8. Ateneum

0.23 MILES

Occupying a palatial 1887 neo-Renaissance building, Finland’s premier art gallery offers a crash course in the nation’s art. It houses Finnish paintings…