72 hours of Finnish design
Your imperfect itinerary for Helsinki Design District
Looking to visit Helsinki for 3 days? Exploring a new place is an art, and we know there’s research to do not to miss the hotspots! But when the schedule’s too tight, there’s no space for curiosity. Getting lost is a cliché for a reason: it matters. Our perfectly imperfect itinerary series for Helsinki neighborhoods has you covered. Start with local knowledge on where to start and what not to miss, while leaving you space to play it by ear and discover your own favorite spots on the itinerary for Helsinki Design District – your deep dive into Finnish design.
Day 1: Arrive and explore
Welcome to your itinerary for Helsinki Design District! This Helsinki neighbourhood represents the heart and soul of Finnish design, where creativity and innovation bloom. Jump into a tram or have a refreshing walk on your way to your accommodation – Design District is just 10-15 minutes from the Helsinki Central Station and has a wide selection of excellent hotels where quality and comfort are combined with art and design.
Klaus K and GLO Hotel Art have really put effort into bringing the district’s art scene directly into your room. Hotel St. George is known for its classy rooms and a wellness spa, and Bob W offers hotel luxury with the cosiness of a home. Settle down in your chosen work of art and get ready for the day with a scrumptious breakfast on the side of the eye candy décor.
Tour de Design District
Familiarise yourself with Helsinki’s design cradle with a leisurely stroll through the district. The area has beautiful architecture from several time periods, art nouveau being especially visible throughout the area. Rikhardinkatu Library of books and art is a gorgeous building to explore, St. John Church is one of the prettiest church buildings in the city, and the home of moomins and the atelier of their creator, Tove Jansson, can be found at Ullanlinnankatu. And for simple but pretty treats, check out Old Church Park – or as the locals call it, ‘ruttopuisto’, the plague park (we swear the nickname is just an affectionate leftover from the 1700s).
Lunch like a local
After getting plenty of steps in, it’s time to stop and recharge with some delicious lunch! Green Hippo is a local favourite, especially famous for their wide selection of bowls. Pastis serves mouth-watering flavours in Parisian style, and Café Bar No. 9 is the second living room for culture-loving Helsinkians with two classic speciality dishes: Coriander wok and Pollo Limonello pasta.
Head to the wings of history
Continue your exploration at the local museums. Helsinki Design Museum is an internationally acknowledged and nationally famous museum, combining old classics and modern inventions in their exhibitions. With the same ticket, you can visit The Museum of Finnish Architecture, which is exactly what it says on the tin: showcasing and archiving the impressive Finnish architecture over the years and offering ways to experience architecture from a new point of view.
Evening at Esplanade Park
Esplanade Park in the northern parts of Design District has been the crowd favourite all the way from the 1800s and is titled the most iconic park of the city. ‘Espa’ – like the locals call it – is bustling with life no matter the weather and season, with seasonally changing decorations and the beautiful architecture surrounding the park ensuring there’s always something to look at. Spend your evening soaking up the atmosphere of Espa and enjoying a drink or a whole dinner at the legendary restaurant Kappeli – restaurant’s enormous windows make not only a wonderful décor but also a great place for people-watching. A nice break on your itinerary for Helsinki Design District.
Day 2: Work art, play art
It’s no surprise that Design District has attracted a lot of artists and galleries to the area outside of design – the cluster of creativity with a warm and welcoming community makes the district a very intriguing place to grow your business and, more importantly, share your art with Helsinkians!
Start your day by getting to know the abundance of art galleries in the district via a Downtown Gallery Tour’s (Kantakaupungin galleriakierros) four-gallery guided tour – or stroll around solo! There are plenty of places to see, like a painting-focused tm•gallery, a contemporary art gallery Sinne, the art and design gallery and store Lokal Gallery, and Galleria Sculptor, Finland’s only gallery focusing on contemporary sculptures.
Coffee brunch breather
Have a break with freshly brewed Finnish-style coffee and a bite of something to keep you getting peckish. Andante is a lovely combination of a coffee and flower shop with an excellent selection of baked and vegan raw goods. Café Succès is a quieter sister of Café Esplanad, both famous for their huge ‘korvapuusti’ cinnamon rolls. Finally, for a small and warm pause, Bakerika’s is a great choice with excellent cupcakes and cookies – and their frozen cookie dough can be bought from Alepa and S-Market, too!
Get creating
Feeling inspired? Time to put that to use! Next up on the itinerary for Helsinki Design District are multiple workshops where you get to create your own masterpieces. For something short and sweet, try the themed clay workshops by Colour Box or the rotating handicraft workshops at CraftCorner by Taitoliitto.
If you want a private session, book a workshop with Paja Design for leather accessories or silver jewellery – they also host ring workshops for two (an excellent date idea). And if you feel like truly emerging into the creative process, PIHKA Collection’s leather bag workshops are made for you! They’re a bit longer (because, you know, you’re sewing an entire bag), but you’ll still have plenty of time for more exploring.
Stop to shop
It’s time to truly dive into what Design District is all about! The district’s 25 streets are overflowing with gorgeous designer stores from every field of crafts you can possibly think of. Stop by Torikorttelit and Kämp Galleria and shop multiple brands at the same time, or visit the individual stores scattered around the area.
Some must-visits are, of course, the trio of Finnish design giants: Artek for furniture and home décor, Marimekko for fashion, home textiles, and other home décor, and Iittala & Arabia for kitchen ware and décor design. Lovia Collection and Eero Aarnio Design showrooms are fantastic visual treats, and VIMMA Store as well as Johanna Gullichen flagship store celebrate Finnish design as well as future-proof green choices.
Dindins and drinks
Crown your eventful day by enjoying some of Design District’s culinary – or just liquid – masterpieces. YesYesYes’s atmospheric vibe and unique vegetarian menu make it a great place to wind down and relax – not to mention their excellent selection of both signature cocktails and mocktails.
For meat-eaters, Mat Distrikt is a comfort choice with a seasonally rotating menu, and their drink speciality is a wide vermouth selection. And for some of the most innovative cocktails in the city, try Liberty of Death’s regularly updating drink menu with ever-changing twists or Wintergarden Bar’s cocktails that are served like pieces of art, thought out to the last tiny detail from the glass to the garnishes.
Day 3: A short stroll and see you!
On the final day of your itinerary for Helsinki Design District, spend your last morning by having a proper breakfast by the symbolic centre of it all, Dianapuisto Park – also known as ‘Kolmikulma’, the triangle. This is where the first cluster of creators gathered and gave start for the massive area we nowadays know as the centre of all Finnish design. Round & Square’s vegan menu includes excellent bagels and a selection of fresh doughnuts with changing flavours, and just around the corner you can find a small and peaceful book coffee shop, Otava Café.
The last-minute treasures and later
If you still had some designer stores in mind that you didn’t have time to visit yet, now is your last chance (for now, anyway). Otherwise, take your last stroll on the streets of the district and pop into some stores you might have passed the last time you walked by them – there’s a chance a vintage second-hand find or a piece of Finnish design décor has been waiting just for you.
When you’ve done your final purchases, it’s time to gather your bags and walk back to the Helsinki Central Station. Hopefully your visit to Design District inspired you to stay creative – and if you were inspired to stay and create, there’s always space for newcomers in the creative community!
It was wonderful to have you at Helsinki Design District. Until next time!
