Helsinki Activities: Saunas, Sea Fortress, Oodi

The most Finnish afternoon in Helsinki starts in a sauna that has been heated with wood since 1928. Saunas, a fortress island and a public library are the three things locals point visitors to, and between them they cover a rainy day, a clear day and a budget day. Prices below are in euros.

Three saunas, three moods

Kotiharjun Sauna on Harjutorinkatu in Kallio is the neighbourhood original. It costs €16 and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 14:00 to 20:00; Monday is closed. Men and women have separate rooms, and bathers cool off outdoors in towels between rounds (kotiharjunsauna.fi ).

Löyly, at Hernesaarenranta 4, is the architect-designed one, with a smoke sauna, a wood-fired sauna and a ladder into the sea. Its public sauna price is €29 for two hours, including a towel, seat liner and shampoo, and booking is recommended (loylyhelsinki.fi ). If you prefer a ready-made evening, browse Helsinki sauna experiences on Viator .

Allas Sea Pool, next to Market Square, mixes saunas with a heated pool at about 27 degrees and a pool of seawater. Two hours cost €19 on weekdays and until 14:00 on Friday, or €24 from Friday afternoon through Sunday (allaspool.fi ).

The sea fortress

Suomenlinna is a UNESCO fortress spread over six islands, begun in 1748 under Augustin Ehrensvärd. The way there is the HSL public ferry from Market Square: 15 minutes, an AB ticket (€3.30 on the app or a card, €3.50 contactless). In summer the boats leave every 15 to 30 minutes, and in winter every 40 to 60. The islands are free to roam, with grassy bastions, tunnels and the granite King’s Gate, and timetables and museum hours are on suomenlinna.fi .

A church in the rock

Temppeliaukio, opened in 1969 in Töölö, was cut into a granite outcrop and lit by a ring of skylights beneath a copper dome. The walk-up price is €8, so avoid paying a reseller more. The bare stone gives concerts a clear, ringing sound; look at temppeliaukionkirkko.fi for hours.

Oodi, free and open late

The central library opened in December 2018 and is free on all three floors. Upstairs there is a reading terrace facing Parliament, and the floor in the middle is a workshop with 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and recording studios. Weekday hours are 08:00 to 21:00 and weekend hours 10:00 to 20:00 (oodihelsinki.fi ).

Safety and savings

Black ice (pääkallokeli) glazes pavements between late autumn and early spring, so wear boots with deep treads or add studded grips (about €15 to €25 at pharmacies). Sea or ice-hole swimming after a sauna gives the body a cold shock; go where staff are present and enter slowly. Fill a bottle from the tap, since the water is excellent.

For tickets, rules and routes, see the Helsinki sightseeing page .

Verdict: Kotiharjun for atmosphere, Löyly for the view. Tip: go to Kotiharjun in the late afternoon, when the stoves are properly hot.

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