Helsinki vs. Stockholm – Deciding Which Baltic Sea Capital to Visit

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Stockholm and Helsinki are both friendly capital cities located on the Baltic Sea. Both are great options for visiting if you wish to have a taste of Scandinavia and experience the culture of a Nordic welfare state. You can expect to immerse in history, observe modern technologies, art, and architecture, and get around by some of the best public transport in the world.

If you’re trying to decide which city to visit, you might want to learn a little more about each vibrant capital. Stockholm is larger, and is thus considered a cosmopolitan city with somewhat more attractions. Helsinki, though still rather large, has more of a grassroots-y or “small town” feel, with greater emphasis on sustainability. Of course the cities differ slightly also in terms of landmarks, restaurants, and nightlife.

In this ultimate guide to Helsinki vs. Stockholm article you can find out more about the wonderful aspects of these two capitals. Perhaps it will also help you decide which one to visit next…

Helsinki vs. Stockholm: Getting around

Both Stockholm and Helsinki are praised for having an excellent public transportation system. It involves, in both cities, the public bus, tram, metro, and commuter train systems, as well as certain ferries.

In Helsinki, HSL gets you around, while in Stockholm, the main public transportation provider is SL. In both places, it is recommended to download the app, then easily pay using the app. However, you can also buy tickets in advance at various kiosks or stations.

In Helsinki, the ABC day ticket from HSL is handy in that it gets you not only around the city, but also from the airport to the city.

In Stockholm, I find getting from the airport to the city is just a tad more expensive, but the travel time is about the same. HSL in Helsinki has city bikes for rent as well, which is great because the bicycle roads in Helsinki are fabulous and there are lots of parks to ride through.

In Stockholm, there are more commuter ferries than in Helsinki, and there are also seven metro lines as opposed to Helsinki’s two. You’ll find electric (stand on) scooters in both cities – and I highly recommend trying out this fun form of transport if you haven’t yet had the chance. In general, it is said that the public transportation system in Helsinki covers all city areas even better than the system in Stockholm. But either way, the buses, trams, trains, and metros are neat and easy to use in both cities.

Helsinki vs. Stockholm: Landscapes and cityscapes

Islands and water

Stockholm and Helsinki are both located on archipelagos surrounded by a great number of islands. Stockholm city is spread out over 14 separate islands and the mainland, although the surroundings of the city contain around 30,000 islands altogether. Because of the amount of waterways, islands, and bridges, Stockholm is sometimes called the “Venice of the North”.

Helsinki area, on the other hand, consists of about 300 islands. Here, as well, the amount of water bodies and features have contributed to Helsinki gaining the nickname “Pearl of the Baltic”. I would say, however, that you feel the presence of water even more strongly in Stockholm than in Helsinki. In Stockholm, the amount of water features and water transport definitely adds to the whole atmosphere of the city.

Stockholm’s Old Town vs. Helsinki’s architecture and fortress

Stockholm has one main feature that distinctly sets it apart from Helsinki: Stockholm’s Old Town, or Gamla Stan, built around 800 years ago. This colorful area of old buildings, narrow alleyways, and attractive small shops and galleries is perhaps the most important drawcard of Stockholm. And I can attest that spending time in Gamla Stan is always worth it.

In Helsinki, however, there is no “old town” as such, although lots of historic buildings exist in various parts of the city. Suomenlinna sea fortress is one historical place, though, with an old town feel. Here you can admire architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Parks and green areas

When comparing Helsinki vs. Stockholm in terms of green areas, they both have lots of beautiful parks, although access to nearby nature is a bit easier in Helsinki than in the larger Stockholm city. Most strikingly, the 10-km long Helsinki central park is a narrow stretch of woodland running from the city centre through the surrounding suburbs to the north. It is an important recreational area for locals and visitors alike.

Helsinki vs. Stockholm: Tourist attractions

Historical attractions and government buildings

Both Stockholm and Helsinki are full of fascinating cultural attractions. In Stockholm, the Old Town harbors historic buildings, statues, and landmarks. One of the most famous ones, of course, is the official residence and workplace of the Monarch, the Stockholm Palace. The grand building is awe-inspiring and always makes me feel a little bit like entering a fairy tale. It is fun to observe the daily change of guards at the Palace. It is an old Monarch, and perhaps somewhat puzzling in today’s modern world. And yet, lots of Swedish people, and Finnish people as well, enjoy following the news regarding the beloved royal family. The private residence of the Monarch, Drottningholm Palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also open to visitors. You can reach it by taking a bus from the city centre.

The Rosenbad building with the Swedish government and the Prime Minister’s office is also a worthy sight in central Stockholm, and an interesting place to visit. The island to the south of Gamla Stan, Södermalm, has interesting neighborhoods with picturesque buildings and lovely restaurants.

In Helsinki, I recommend visiting the seat of the parliament, Eduskuntatalo, with its impressive front pillars and fascinating goings-on. Suomenlinna is of course a lovely historical attraction, and the President’s castle is open to visitors, close to Helsinki’s South Harbor and market place. Otherwise, Helsinki hosts some architecturally interesting modern buildings, such as the central library Oodi or the art gallery Kiasma.

Memorials and churches

In all Scandinavian countries, you’ll find lots of statues in public spaces. They often commemorate some historical figure or event, and sometimes they depict celebrations of national pride. In Helsinki, you’ll most likely spot the statue of the well-loved Finnish leader Marshal Mannerheim, in front of Kiasma.

Another statue that is centrally located is the statue of the Three Blacksmiths, next to Stockmann shopping centre. It is thought to celebrate collaboration, and perhaps also sisu, the famous Finnish persistence and will to keep on trying despite the odds. I also recommend visiting the Sibelius Monument in Sibelius Park, dedicated to Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius.

In Stockholm, you’ll equally find many statues of famous war leaders and kings. I would at least recommend visiting the statue of Karl XII in King’s Garden. He was one of Sweden’s most famous kings, and both his statue and the royal garden are well worth visiting. Another impressive statue in Stockholm is that of St Georges slaying the dragon, located in Old Town.

Both capitals naturally harbor a host of beautiful churches which add to the aesthetics and the atmosphere of the cities. In Helsinki, the central Helsinki Cathedral with its formidable front steps, white exterior, and blue domes is a sight to behold, and the nearby Uspenski Cathedral of the Orthodox church is touchingly beautiful. Stockholm seems to have churches around every corner. One of the most stunning ones is the gothic cathedral Storkyrkan in the Old Town. On Södermalm, Sophia Church and Katarina Church are both important places of worship, built in beautiful settings.

Indoor museums

Stockholm probably has a slightly greater variety of museums than Helsinki, ranging from ancient history to pop and contemporary culture. For example, the Stockholm Photografiska Museum has stunning and thought provoking exhibitions. Vasa Museum has impressive collections of maritime history, including the only salvaged 17^th century ship that you can view during your visit. I would also recommend visiting the interactive ABBA Museum, and at the Nobel Prize Museum you can learn about humanity’s achievements in the 20th century.

Helsinki, on the other hand, has lots of Finnish cultural and historical museums. The artworks at Ateneum art museum showcase deeply Finnish mental and cultural landscapes. The Natural History Museum also has exciting exhibitions. Kiasma contemporary art museum is worth visiting, albeit something quite different in style. I can also recommend the Design Museum – there you can learn about the history of Finnish design and the role of design in the development of this welfare state. Nokia, Angry Birds, Aalto designs, and many more feature in the museum’s exhibitions. Thus, Helsinki’s museums are a mix of more traditional history and modern design.

Outdoor attractions

Both cities feature their own open-air museums. In Stockholm, Skansen is an open-air museum and a zoo where you can learn about the traditional Swedish culture in a picturesque setting. In Helsinki, Seurasaari is both a park and an open-air museum, located on an island. Historical buildings have been brought here from other parts of Finland, and are now scattered within a Finnish natural landscape.

Korkeasaari is Helsinki’s zoo, also located on an island. Their work focuses on education, conservation, and rehabilitation. There is also an amusement park in both cities. In Stockholm, Gröna Lund is rather visible in the city scape, whereas in Helsinki, Linnanmäki is a little off the centre, but equally a fun-filled place to visit.

Helsinki vs. Stockholm: Restaurants & nightlife

In terms of restaurants, when comparing Helsinki vs. Stockholm, Stockholm has slightly more options than the smaller Helsinki. In both cities you can find restaurants that cater for all dietary requirements. Indeed, Stockholm does have some amazing vegan restaurants to visit, such as Hermans in Södermalm. And at the other end of the spectrum, Meatballs for the People is in Södermalm, too. Here you can try fantastic Swedish meatballs.

Of course, the Old Town has its share of amazing eateries, though many of them are quite pricey. I can recommend Bröd & Salt for breakfast or lunch. Overlooking the sea, this café is a perfect place to fika (Swedish tradition of taking a break to enjoy a hot drink, a snack, and a chat with friends). For dinner, the atmospheric restaurant Under Kastanjen in the heart of Old Town is a great choice. You can order meatballs with mashed potato, or a vegan burger with truffle mayonnaise. I also enjoy their fabulous mushroom soup.

Meanwhile, in Helsinki, celebrating the local producer and farm to plate ethos is perhaps a little more evident in the city’s restaurants than in Stockholm. This is the case especially in restaurants such as Savoy and Green Hippo. Suomenlinna island also harbors some amazing restaurants and cafés in a picturesque setting. For example, at Restaurant Suomenlinnan Panimo you can enjoy traditional Finnish foods as well as tasty craft beer. Café Silo is definitely the place to be if you want to enjoy a great pulla with coffee.

Stockholm is often celebrated for its nightlife scene, and indeed the city has countless trendy bars, clubs, and cocktail lounges to choose from. In terms of live music, you can enjoy a slightly greater variety of pop and R&B style music in Stockholm. In Helsinki on the other hand, the heavy metal and rock music scenes have a larger following.

Helsinki vs. Stockholm: Beyond the capitals

Nature close to the capital

There’s a lovely national park close to each city, reachable by public transport, that allows one to immerse in the local nature. Nuuksio national park is about one hour away from Helsinki by bus, while Tyresta national park is just 40 minutes from Stockholm by bus. Nuuksio is great for a day trip, but you could easily enjoy a whole weekend camping here. There are some huts where you can stop at and make a fire, and the walking trails are excellent. At this national park, you can get an introduction to Finnish nature. Enjoy immersing in pine and mixed forests, swimming in lakes, or spotting animals such as the endangered flying squirrel.

Tyresta national park and nature reserve is the largest area of ancient forest in southern Sweden. Like Nuuksio, it is home to pines, lakes, deciduous forests, and some cultural-historical arable land. There are pine trees as old as 400 years at Tyresta, and these old-growth forests harbor greater biodiversity than managed forests. It is thus a precious place, and well worth visiting from Stockholm.

Other regions of Finland and Sweden

When it comes to exploring the rest of the country, Stockholm is more centrally located. You can easily catch a train or a bus from Stockholm to the quaint town of Malmö or other areas of southern Sweden. It is equally easy to head north from Stockholm.

From Helsinki, it certainly takes long to reach the north of Finland. However, one can always catch a plane to Rovaniemi to visit Lapland if the long train or bus ride doesn’t seem inviting. For more information, don’t miss our expert, locally-written one-week in Finland itinerary.

Either way, I certainly recommend exploring other parts of Sweden and Finland too, rather than just the capitals.

From both Stockholm and Helsinki, you can take a cruise ship to several locations. A fun thing to do, in fact, is catching a cruise ship between Stockholm and Helsinki, visit the other city for a day or two, and then head back. This can be inexpensive if you travel without a cabin, but for about 100 euros you can usually get an overnight cabin. Traveling on the cruise ships can be great fun, with all the cafés, clubs, restaurants, saunas, and swimming pools you can find on board. I personally also just enjoy watching the sea and the small islands float by.

Rest of Europe

From Stockholm it is a bit easier to travel to central and western Europe than from Helsinki. Lots of buses and trains can take you down to Denmark, Germany, and beyond. However, the land connection from Helsinki is evolving, as well. There are now buses by companies such as FlixBus that you can hop on in Helsinki and that take you across the sea on a ferry and down to central Europe via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and so on.

The connection between Helsinki and Estonia’s capital Tallinn is easy, just 2-3 hours on a ferry. This is actually one great benefit to visiting Helsinki; the ease with which you can also visit the lovely city of Tallinn across the small sea. Naturally, Helsinki also offers easier access to Russia, but this is of course dependent on the ever fluctuating political climate.

Final thoughts – Stockholm or Helsinki?

Which city to visit ultimately depends on your wishes and your likes.

If you’d like to experience a larger city with slightly more things to do, then Stockholm is your choice. You’ll find a greater variety of museums, bars, and restaurants there, and the atmosphere overall is a little more cosmopolitan. The Old Town certainly is one especially attractive feature of Stockholm, and access to the rest of Europe is somewhat easier than from Helsinki.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to have a bit more down-to-earth capital city experience, I’d say opt for Helsinki. It is smaller and that way easier to take in on foot or by public transport. It is also easier to access larger nature areas in Helsinki than in Stockholm, and if you’re after rock music or heavy metal, Helsinki is the place to go.

Overall, both of these beautiful cities on the Baltic Sea are worth exploring, and if you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting them both!

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