Helsinki – the Nature Capital of the World

Guide to Helsinki metropolitan area and Green ring

In Helsinki, you are literally in the middle of nature. Helsinki is the only capital in the world where you can wake up in a good state, go to the Opera and go to the forest to pick mushrooms during the same day. No matter where you are, a piece of nature is always just a short walk away. 

There are two national parks in the Helsinki metropolitan area: Nuuksio and Sipoonkorpi. In addition there are 5 more national parks less than 1.5 hours away.

Helsinki is also surrounded by a green ring. The Viherkehä area combines different natural reserves in an unbroken chain around Helsinki: parks, recreation areas and national parks.

Did you know? 9 reasons why Helsinki is the nature capital of the world

Arriving to Helsinki

When you travel to Finland you will most likely end up arriving in Helsinki! The Helsinki airport is ca 20 km or half an hour away of the center of the city, and it is accessible by train, bus or taxi.

It is also possible to reach Helsinki by ferry. There are ferry connections from Stockholm, Tallinn, Travemunde, Rostock and St. Petersburg.

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Explore Helsinki

The capital city

Helsinki is the capital of Finland located in the South coast of the country. It has a population of ca 600 000 inhabitants. Helsinki is full of nature, but it also offers a variety of different cultural sights and museums.

Helsinki Green Ring

Great places right right next to Helsinki

Nature is always near in Helsinki, and this can be noticed already from the airplane: everything is covered with forests and parks. The Central Park of Helsinki is enormous. From Helsinki it’s also easy to reach some other historical places like Porvoo or Turku ­– our oldest city and former capital.

Helsinki is situated next to the Baltic Sea and it has an archipelago area of its own. The closest and also the most popular nationalpark is Nuuksio, which is located around 45 minutes away from the city central. Other national parks close to Helsinki are Sipoonkorpi, Liesjärvi, Teijo, Tammisaari and Torronsuo.

This post is also available in: Finnish