Helsinki, Finland is a tranquil and picturesque capital city, home to around 630,000 residents. Finnish people enjoy a high standard of living, as the country is clean, well organized, education is prioritized and there is not a massive disparity in wealth across residents. There are many fantastic reasons to visit Helsinki, including its renowned sauna culture. This article covers some Helsinki highlights, tips for visiting and the best Helsinki saunas – a quintessential Finland experience ideal for a wellness getaway!
Helsinki, Finland Highlights
Highlights of Helsinki include Neoclassical Helsinki Cathedral, perched above its colorful Nordic marina. Helsinki’s archipelago consists of around 330 islands, with sandy beaches, vibrant green forests and wildlife. Helsinki offers a nice balance of ample attractions, without shoulder to shoulder crowds.
Nearby, Helsinki’s Kauppatori Square (Market Square) bustles during pleasant summer months. Vendors prepare a variety of traditional Finnish dishes like reindeer, moose burgers and vendace – a pan fried small white fish. Additionally, the smoked salmon in Finland is superior to what you can purchase in most places.
Suomenlinna is a wonderful highlight of visiting Helsinki. It spans eight islands that are connected by bridges in the Helsinki archipelago. The sea fortress built in 1748, is a wonderful example of Scandinavian military history. Suomenlinna offers plentiful opportunities for scenic hikes, picnics and outdoor leisure. The island chain is easy to reach by frequent and inexpensive public ferry service departing Helsinki Marina, or on a small private ship.
Best Time to Visit Helsinki
July is an idyllic month to visit Helsinki. There is plenty of daylight as sunset is not until around 10:30pm, and it begins getting light again around 3am. But be sure to book a room with blackout curtains as the long days can negatively impact sleep. Weather in July is warm by Finnish standards, but cools significantly in the evenings. Always have a sweater or light jacket with you.
Many Finnish people take the month of July off work and head to their summer cabins. This means Helsinki is not especially busy in July, and hotel value is generally better compared to many popular European cities in July, like Paris, London and Rome. So you can avoid extreme heat, massive crowds and price gouging by visiting Helsinki in July compared to Europe’s most popular capitals for tourists.
Helsinki Saunas
Finnish people love their saunas. Many even have their own private sauna at their summer cabins. A weekly soak in the sauna is a quintessential part of life for many Finnish people. Traditionally, Finns enjoy the sauna in the nude. But today, there are some great public Helsinki saunas offering co-ed sessions, where guests where swimsuits. It is a similar concept to Budapest spas, which are fantastic.
Visiting a sauna has many health benefits. Sessions can potentially improve circulation, clear congestion, lower blood pressure, reduce joint stiffness, offer relaxation and more. After a soak in the sauna, I always depart as a more relaxed and rejuvenated version of myself compared to beforehand.
Helsinki Sauna Tips
You will save money at Helsinki saunas by bringing your own towel. That will save you on a towel rental fee that typically costs around Є5. You can likely borrow a towel from your hotel or apartment rental, and return it there afterwards.
Also know that some saunas are nude, and some have swimsuit requirements. If there is a swimsuit requirement, bring a swimsuit to save on the rental fee. A swimsuit or bathrobe rental costs around €8 at Helsinki saunas.
Loly Helsinki
Loly Helsinki features a unique sauna & restaurant along the Baltic Sea. Facilities include both public and private sauna. The public sauna features both a traditional 18m2 smoke sauna and a 22 m2 wood-burning sauna. After a good steam session, you can jump into the sea to cool off like the Finns do. Both saunas offer direct access to their outdoor seating area and the sea.
Their casual restaurant and terrace offers lovely views of the Baltic Sea. Menu highlights include their Loly burger with Finnish beef and salmon soup with rainbow trout. You can also just swing by for a coffee, beer, wine or soft drink.
Loly Helsinki is open daily, year round. Due to limited availability, the sauna books to capacity. So you should plan to make a reservation at least a few days in advance. Time Magazine named Loly Helsinki among the “World’s 100 Greatest Places.” It is indeed, the standard bearer of Helsinki saunas.
Admission for a two-hour sauna session at Loly Sauna costs Є24 ($26 USD) Monday through Thursday and Є25 Friday to Sunday. The admission price includes a towel, seat liner, along with shower gel and shampoo. Additional hours cost Є10 per hour. Loly is a co-ed sauna and swimsuits are required. Guests can also rent swimsuits for Є8 per session.
I enjoyed visiting Loly Helsinki with a Finnish travel writer that I previously met on a press trip in Hamburg, Lübeck, and Travemünde, Germany. Eeru toured me around Helsinki, and we stopped at Loly because he recommended it as one of the best Helsinki saunas.
Uusi Sauna
Uusi Sauna (The New Sauna) is a modern version of the classic neighborhood Finnish sauna. The public Helsinki sauna also offers a small courtyard terrace, to cool off. Uusi Sauna’s steam rooms have space for around 20 bathers at a time. They have separate male and female sections with wood pellet heated saunas.
Uusi Sauna features a bar and restaurant adjacent to their sauna facilities. Visitors can also stop in for a meal or beer and not visit the sauna.
Uusi Sauna does not have a picturesque seaside location like Loly Helsinki. But one advantage is that unlike Loly, Uusi Sauna does not require reservations. But they recommend making a reservation if you are visiting with a larger group.
I enjoyed my session in the steam room at Uusi Sauna. Having a good 15 minute sweat session is good for many ailments, and leaves you feeling relaxed afterwards. Note that Uusi Sauna visitors partake in the buff. While you will have a towel with you – it used to sit on the wooden pellets.
Uusi Sauna costs:
sauna admission: €18
pyyhe / towel €5
kylpytakki / bathrobe €8
Uusi Sauna operating hours:
Tuesday – Saturday from 16-24 (4pm-12pm)
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Allas Sea Pool
Nestled in the heart of Helsinki, Finland, Allas Sea Pool features a sea spa and urban oasis for wellbeing. The Allas Sea Pool includes five saunas, with two housed in the main building and three located on the floating level. The saunas’ unique waterfront location offers a picturesque view of Helsinki Harbor.
Visitors can enjoy Allas Sea Pool for several reasons. You can even enjoy a moonlight swim in the middle of the winter, with ice crackling in the background. The warm water pool is heated to 27°C year round. In the summer, children can choose to swim the kids pool or in the big pool. Allas Sea Pool is great for families to visit.
Allas Sea Pool & Sauna Hours:
Mon-Fri 06:30-21:00
Sat 08:00-21:00
Sun 08:00-21:00
Allas Sea Pool & Sauna Ticket Prices:
Mon-Fri until 14:00 pm: €18
Fri from 14:00 pm-Sun: €22
Discount group 1 (ages 3 to 12) Mon-Fri until 14:00 pm: €10
Discount group 1 (ages 3 to 12) Fri from 14:00 pm-Sun: €13
Helsinki Hotel Recommendation
Hotel Ax
I enjoyed a comfortable stay at 4-star Hotel Ax. Plush rooms and suites feature contemporary art by Finnish artists. Their breakfast buffet is scrumptious, including vegetarian, dairy free and gluten-free options. I especially loved their homemade desserts and jams.
Hotel Ax’s spacious lobby features modern art and is a great place to chat, work, or enjoy a tasty meal from their on-site restaurant. Guests have access to a gym at the property next door. A stay at Hotel Ax can also include a complimentary visit to nearby Uusi Sauna.
Helsinki Saunas Recap
Visiting Helsinki saunas is a quintessential part of a trip to Finland. Soaking in steam rooms is great for a variety of ailments, including reducing joint stiffness, lowering blood pressure and reducing anxiety. If you visit one sauna, Loly Helsinki or Allas Sea Pool are probably the best choices given their picturesque seaside locations.
Summer is the best time to visit one of the world’s most egalitarian nations. Among European countries, Finland’s standard of living excels thanks to quality education, impacting public infrastructure, clean air, crisp tap water and low crime. This combines to make Finland an idyllic setting for a wellness holiday, especially during pleasant summer months.
We love experiencing and covering wellness getaways, like the Great Spa Town of Europe, Baden bei Wien, as well as Greek spa towns. If you have any questions on planning a wellness vacation in Europe, you are on the right website! Leave a comment below or email me at [email protected] and I’ll get back to you.
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