Before I go into gay Helsinki, I should give you reasons on why you should travel there first.

Finland is like the unknown family member among the Nordic family which includes Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. Most people would never know where the country is and would never consider traveling there but as my heritage is Finnish I was always curious to go. And when I went to Helsinki, I discovered that the people were inviting, the city was authentically Finnish, and the culture still exists.

In fact the Finns are proud of their Finnish heritage and have come through rather tough times when they were once occupied by Sweden and then Russia. But modern Finland is home to some of the smartest people in the world, one of the most confusing languages, and enjoys a great standard of living. That’s leaps and bounds away from where Finland was back in early 1900’s.

So what about Helsinki?

Helsinki is the population center of Finland and is where 2/3rds of Finns call home. Sitting at a latitude of 60 degrees north, Helsinki is one of the most northern capitals in the world only behind Iceland’s capital. Helsinki was erected under Swedish rule as a rival to Estonia’s now capital, Tallinn.

Why do travelers love this city even though it is expensive? Because Helsinki is so accessible. The city is quite compact and everything that you want to do is nearby. There are theaters, art museums, churches, architecture, Finnish food, saunas, a metro, a tram system, sports stadiums, universities, thousands of lakes and hundreds of islands. Not to mention that nearly everybody in Helsinki speaks Finnish and some form of English. This city is highly educated and cultured, alluring a lot of tourists who love history, culture, unique food and unique people.

Gay Helsinki

But you want to know about gay Helsinki. For such a small population, is the gay scene that good? For one, the Finns have become a highly tolerant people and Finland is a great place to be gay. Compared to Stockholm, Helsinki feels more down to Earth and maybe not as flashy. It’s like the meeting of eastern and western Europe in one city. It may not have the Stockholm personal charm but Helsinki makes up for it with its own unique style and architecture, that is well charming in itself.

Where is gay Helsinki? There is actually two areas where almost all the bars, cafes, saunas, and clubs are. One is located exactly in the center of the city and the other has fewer establishments northeast of the city center. The central area of Helsinki, around Iso-Roobertinkatu, the Central Railway Station and Kamppi is the main going out section. The main gay Helsinki bar life is around around Iso-Roobertinkatu and Eerikinkatuand surrounding streets. The gay area northeast of the city is located just north of the street Tavastvägen and then goes up north to Vogue Sauna on Sturenkatu street. My trick was to type in “gay” on Google maps while over Helsinki and all the gay establishments came up.

Gay Helsinki Establishments

There is one gay Helsinki café called Café Cavalier, specializing in live performances and pastries. Never been here but it looks like a great place to chill and maybe people watch. The Finns love their coffee so it should be no surprise that Helsinki has a lot of cafes and internet cafes. And surprisingly they aren’t as expensive as you would think.

If you’re looking for another bar I can recommend Mbar! It was a cute, stylish and nice internet café that was essential in the dead of winter. Helsinki has great wi-fi in the city but if you want to sip some coffee while surfing than try this place. And yes you can get access to grindr in Helsinki!

Although there is only one gay Helsinki establishment in name, it doesn’t mean that there other gay friendly places to eat at. Helsinki is by far the best place to find a variety of food in Finland and you should try some Finnish cuisine (think something like reindeer and potatoes). Up near the northeast gay area there is also this outdoor space called Bear Park Café that does service towards gays. This might be a great option only if you plan on visiting the gay bars and clubs up there.

Gay Sauna vs. Traditional Finnish Sauna

Obviously Finland is known for their saunas but in gay Helsinki there is only one sauna called Vogue. That’s because if you went to a normal sauna it would be awkward to make advances towards someone of the same-sex. In Finland, saunas are supposed to be about health and not sex except in the one gay bar. Although when I went to a public sauna, the Yrjönkatu sauna, I saw many attractive and cute Finns making some glances so it’s possible the guys actually do hook up there.

I went to the Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall, which is a sauna and swimming area. It wasn’t required to be naked but everybody was, so I did! Men and women go on opposite days and at different times, so there could be some guy on guy glances. In the sauna there is a Turkish sauna, Finnish sauna and an electric sauna as well as a large swimming pool where you swim after sweating. Very relaxing and something that is truly Finnish.

If you’re looking for an even more authentic sauna experience try Kotiharju Sauna. It’s wood burning and truly the real deal in terms of a real Finnish sauna experience.

Vogue sauna is the only sauna that caters towards gay and yes you can go in there and have sex, steam, and a sauna. It’s open from Tuesday to Sundays and cost less than 20 euros to get in. It’s located near the northeast gay area and Bear Park Café.

Gay Helsinki Clubs

Gay Helsinki is not very big and there are only a handful of dedicated gay clubs and bars to choose from. However, like the rest of western Europe, most Helsinki bars and clubs are gay friendly. It’s definitely not unheard of to go to a non-gay bar and meet somebody who is gay.

DTM – Is the main gay club in the middle of Helsinki. It is one of the largest in Northern Europe and is open every night, all year round! Quite impressive for a gay club in a city with only 600,000 for the population. It has two separate floors for dancing, drinking, and listening to music like trance, Finnish folk, and other gay music.

Hugos Room – Offers private parties, a bar, and the typical dance floor. It is located a further south from the other central gay bars.

Hercules – It’s the other known gay bar in Helsinki and has the feel of the older, bear crowd. Definitely not as popular as DTM but popular for cruising.

Ravintola Manns Street – Gay comedy club (although may be in Finnish), karaoke, bar and club.

Up in northeast Helsinki there are more bars and clubs but they are less known and definitely more out-of-the-way. These bars are Fairytale, and Terrace Bar and seem more chilled than their downtown counterparts. Nearby there is the Bear Park Café which would be a good idea during a nice summer day.

If you’re looking for more clubs and bars outside the gay world take a look at this list.

Gay Helsinki Beaches and Parks

The most popular beach in Helsinki is probably Hietaniemi Beach but if you’re gay and want to be around other gays than Pihlajasaari beach is where you should go. Take a quick ferry ride from Merisatamanranta or Ruoholanti and then go to the eastern part of the beach. There are some cliffs, so it’s not the best area to swim but this is the best gay beach in Helsinki and is also a nude beach. Not in the mood to be nude then try out another Helsinki beach. Personally I like that Finland is so relaxed on nudity and I think this is a great secluded place to hang with other gays.

There are many parks around the city but none that are exclusively gay. The point is to enjoy the Finnish parks where in the winter time there is skiing and cross-country skiing and in the summer its a nice place to gather and people watch. Sometimes they host special gay events like the Pride parade.

Beyond the Gay

When I travel, I don’t just think about the gay aspects of the trip. Helsinki has some really great tourism sites like the Tuomiokirkko, or the Lutheran Cathedral. It is the best well-known symbol of Helsinki and was erected in 1852.

I would also suggest Suomenlinna, the old Finnish fortress that sits just off the mainland in the Baltic Sea. I traveled in winter and there was barely anybody on the island but it was peaceful and one of the best photo opportunities I’ve ever had. The Baltic Sea was crusted with ice and snow while the area looked like a winter wonderland.

The Temppeliaukion kirkko or the Church in the Rock is one of Helsinki and Finland’s most famous attraction. In basic it’s a church that was made literally by digging into a solid rock. It is free entry and definitely worth it!

Others Helsinki things to do would be:

• Esplanadi Park – In summer it’s the main park of Helsinki and where people sit and listen to music or snack on some food.
• Vintage Tram Ride – This was a unique experience! I rode on one and the feel is from a different time. Definitely a great way to get around Helsinki and distinctly Finnish.
• Uspenski Church – Russian Orthodox Church that is gorgeous. It’s right where the ferry from Stockholm lets you out.
• Ateneum Art Museum – If you love art this is the main Finnish art museum and something to consider.
• Design Museum – The Finns are big on design.
• The National Museum of Finland – Learn about the history of Finland in a historical Finnish building.
• Olympic Stadium – The all white building that looks like it’s from the 50’s because it is. Good for photos and a Tex-Mex restaurant close by.
• City Hall – The white and blue building that is front of the ferry to Suomenlinna (Helsingin kaupungintalo). I love the light colors!
• Sibelius Monument – Interesting organ pipe structure that nearly every tour group is brought to.
• Aleksanterinkatu – Main shopping street of Helsinki.
• Stockmann – Finland’s and Scandinavia largest department store on Aleksanterinkatu. This was a good place for me to rest from the brutal Finnish cold.
• Marimekko – Total Finnish brand that mostly sales the famous Finnish interior design, bags and fabrics.
• Botanical Gardens – It’s open even in winter and is a typical botanical garden but it’s beautiful and relaxing. I had a great time there and it was truly one of the few places that I felt warm.

Going back to Finland

So after one visit to Helsinki in 2010, I would love to go back and do more of the gay Helsinki that I missed. For instance I would like to go to more gay bars and try out the gay beach and definitely try more Finnish food. And this time I have a better budget to afford Helsinki because I learned quickly that it’s expensive! My time was short the first time around and there is a lot more of Helsinki that I still would like to discover!

Check out my Travel Guide on Finland or my personal story while I was in Sweden and Finland. Make sure to leave comments and share!

images by: shawnvoyage, johnny, maria, visitfinland