Helsinki Safety

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The crime rate in Helsinki is generally low. Occasional pickpockets target summer crowds and bicycles are prone to petty theft. Walking in the streets after dark is generally safe and the city center is indeed quite lively until the early hours of the morning. However, it's best to steer clear of obviously drunk people looking to pick a fight, the traditional trouble spots being the frustratingly long queues for late night snack food or taxis. The Kaisaniemi park behind the main Railway Station is possibly best avoided at night, and the area of Kallio and Sörnäinen (northeast from the center, after the Pitkäsilta bridge) may be somewhat rougher than other parts of the downtown. Recently, due to free movement of people in the European Union, Helsinki has been a destination for beggars and petty criminals from poorer parts of the Union.

In the summer, a common problem in the center of the city are aggressive birds. The seagulls will try to take your ice cream cone or sandwich from you, so try to avoid eating where you see a lot of bigger birds. Tourists feeding the birds are a main cause of the problem, and feeding birds is prohibited.

In winter, try to keep a steady footing: despite the use of vast quantities of gravel and salt, pavements can be quite slippery when the temperature hovers around zero and near-invisible black ice forms.

Helsinki's bedrock is close to the surface, so new building works invariably involve some dynamite to build foundations, and it's thus quite common to hear explosions around the center. Blasting is often preceded by a loud sequence of warning beeps, which speed up as they count down. There is no danger to anyone, as the builders are experts (and the solid granite bedrock is very, very strong), but now you know where that "BOOM!" came from.

• Minnesholmen, 18 km (11 miles)
• Stangoren, 19 km (12 miles)