Helsinki/Kamppi and Southwest

The eastern parts of this district are practically part of the downtown and the rest of Kamppi within walking distance from it. Ruoholahti is best accessible by metro or tram 9 from the central and eastern parts of the city, by tram 8 from the Töölö. The new metro extension takes you all the way to Lauttasaari and beyond.

If you travel in from Espoo or western Uusimaa by bus or metro, this part of Helsinki is the first you will reach. The same is true if you're arriving from Tallinn on Tallink's or Eckerö Line's ferries, from St. Petersburg by ferry or on a massive cruise ship that can't dock in central Helsinki.

To the ferry terminals, take tram 7.

Getting around in the western parts is no struggle, you can use the buses, the trams or the metro to get wherever you want, not forgetting going afoot. Even though the options for public transport are great, don't immerse yourself only in them and remember the option of going on foot; it might save your time since especially the trams might be slow.

• 🌍 Helsinki Old Church (Helsingin Vanha Kirkko) (between Lönnrotinkatu, Bulevardi, Georginkatu and Annankatu). A neoclassical wooden church built in the early 19th century, which is the oldest church in central Helsinki. It's in the middle of the Park of the Old Church, which is also known as the Plague Park (Ruttopuisto) because it was used as a cemetery for many of the victims of the plague of 1710. 
• 🌍 Lönnrotinpuistikko. A tiny little park next to the Old church. In the middle there's a statue of 19th century author and scientist Elias Lönnrot (author of Kalevala, the Finnish national epic). (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Amos Andersson Art Gallery, Yrjönkatu 23. M Th F 10:00-18:00, W 10:00-20:00, Sa Su 11:00-17:00. In the Forum block. The largest private gallery of contemporary art in Finland. Adults €10. 
• 🌍 Helsinki synagogue, Malminkatu 26. The center of the Jewish community in Helsinki; there are also a Jewish school, kindergarten and a kosher store on the premises. You probably have to call ahead for visiting. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Metropolia Polytech main building. This impressive 19th-century building next to the Hietalahti square hosted the Helsinki Technical University until the 1950s, nowadays it's the main building for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. As you're there, check out the Hietalahti market hall and market square. (updated Sep 2015)

• 🌍 Aleksanterin teatteri, Albertinkatu 32. The Alexander theater, named after the Russian czar Alexander II and finished in 1879 is likely Helsinki's most beautiful venue for performance art. Occasional shows and concerts in English. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Computer and video game museum, Tyynenmerenkatu 11 (Verkkokauppa.com building). Interested in old video games, game consoles, computers and related paraphernalia? Then this place is definitely something for you. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Lasipalatsi. Another of Helsinki's most iconic functionalist buildings right next to Mannerheimintie, the "glass palace" by Viljo Revell, Heimo Riihimäki and Niilo Kokko was finished in 1936 and is functionalist both on the inside and outside. It was planned as a temporary office building and shopping mall, to be replaced by a bigger one in the future but that never happened. In the 1980s and 90s the building was in a fairly sorry state but due to opposition by citizens and the Board of Antiquities it wasn't demolished but underwent a major restoration at the turn of the millenium. Today the gorgeous white building with colorful neon signs houses shops, restaurants, the movie theater Bio Rex, and beneath it, the art museum Amos Rex. (updated Nov 2019)
• 🌍 Amos Rex, Mannerheimintie 22–24 (entrance located at the right hand side of Lasipalatsi, in the near vicinity of the central station), ☏ +358 9 6844 4633 (bookings), +358 9 6844 460 (customer service). M 11-20; W-F 11-20; Sa/Su 11-17, closed on Tu. A modern arts museum that tends towards immersive, often audiovisual installations and has rapidly gained in acknowledgement since its opening in 2018. While entrance and shop are in Lasipalatsi, the actual museum is a piece architecture playing with organic forms located below the square located behind the visible building; sculpural forms extend into the square, portholes on their top allow a glimpse into the museum. General admission 20 €, reduced 15 €, students/under 30 years 5 €, under 18 years 0 €. (updated Nov 2023)
• 🌍 Crusell Bridge (Crusellinsilta), Länsisatamankatu. A cable-stayed bridge, which connects the districts of Ruoholahti and Jätkäsaari. It is named after the Swedish-Finnish composer and clarinetist Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775–1838). (updated Sep 2023)

In addition the district of Ruoholahti is one of the few places in Helsinki to see modern glass and steel architecture, and of course the Crusell bridge across Ruoholahti bay. Lauttasaari is one of the greenest areas in Helsinki. The island's landmark, the 1950s water tower, was dismantled in 2015.

• 🌍 Aleksanterin teatteri, Bulevardi 23-27. 
• 🌍 Annantalo, Annankatu 30. M-F 08:00–20:00, Sa Su 10:00–16:00. Feel creative? Annantalo, a multimodal "house of art" arranges art workshops and courses for both kids and grownups, as well as performances and exhibitions. 
• 🌍 The Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas or just Kaapeli), Tallberginkatu 1 (tram 8). The former cable factory in Ruoholahti is nowadays a multi-purpose culture center. It hosts concerts, fairs, art workshops and odd/original museums like the restaurant museum and photography museum. There is a Restaurant/Café/Bar Hima & Sali in the building. At lunch time you can choose your meal from a daily menu or watch the cook prepare your wok from ingredients you selected. Good place for vegetarians. 
• 🌍 Huone, Länsisatamankatu 16, ☏ +358 20 78 51 440. 08:00-00:00 mostly. Huone ("Room") claims to be the world's first event hotel, providing premises and services for their customers to hold their own events. There are twelve rooms of different sizes, and each can be rented for a day, a morning or an evening. Huone can host various kinds of events such as business meetings, birthday parties or sauna evenings. The customer holds the event - Huone provides the premises and services, including catering, with alcoholic drinks or without. €44-59 per person. (updated Apr 2016)
• 🌍 Kasinonranta Beach, Lauttasaari, Tiirasaarentie (Buses 20N, 55A and 66A, stop Hevosenkenkäpuisto.). A popular place in summer with a large playground for children and a pleasant café Kasinonranta (in summer season open M-F 15:00-19:00, Sa Su 10:00-19:00). At the beach and the park around you can picnic, kick a ball, play a beach volleyball, swim, canoe or skatefurf. In winter it is possible to snowkite here or hike, skate or cross country ski on frozen sea around Lauttasaari island and even reach some nearby islands. 
• 🌍 Outdoor skating Lauttasaari, Lahnalahdentie 2 (Short walk from Lahnalahdentie bus stop (lines 102, 110, 147, 154, 167) or Lahnalahden puisto bus stop (lines 20, 65A, 66A)). Daily 08:00-21:00. Two outdoor skating rings, open approximately 2 Jan - 24 Feb, depending on weather. 
• 🌍 Little Theater (Lilla Teatern), Eerikinkatu 2. 
• 🌍 Salmisaaren Liikuntakeskus, Energiakatu 3 (next to Helsinki Energia @ Ruoholahti). New sports mall in Helsinki, includes indoor beach, bowling, ice hockey, wall climbing, gym, Megazone, restaurant and lots more... 
• 🌍 Tennispalatsi, Salomonkatu 15. The Tennispalatsi ("Tennis palace") was built to house tennis events for the 1940 and 1952 Olympics. Nowadays, it retains no trace of its Olympic past. Instead, it functions primarily as Helsinki's biggest movie theatre, with more than ten halls on two floors, showing movies both from Finland and abroad. As well as functioning as a movie theatre, Tennispalatsi also houses cultural exhibitions, small stores, restaurants (including Pizza Hut and Hesburger) and cafés. (updated Dec 2015)

• 🌍 Uusi Sauna, Välimerenkatu 10. Tu-Sa 16:00-00:00, closed Su M. A stylish and spacious public sauna and bar in Jätkäsaari. Separate saunas for men and women. You can bring your own towel or rent one from the bar. The bar has a diverse selection of drinks and you can bring your drink to the dressing room (not to the actual sauna though). The bar has live music playing on special event nights. Sauna €18, beer around €10. (updated Nov 2023)
• 🌍 Yrjönkatu swimming hall (Yrjönkadun uimahalli), Yrjönkatu 21b (across from the Torni Hotel), ☏ +358 9 310 87401. An art-deco bath house with three types of saunas and a swimming pool. Take a sauna and swim in the nude. There are separate days for women and men. Bathing suits are not banned, but almost everyone goes without one. Men's swimming days are: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; Women's days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. 1st Floor €5 (or €5.40 with a lockable stall or 'cabin'), 2nd Floor €14. The second floor (accessible only the afternoons from Tuesday to Sunday) includes access to a steam sauna and a wood-heated sauna, as well as a café. 

• 🌍 Kamppi Center (Kampin Keskus) (Trams: 2, 9 Metro: Kamppi.). Big shopping mall in the center of Helsinki. Plenty of international brands and restaurants. Long-distance bus terminal in the basement. 
• 🌍 Forum (corner of Simonkatu and Mannerheimintie). Kamppi center's next door older brother with plenty of shops, restaurants and other services. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Kauppakeskus Ruoholahti (Metro: Ruoholahti. Tram: 8.). Quite small compared to the suburban malls along the ring roads, but this urban mall still has a Citymarket and a couple of speciality stores and cafes. 
• 🌍 Verkkokauppa.com (Metro: Ruoholahti - entails some walking; Tram: 9; Bus: 15A). 2 km from the Helsinki city center in the Western Harbour (Länsisatama). Northern Europe's and possibly Europe's largest home-electronics store with 20 000 m² of retail space. The best spot for electronics, computers, digital cameras, mobile phones and gadgets in general in Helsinki. They not only sell electronics but also imported snacks (mainly from the USA) to enjoy while watching TV or barbecuing - think soda, chips, barbecue sauce, candies and such. In addition to being a store it features a couple of fast food outlets one of them with Australian meat pies, and a computer game museum on the 5th floor. Literally on the top of it all, the 7th floor features Finland's largest sightseeing terrace with views of Helsinki, the sea and prime view of cruise ships in the summer and in the middle of it a real MiG-21BIS fighter plane, the entrance is free. Free parking underground and on an outdoor parking area behind the complex. 
• 🌍 Ruslania (Ruslania Books Oy), Bulevardi 7 (The buses 14, 18 and 21 stop near the store. Although, the trams 1, 3 and 6 are stop right next to it and tram is the best way to get there from the north.), ☏ +358503889439, customerservice@ruslania.com. 09:00-18:00, 09:00-16:00. Ruslania offers Finnish and Russian products (which includes for example souvenirs, literature, music, candy, posters and cards). A nice, not that big shop full of mostly Russian products which makes it a heaven for lovers of Russian culture or Soviet-y stuff. (updated Mar 2018)

Wireless internet can be used in some of the branches of city library (for example 🌍 Lauttasaari Library).

• Espoo
• Southern Helsinki
• Western Helsinki