Reached by a causeway, Tar Island (named for the warehouses that safely stored flammable Finnish tar here prior to export) is now a landscaped park with spectacular views over Helsinki's skyline. Covering 2.86 hectares, it's planted with several different varieties of roses, including the Karelian rose. There's a summer theatre with free performances (mostly in Finnish), a small kids' playground and the wonderful summer restaurant Savu, specialising in smoked Finnish delicacies, situated in the last remaining wooden tar storehouse.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.82 MILES
Suomenlinna, the ‘fortress of Finland’, straddles a cluster of car-free islands connected by bridges. This Unesco World Heritage site was originally built…
0.84 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…
1.03 MILES
An unmissable stop for Finnish design aficionados, Helsinki's Design Museum has a permanent collection that looks at the roots of Finnish design in the…
1.22 MILES
Built in National Romantic art nouveau style and opened in 1916, Finland’s premier historical museum looks a bit like a Gothic church with its heavy…
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2.94 MILES
Situated 5.5km northwest of the city centre, this excellent island-set museum has a collection of 87 historic wooden buildings transferred here from…
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1.07 MILES
One in a series of elegant, contemporary buildings in this part of town, curvaceous, metallic Kiasma, designed by Steven Holl and finished in 1998, is a…
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28.54 MILES
One of Finland's most enticing old quarters, this tangle of cobbled alleys and wooden warehouses is entrancing. Once a vibrant port and market, Porvoo now…
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1.08 MILES
Set beneath the iconic 1936 Lasipalatsi building, art museum Amos Rex opened in 2018. Sweeping staircases take you below ground to the exhibition halls…
Nearby Helsinki attractions
0.34 MILES
Made from glass plates set between polished aluminium, this 1977 sculpture by Helsinki artist Risto Salonen (1945–2001) stands on the Merihaka waterfront…
0.35 MILES
This impressively functional posse of around six heavy-duty ships is moored off the northern side of Katajanokka island.
0.41 MILES
Mustard-coloured Ruiskumestarin talo is central Helsinki’s oldest wooden townhouse, built in 1818. The charming cottage, with hardwood floors, fireplaces…
0.44 MILES
Architect CL Engel designed these naval barracks for the Russian military garrisoned here from 1816 to 1820 – the first of his many works in Helsinki. The…
0.44 MILES
The eye-catching red-brick Uspenski Cathedral towers above Katajanokka island. Built as a Russian Orthodox church in 1868, it features classic golden…
0.54 MILES
Overlooking the kauppatori, the striking neoclassical Presidentinlinna was designed by CL Engel and is one of the head of state's official residences. The…
0.57 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…
0.57 MILES
The work of Russian sculptor Oleg Kirjuhin (1929–91), this striking bronze statue stands 6.5m high and was installed in 1990 as a gift from Moscow to…