Many of Helsinki's main attractions have a connection to the sea, including the breathtaking Suomenlinna naval fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and the Seurasaari Island with its parks and open-air museum. Locals often spend sunny days at the Hietaniemi beach (often simply called Hietsu), Helsinki's main beach in the district of Toolo. There are many places for ice swimming along the coast, some with Finnish saunas. Choose your favourite car and book your car hire Finland.
Tourist attractions in Helsinki include a botanical garden. Car hire in Helsinki is a good way of travelling in this city. The Finnish Parliament Building and the new opera house of the Finnish National Opera, which opened in 1993, is close to the city centre in Toolo. Heureka (located in Vantaa) is a science centre providing exhibitions and an IMAX theatre. Hietaniemi is a popular beach within a walking distance from the downtown. Kaivopuisto is a popular, wonderful park in Helsinki. The Market Square is situated in the heart of Helsinki and in summer the lot of stands sell all kinds of Finnish crafts and foods. The traditional herring market in October is a particularly major event, as the fishers from the archipelago sail into the harbour and sell their products, traditional foods and crafts of the Finnish coast. The National Museum of Finland presents Finland's history from the stone age to the present and is one of the most popular museums in the city.
National Parks and Saint Nicholas
Finland contains 35 national parks from the Southern shores of the Gulf of Finland to Lapland. Car hire at Helsinki Airport can make it easy to discover this huge area. It is also an urbanised region with a lot of cultural events and activities. Commercial ships between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region, including Helsinki, Turku, Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemunde, play a major role in the local tourism. Finland is known as the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, living in the northern Lapland region. Above the Arctic Circle, you can see polar light, a period when the sun doesn't rise for days or weeks, or even months.
Outdoor Activities and Northern Lights
Lapland, at the north of Finland, is so far north that the fantastic Aurora Borealis, atmospheric fluorescence, is seen regularly in winter. Outdoor activities are the traditional Nordic skiing, golf, fishing, hiking, lake cruises, yachting, kayaking among many others. Wildlife is abundant in Finland. Bird-watching is popular for those who love the flying fauna, however hunting is also popular. Elk, reindeer and hare are all common game in Finland. Olavinlinna hosts the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival.
Other popular tourist destinations within Finland include Tampere, Oulu, Turku, Kuopio and Porvoo.
