Nearby Destinations to Helsinki

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Nuuksio National Forest Park in Espoo, Finland

In Finland itself the following make good day trips:

• Nuuksio National Park, a piece of untamed wilderness ca 25 km from Helsinki city centre. Accessible by bus from city.
• Porvoo, a charming old town of wooden houses is just 60 km away.
• Tampere, the third-largest city in Finland, and the birthplace of Finnish industry, boasting one of the last Lenin museums left in the world as well as a spy museum. 180 km north of Helsinki, one hour 30 min to two hours by train.
• Turku, the fifth-largest city in Finland and the historic capital. The cathedral and the medieval castle are well worth visiting. Two hours by train.
• Hanko, the southernmost spot in Finland, 140 km west of Helsinki. This town of less than 10,000 people is famous for its summer activities, including sailing, tennis, art, theater, etc.

As a coastal city, Helsinki has good connections to some fine international destinations nearby:

• In Russia, Saint Petersburg, "the Venice of the North", is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
• Stockholm, the Swedish capital, is somewhat like Helsinki but more Scandinavian and bigger.
• Tallinn in Estonia is known for its medieval city center and is easily accessible even as a day trip.