Things to see in Helsinki

Located opposite Finlandia Hall, about 10 minutes' walk from Helsinki’s city centre, this museum contains rich archaeological and ethnographic collections depicting Finnish life from the earliest times to the present day. The sections on prehistoric Finland and the culture of the Sami people of Lapland are particularly interesting, and the museum building, constructed in 1916, is a Helsinki landmark. Guided tours available.

About 1.5km (1 mile) offshore from Eteläsatama harbour, the sea fortress of Suomenlinna was once the bastion of the Swedish empire, with a larger population than Helsinki itself. Founded in 1748 to protect the coast from Russian attack, the fortress island was finally surrendered to Russia in 1808. This superb fortification was one of the main reasons why the Russians moved the capital from Turku to Helsinki in 1812. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the fortress buildings contain the Suomenlinna Museum, the Ehrensvärd Museum, the multimedia Suomenlinna Experience, the Suomenlinna Toy Museum, the Military Museum's Manege, the Customs Museum and the WWI-era Submarine Vesikko, amongst other attractions, restaurants and bars. Despite the looming cannons, the rest of the island is a peaceful green haven, and locals flock here for summer picnics. During the summer months, there are daily guided tours around Suomenlinna in English, Swedish and Finnish. In the winter there are tours in English during the weekends. Helsinki City Transport runs regular ferries to Suomenlinna from Kauppatori (free with a Helsinki Card, journey time - 15 minutes). JT-Lines runs a waterbus service on the same route from May to mid-September.

Hundreds of steel pipes shaped by sculptor Eila Hiltunen make up the impressive monument to the famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). A rebel under oppressive Russian rule, Sibelius wrote tunes that have become synonymous with Finnish patriotism - 'Finlandia' came to symbolise the Finnish struggle for independence. A journey to this monument is a pilgrimage for most Finns.

With all the excitement about contemporary Finnish design, it’s easy to forget that Finland has a rich history of fine art, showcased at this excellent gallery near the train station. Inside, you can see works by such Finnish icons as Albert Edelfelt, the Von Wright brothers and Akseli Gallen-Kallela, whose famous triptych showing scenes from the Kalevala - the Finnish national epic - is the star attraction.

This fascinating museum was the home of Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the Imperial Russian Army officer who led Finland to independence in a bloody civil war that saw 30,000 Finns killed in 108 days. A particular hero for Swedish-speaking Finns, Mannerheim later served as Commander-in-Chief, Regent of Finland and Finland’s sixth president. His former home remains much as the great man left it, and inside, visitors can see such heirlooms as Mannerheim’s war medals and hunting trophies. Guided tours are available in seven languages.

Finnish design is world-famous and this interesting Helsinki museum tracks the history of the Finnish design movement, from the fabrics of Marimekko to the Arabia ceramics of Kaj Franck, the glassware of Timo Sarpaneva and the furniture and buildings of Alvar and Aino Aalto. There are regular special exhibitions and the museum café has chairs by celebrated designer Yrjö Kukkapuro.