The capital of the world’s happiest country is full of delights

Finland consistently tops lists of the world’s happiest countries, including just last week. Why? A visit to the pretty capital of Helsinki goes a fair way to explaining. Architecturally blessed, on the doorstep of nature and refreshingly easy to navigate, it’s a city with a surfeit of delightful surprises.

The sauna culture

Loyly, a design-forward sauna centre in Helsinki.

It’s a practice so steam-ironed into Finnish life that “sauna culture in Finland” was placed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. There are at least 2 million saunas across the country and in Helsinki, public saunas are the social equivalent of a Fitzroy or Paddington pub on a Friday night. Löyly is one such buzzing haunt, an angular, sculptural building housing three wood-fired saunas with a bar attached and a stepladder for those who’ll brave a plunge in the chilly Baltic Sea. Allas Sea Pool is another literal hot spot – a seaside suntrap made of floating wooden decks, plastered with sunbathing Finns next to lap pools and different-sized saunas. In winter, when the sea freezes, you can skate right past.

The coffee

Finns drink more coffee per person than any country in the world, downing an average of four cups a day. Filter coffee is the traditional way to caffeinate, sweetened with a korvapuusti (cinnamon scroll) on the side. Cappuccino lovers will be happily surprised by the barista talent at La Torrefazione Lasipalats near the city centre. Or if it’s the setting you savour, ensconce yourself in the velvet armchairs of Robert’s Coffee in Jugend. A beautiful art nouveau space inside a dome-roofed historical building by Finnish architect Lars Sonck.

The island hopping

The vast Helsinki Archipelago.

There are 300-plus islands on the Helsinki Archipelago, with lush green forests and sandy beaches that can trick you into feeling you’ve left the Nordics entirely. Many can be reached by a short ferry ride from the city’s Market Square. At quaint Lonna Island you can waddle over slippery rocks to dip in the sea, then soak up hazy sunset views through the steamy windows of its architectural wooden sauna. History buffs will love Suomenlinna, the larger island fortress founded in 1550 and known as the “Gibraltar of the North”. The guided walking tour navigates its labyrinth of tunnels and fortifications while exploring Finland’s fascinating history from Swedish to Russian rule and finally Finnish independence in 1917.

Local food

Coffee and a cinnamon scroll in Helsinki.

Meals in Helsinki start with moreish sourdough made from rye, a key Finnish crop. Mains usually feature a cold-water fish like Arctic char, and end with colourful berries such as the rare orange cloudberries from northern Finland. Don’t miss the opportunity to try reindeer, either. The butter-soft reindeer steak at Skörd, served with woody mushrooms and tart raspberry jus, was memorable. Meanwhile, flaky smoked herring swathed in creamy mash from Adlerfelt on Suomenlinna upends expectations of what was traditionally peasant food.

The new hotel

The NH Collection Grand Hansa.

The debut property in Finland from luxury brand NH Collection opened in 2024 and inhabits the bricks of two heritage-listed buildings from the 1900s. The NH Collection Grand Hansa pays homage to this historical splendour while nodding to modern Scandinavian design, with 224 rooms that nestle rich velvet lounges into loft-style, angular rooms. There’s a Finnish sauna, steam room and commercial-sized gym – the best I’ve tried in a hotel – downstairs. But its location is the highlight – it’s an easy stroll over the tram tracks from the go-anywhere transport hub of Central Station.

The transport system

Trams run on time and bikes are well-used and their riders given due regard.

Australians will find it difficult to fathom just how efficient and reliable public transport is in Helsinki. Buses, trams, ferries and trains move around the city in sparkling clean carriages, always on schedule. Using Google Maps to plot a route is easy, or download the HSL route planner app. A 40-minute train from the lower level of Helsinki Airport to Central Station reaches 150km/h, is faster than an Uber, even with station stops, and costs just €4.40 ($7.30). For those who enjoy pedal power, there are bike lanes everywhere and Finnish drivers are very respectful in giving way to riders.

The walking tour

Stomp the cobblestones with a smiling local from Happy Guide Helsinki to tick off Helsinki’s most famous landmarks in three hours. Visit the Market Square on the harbour to nibble on fried vendace, or sample bear meat jerky and cloudberry jam at Helsinki’s oldest indoor market, Old Market Hall. Guide Felipe offers history and architecture lessons when we visit City Hall, Upenski Cathedral and Central Library Oodi, but like all the best walking tours, we spend more time focused on eating and drinking. See happyguidehelsinki.com

The long drinks

One of Finland’s most popular beverages was an accidental byproduct of the Helsinki 1952 Olympics. The government worried that it wouldn’t be able to serve alcohol fast enough for the excitable post-WWII crowds. So, it commissioned a revolutionary premix made of gin and grapefruit soda in a can: the long drink. These days, Helsinki Distilling Company makes one of the best. The company started out as a whisky distillery in 2014, the first to bring distilling back to the city for more than a century. It’s worth visiting the distillery and wandering through the surrounding area that was formerly a slaughterhouse, now a vibing restaurant and cafe hub called Teurastamo (literally “abattoir” in English).

The architecture

The stunning architecture of Alvar Aalto.

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto lived in Helsinki and is known as the “father of modernism” in Scandinavian countries. It’s fascinating to see how his work inspired ubiquitous pieces of furniture and glassware, including many Ikea favourites, on a guided tour through his leafy 1930s house and studio. Aalto’s modernism inspires the glass and steel curves of Helsinki Central Library Oodi, and yet Helsinki’s architecture is a blend of its many historical layers. The pastel-coloured Art Nouveau apartment blocks showcase centuries of Swedish rule. Next to those, intricate gilt-domed roofs sit atop Byzantine-Russian buildings including the imposing Upenski Cathedral.

One more thing

Australians might wonder how the Finns survive their snowy winters with entire days consumed by darkness. Nature replies with the opposite during midsummer – literally endless days when the sun doesn’t set north of the Arctic Circle. In Helsinki, on the southern coast, the sun does briefly dip below the horizon, but the light lingers during June-early July evenings known as “white nights”. Stay on the beach until 11pm or enjoy the many outdoor festivals, it’s a fabulous time of year to visit.

The writer visited as a guest of Helsinki Partners and Visit Finland.