With time on your hands at the airport why not check out my suggestions of attractions to visit nearby. One can easily be reached on foot while the other two can be visited by public transport or by taking a taxi from the airport. Finland’s capital Helsinki is beautiful but it’s also interesting to discover that the attractions listed below are closer to the airport and offer something for the entire family.
Finnish Aviation Museum
Getting there:
This is the nearest attraction to Helsinki Airport and is located in the heart of the Aviapolis area in Vantaa, just a 20 minute walk from the terminal buildings. The museum can also be reached by taking the train from the airport one stop to the Aviapolis station. The museum is then just a 300m walk.
Exploring the museum
The Finnish Aviation Museum comprises two large exhibition halls showcasing the history of Finnish aviation from different eras, including military, commercial and private aircraft. There are approximately 70 aircraft on display together with plane parts and memorabilia including cups and saucers used on board etc.
Civil Aviation Hall
I suggest starting your tour in the Civil Aviation Hall where visitors can climb on board a Finnair Convair Metropolitan passenger plane which carried a maximum of 44 passengers. This model of aircraft is memorable as Finnair has just celebrated 70 years of flights between Helsinki and London, first operated in 1954 by a Convair Metropolitan. Back then, the journey took 8 hours compared to just 3 today as the plane needed to make stops in both Copenhagen and Dusseldorf for refuelling. Flying in the 1950’s was just for the wealthy and business travellers as the fare was priced at an enormous 55,200 Finnish Marks, the equivalent of £1,900 in today’s money.
Other highlights include a Douglas DC-3 which is one of the most famous and most produced aircraft in history. It was used in the Second World War as a military transport aircraft, and after the War thousands of surviving DC-3s were transformed into passenger planes and sold to airlines all over the world. The DC-3 became one of the most important aircraft types in Post-War air traffic. In Finland aircraft of the type were used both by Aero (later Finnair) and its competitor, Kar-Air (Karhumäki Airways).
Across in the Military Aviation Hall there are numerous aircraft on display used by the Finnish Air Force from the first prototypes, to aircraft looted during the war and several more recent jet aircraft. The Swedish Saab 35 Draken jet fighter is one of the newest aircraft types on display in the Museum collections. The Finnish Air Force purchased Draken fighters in the 1970s, to serve alongside the older soviet MiG 21 jets. The Drakens served until the 1990s, until being replaced by American F-18 Hornet fighters. The last Draken flights of the Finnish Air Force were flown in 2000. Also of interest is the Hansa seaplane which was constructed at the Aviation Force Factory (Finnish Air Force) in 1922 and is the oldest surviving aircraft constructed in Finland.
Other facilities on site include a temporary exhibition hall, a free to use flight simulator, cafe and gift shop. Standard admission €12 (£10.11).
Details: Finnish Aviation Museum, Karhumäentie 12, 01530 Vantaa.
Laila Pullinen Sculpture Park and Home Museum
Getting there: 15 minutes by taxi from the airport
For those with an interest in art and sculpture then a visit to the Laila Pullinen sculpture park at Nissbacka Manor is a must. The museum is owned by the Laila Pullinen Foundation and focuses on sculpture, cultural history and nature conservation. The complex consists of a sculpture park, home museum and historical buildings. The main collection is located in the Makasiini Building with temporary exhibitions on display during the summer season in the Atelier Gallery.
The renowned Finnish sculptor Professor Laila Pullinen (1933–2015) lived and worked for 30 years in the old manor house creating works of art at one with nature. The museum is open during the summer months (sculpture park grounds free of charge). There is also a well stocked gift shop and an attractive garden cafe where you can enjoy coffee and freshly baked fruit pies.
The Nissbacka Manor collection consists of Laila Pullinen’s works from 1955-2013, starting with her early literary workshops, and ending with bronze sculptures in monumental stone and bronze using Finnish granite.
If you are travelling through the non Schengen area of Helsinki Airport then you an take a look at the ‘Sun in the Fells’, (1967) a large scale bas-relief sculpture by Pullinen which on display there. Adult admission €15 (£12.63), under 15’s free. Please check the website for opening times.
Details: Laila Pullinen, Nissbackan Kartano, Sotungintie 4, 01200 Vantaa,
Fazer Experience Visitor Centre
Founded in 1891, Fazer is one of the most famous of Finnish food companies producing chocolate, cakes and confectionery since 1894.
Getting there: 12 minutes by taxi from the airport. For those with more time then it’s also possible to take Bus 570 to Kyrkogränden followed by a 15 minute walk.
Fazer Experience:
One hour guided tours are available in both Finnish and English and as these are very popular I suggest pre-booking in advance. Adult tickets cost €15.50 (£13.06) and are excellent value as they include tasting samples and a gift bag for each paying visitor.
The tour began in the visitor centre’s foyer where we all received a warm welcome from our tour guide. He explained that Fazer has welcomed visitors for over 60 years and the current centre had been open since 2016 in celebration of Fazer’s 125th anniversary.
Tours include a visit to the tropical garden, cinema room and museum which documents the history of Fazer and packaging through the ages. Before ending the tour visitors are given 10 minutes to sample the delights of Fazer’s confectionery before being handed a well stocked goodie bag to take home.
Fazerila Cafe
Located in the same building is the attractive Fazerila Cafe which is open for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. The latter is very popular so it’s recommended to pre-book a table in advance. Brunch costs €35.90 (£30.20) and includes a superb selection including artisan bread, croissants, granola, cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurts and cheese alongside traditional creamy salmon soup and a selection of Fazer’s irresistible cakes.
Details: Fazer Visitor Centre, Fazerintie 6, Vantaa, 01230.
Stay:
Clarion Aviapolis Hotel
If you are considering an overnight stopover at Helsinki Airport then I suggest staying at the Clarion Hotel which is the newest of the airside hotels at the airport. The Aviapolis station is adjacent to the hotel and is just a two minute rail journey or a 20 minute walk from the terminal. Rooms have been designed with a Scandi chic theme in shades of muted grey and charcoal. This dark effect is enlivened with a bright yellow armchair and natural light from the floor to ceiling windows. Request one of the runway view rooms which come supplied with binoculars for plane spotting. There’s no need to be worried about aircraft disturbance though as all rooms are triple glazed and sound-proofed ensuring a good night’s sleep.
All room rates include breakfast which is a bonus for hotels these days and with such a delicious spread, there’s more than enough to set you up for the day. Breakfast is served in the Kitchen and Table and starts from 6.00 a.m. weekdays and 7.00 a.m. at weekends. For passengers with early flights, a scaled down selection is available from 4.00 a.m. Lunch and dinner can also be enjoyed in the Kitchen and Table restaurant which offers an international menu with Finnish influences such as creamy salmon soup and reindeer steaks. The hotel also boasts a sauna and fitness centre alongside a comfortable foyer lounge. The Clarion Aviapolis feels more like a cosy city centre hotel than the usual style of bland hotels found at most airports and an ideal option.
Details: Clarion Aviapolis Hotel, Aviapolis, Helsinki Airport.
If you have enjoyed this post you may also like:
Day trip from Helsinki: Nuuksio National Park
Day trip from Helsinki: Fiskars Village
Our visit was supported by Visit Vantaa and the Fazer Experience. and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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