English
What will we talk about today? Yet another destination that is great for traveling with children: the cultivated and peaceful city of Helsinki. The Finnish capital grew due to its university, which gives you an idea about the character of the city. Everything there is for the convenience of its citizens and families. Today, I’m going to give you 10 fun things to do in Helsinki which are sure to appeal to both young and old:
1. Ride a bike: The capital has numerous bike lanes and many rental places with very reasonable prices.
3. Visit the Fortress of Suomenlinna: Located just outside the city, this fortress has been declared a World Heritage Site. They have activities for children (mime, street theater and puppets) and a beach that is packed in summer. In addition, it is also possible to celebrate a family event there.
4. Visit the Teatro de Danza Rollo: These shows are tailored to young tastes. The recently built (1972) theater, offers a wide ranging program with activities and workshops for children.
5. Experience a real farm: This initiative is named Fallkulla, and has pigs, chickens and lambs. If your children are at least nine years old, they can also become farmers for a day. And since Finland is also very into environmental awareness and respect for the environment, they will also be able to learn more about this here.
6. Hevosenkenka, the Toy Museum of Finland: Any child would be happy to visit this museum. The holdings range from the early twentieth century until today. Parents and grandparents will experience nostalgia as they remember their own childhood.
7. Take a walk: Visit a real tropical garden (in a city that is characterized by cold). Gardenia is a botanical garden featuring plants from other regions that offers a comprehensive educational program. In its glass-covered space, you will discover among other things a Japanese garden of stones desgined after Zen philosophy that welcomes you to sit and relax.
8. Visit the Harakka Island: This islet across from Helsinki has been open to the public since the eighties. In what was once a Russian garrison from 1908 you will find an nature observatory where kids can learn about the biodiversity of this part of the world.
9. Tour the Tram Museum: It has pieces from the early twentieth century and a tour explains more about this wonderful mode of transportation.
10. Visit the Helsinki Winter Garden: The oldest in the city, this garden was created in 1893 and today houses more than 200 species of plants and mature trees. You’ll find palm trees, pine trees and an endless variety of camellias. Activities adapted to the different seasons will help children to become familiar with the cycles of nature. And incredibly enough for a city so near the Arctic Circle, it also has a wonderful collection of cacti.
Helsinki offers so much more to do. There’s also the Senate Square, which is dominated by the Presidential Palace, as well as great art museums. It is an important city for contemporary art, but we’ll leave that topic for another day.
And don´t forget that you can choose one of our apartment for rent in Helsinki which can be rented for multiple days. This is the best way to travel as a family.
