One thing I love to do in any city, be it my own or a new one, is visit the farmer’s markets. There’s something so great about wandering through the open air, checking out the different stalls, and seeing what’s on offer. I also love the people-watching opportunities.
Helsinki has more than one market, but twice I went to the one at Kauppatori (Market Square). It’s located right on the waterfront and features lots of produce, handmade crafts, flowers and herbs, drinks and food, etc.
On the first day I was there, we got strawberries to enjoy while we walked around, and I even ended up running into one of the German guys I had met on my flight over! The second time, we got strawberries and peas to take with us over to Suomenlinna.
A word of warning though: the seagulls hanging out can be pretty aggressive; rumor has it they swoop down and steal food from unsuspecting visitors. Luckily though, none of them bothered me.
Kauppatori
Eteläsatama
00170 Helsinki
Finland