Editing Tourism in Finland (section)

=== Helsinki ===
{{See also|List of tourist attractions in Helsinki}}
[[File:11-07-29-helsinki-by-RalfR-027.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Temppeliaukio church]] is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; half a million people visit it annually.]]
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in the country, although it is relatively small compared to other European capitals.

Because Helsinki is located on the coast of the [[Baltic Sea]] and has many kilometres of coastline, most of its central districts are near the seaside. Helsinki is considered a maritime city and is popularly called ''the daughter of the Baltic''.

Helsinki's coastal position makes it ideal to experience in the summertime from one of the many sightseeing ferries leaving from the port of Helsinki. Many of Helsinki's main attractions are also related to the sea, including the [[Suomenlinna]] naval fortress (a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]) and the [[Seurasaari]] Island with its parks and open-air museum. Locals often spend sunny days at the [[Hietaniemi beach]] (often simply called ''Hietsu''), Helsinki's main beach in the district of Töölö.

In the winter-time Helsinki's northern position makes it dark for most of the day, with lighting fixtures such as [[Aleksanterinkatu]]'s Christmas street (''Joulukatu''). During the coldest months of the winter, it is very common for locals to go for walks on the frozen sea, although authorities recommend caution when the ice is thin. There are also many places for [[ice swimming]] along the coast, some with saunas.

Air travel to Helsinki is via [[Helsinki Airport]], situated in the neighboring city of [[Vantaa]], a city part of the [[Helsinki metropolitan area]]. Helsinki also has popular [[Baltic Sea cruiseferries|cruiseferry]] links with [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]] and [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]]. [[Silja Line|Silja]], [[Viking Line|Viking]] and [[Tallink]] are the biggest ferry operators.

Helsinki is also the home of the [[Linnanmäki]] amusement park, which features five rollercoasters and many other rides, including the world's first [[Intamin]] ZacSpin rollercoaster.

Helsinki is a safe city for tourists and a safe place to live. In terms of personal safety, Finland was ranked 14 out of 163 countries according to Global Peace Index 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Helsinki Finland|url=https://www.travelpricewatch.com/helsinki-finland/|website=TravelPriceWatch|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref>

Helsinki also has efficient tourist information system maintained by the [[City of Helsinki Tourism & Convention Bureau]] located in the city center next to the [[Esplanadi]] park.

Helsinki was ranked 10th of the most expensive cities in the world according to UBS Group AG's Prices and Earnings report for 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UBS Group AG's Prices and Earnings report for 2018|url=https://www.ubs.com/microsites/prices-earnings/en/stories/3-key-highlights-from-our-2018-ranking/|website=UBS.com|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref> Travelers should plan to spend around US$216 or €199 per day on their vacation in Helsinki, which is the average daily cost of staying in a 4-star hotel, visiting 2 popular attractions, using public transportation, and eating out in mid-range restaurants with a glass of wine included.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Helsinki Travel Cost Calculator|url=https://www.travelpricewatch.com/helsinki-finland/|website=TravelPriceWatch.com|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref>