For such a modern city you never seem to be too far away from nature – the city features a marvelous amount of green space and it’s spread out across a series of islands in the Baltic Sea.

Then you add the cities delicious restaurants and Finn’s clear affinity for having a good time. They even have a word in Finnish, “kalsarikannit,” a word to describe sitting at home in your underwear drinking with no intention of going out.

15 Reasons To Visit Helsinki

Coffee Is A Way of Life

Cafe culture in Finland is massive, so much so that it’s considered a fundamental part of life. Even Finnish employers are required by law to provide their employees with coffee breaks. During the day you’ll find locals enjoying a fresh-baked pastry and coffee while on break. With all that great demand that means Helsinki has tons of delectable cafes and coffee shops that serve up some amazing coffee and food.

That cafe culture extends to all of Finland. Finns are obsessed with the brew and consume more coffee than just about any other country. In fact, they were number one for coffee consumption until 2020 when the Netherlands just passed them — either way, it’s still a heck of a lot of coffee.

We’re coffee fiends so we set out to enjoy a few cups of coffee ourselves and explore the burgeoning café scene. It seemed as if there was at least one café to pop into every block, which made another great retreat from the cold. Café Regatta is a small café in Töölö that is every bit as charming as it looks.

Café Regatta doesn’t serve up specialty coffee like cappuccinos or espressos, but they are great for filtered coffee or hot chocolate. Our favorite spot in the center of the city would have to be the beautiful Kappeli. Try to stake out a window seat! Another must is Cafe Ekberg, it is the oldest cafe in Helsinki. They’re well known for their tantalizing pastries and creating classics such as the “Alexander” cake.

Revel in Sauna Culture

We’re probably all familiar with one of Finland’s most popular exports and that is the sauna. It’s a source of national identity and pride as Finns and residents of Helsinki view it as an important part of life that is vital for your health.

The city is littered with saunas for public use and the private saunas are in abundance as they make appearances in apartment buildings, homes, hotels, and even offices.

We visited the traditional, Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall in the city center for a traditional experience. The historic swimming hall opened in 1928 and is the oldest and first indoor public pool in Finland. It’s interior features a 28-meter tile pool with brass finishings and multiple saunas and steam rooms.

Most notable is that saunas here are all done in the nude — genders are separated by designated days. That nude policy extends to almost all saunas in Finland as it’s considered unhygienic to wear swim trunks in the heat. It’s part of a larger part of Finn culture that encourages

For design fiends and a more touristic spot try out the Allas Sea Pool that is located in the harbor.

English Speakers Welcome

If you can’t speak Finnish there is no reason to stress as English is pervasive throughout Helsinki. Almost all bars, cafes, and restaurants have English menus or even default to English menus. We never ran into any issues when visiting the city and found it easy to navigate.

The world-class universities in Helsinki even offer classes in English and English majors. It all makes for inviting space for visitors who are less experienced travelers or those seeking a new place to call home.

Safe For All Travelers

All are welcome in Finland and it makes for a great destination. Single female travelers, members of the LGBTQ community, and minorities will all find Helsinki a welcoming place. Beyond that Finland is considered one of the safest countries in the world with Helsinki being one of the safest cities in the world.

It’s why we recommend Finland and most Nordic countries as a tremendous place for first-time travelers or solo female travelers. It’s not just the community that is accepting, but governance too with a slew of laws that help ensure equality.

Tremendous Access To Nature

What’s tremendous about Finnish culture and Helsinki is the easy access to nature. The city itself maintains 40% of the land with green spaces. That means there’s plenty of spots to escape the city buzz and catch a breath of fresh air.

We visited the city in the winter and loved the Helsinki Winter Garden. It’s a botanical garden at the bottom of Central Park that visitors and locals alike can come to enjoy exotic plants and beautiful gardens. Although they are called “Winter Gardens” they are actually open year-round for people to enjoy.

However, during the winter you’ll find lovely Christmas decorations and that winter cheer in the air. It’s a great cheap thing to do in Helsinki as it is free to enjoy. It’s the perfect spot to spend an hour relaxing, bring a book! A perfect fit that is indicative of Finnish culture and their way of life.

Breathe Easy

Speaking of that fresh air Helsinki has some of the cleanest city air in the world. It all plays back to a tremendous quality of life. Few capital cities have a refuge from city life. This is not the case in Helsinki where you can easily escape to their Central Park for a day.

The park runs south to north for almost 10 kilometers covering thousands of hectares. Throughout the park, you can take part in outdoor sports, jog, enjoy the gardens, and search for wildlife.

The park plays home to various species including the muskrat, raccoon dog, brown and arctic hare, the elk, and the fox. Bird lovers can also enjoy a day here looking for the Eurasian jay and garden warbler, among various others. We know how hard it is to get in your precious nature time while in a city from our New York days, and highly recommend checking out the park at least once no matter the season.

Be Inspired To Learn More

The University of Helsinki operates an amazing library that is well worth checking out. The Kaisa House is the library of Helsinki University. It’s a cool stop to relax, have a coffee, read a book, and explore innovative architectural design.

Design and education for that matter are important aspects in Finnish life. The country’s education systems scores amongst the highest in the world and the four universities in Helsinki are exceptional.

Many even offer the opportunity to study in English so if you’re seeking out a place to study abroad it might be worth considering Helsinki! At the very least, we can not recommend a study abroad program enough. It’s a life-changing event!

The Helsinki Peninsula Begs To Be Explored

Off the coast of Helsinki lies a cluster of islands that make for wonderful spots to explore and recreate. UNESCO World Heritage Suomenlinna is one of those islands that is easily accessible from the city. Suomenlinna is a fortress built in the 18^th century when Finland was still part of Sweden. It’s an interesting sight to see when visiting Finland.

To get here you must take a ferry or waterbus and it takes about 20 minutes from Market Square. Once there you can explore by yourself or hop on a guided tour. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes, and museums to duck into while visiting the fortress of Suomenlinna.

Culinary Scene

Helsinki has a thriving food scene with hundreds of restaurants to tantalize the taste buds. You can find cafes, traditional haunts, and even a few Michelin star restaurants in the city. It all follows the trend in Nordic countries moving towards fresh and locally produced food with close ties to the surrounding environment.

There are over 1200 restaurants in Helsinki and they account for about 4% of Finland’s GDP! You will have no trouble finding a good restaurant and need to spend at least one night to delve into the food scene.

If you’re interested in some classic foods try Hernekeitto, herring, lingonberry pie, reindeer, moose, ruisleipä, and mämmi. A few of our favorite eats were at Savotta, where we found traditional Finnish food in a charming and cozy interior where the servers are dressed in olf Finnish logging wear.

We also sampled Finland’s modern-day food scene at The Holiday, a contemporary neighborhood restaurant on Katajanokka island, and Juuri in the design district. If you’re after a romantic thing to do in Helsinki we found the most intimate experience at Savotta.

Walk or Bike

Helsinki’s public transportation is amazing! You can get just about anywhere on the buses, trams, and trains. You can also get to Estonia, Russia, and Sweden via ferry. Or you can always use your own two feet or a bicycle like many of the locals!

Nearly a third of all journeys in Helsinki are done by foot! There are 1,200 km of maintained cycle lanes in Helsinki and since the city is a manageable size it’s a great way to get around. So you can forget about sitting in traffic when your out exploring the city.

Everyman’s Right

One thing to know when you travel to Finland is there is no such thing as trespassing — to an extent. Everyman’s Right refers to the public’s right to access public or privately owned land for recreation. So once you’ve had your fill of Helsinki’s public parks head out into the Finnish Countryside for some exploration.

This doesn’t include houses, gardens, or military bases, so don’t go squatting on someone’s porch, but it does allow people to enjoy the land and inland water for their own well being. The only stipulation is that you must do so responsibly and safely. It’s about respect and shared experiences within the community.

Bring Your Swimsuit

With all of those islands, saunas, and water space there are a plethora of swimming spots. City residents take full advantage of these and it’s a refreshing way to enjoy a summer day or even a winter one! The city has 27 public beaches along its 123 km of shoreline.

Of course, this is Finland so it’s not just a summer thing! Helsinki has 13 winter swimming spots are maintained throughout the winter and kept free of ice for some chilly swims.

Design District

Whether you’re into design, modern art, photography, natural history, or classical art there is no shortage of museums and exhibitions in Helsinki. Visiting the many museums makes for the perfect thing to do in Helsinki in the winter.

At the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) you can find a rotation of exhibitions in a modern building.  While at the Ateneum Art Museum, the grand building next to the train station, you will find classical art pieces including one of the most famous in Finland, The Fighting Capercaillies. We also ventured into the Kiasma, a contemporary art museum with interactive art.

Finland feels very much about the new and the clear love of design can be found throughout Helsinki. In fact, Helsinki has been declared a UNESCO City of Design. So, any visitor to the city must explore some of the cities architecture.

Learn About the Moomins

The Moomins are celebrated and loved characters created by Tove Jansson, one of the most famous Finnish artists of all time. They are cartoon creatures resembling that of a cute hippo family. I’d say they are probably comparable to Winnie the Pooh or the Peanuts characters in the United States, but maybe even bigger among the Finnish.

Everyone knows and loves the Moomins, and you can get involved with that love too even as a guest. There are four Moomin cafes around the city as well as two Moomin shops. If you’re lucky you may even spot a few Moomins roaming around the streets of Helsinki.

Way Of Life

Above all Helsinki feels like a city about enjoying life whether that’s in art, nature, sports, education, or food. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Finland has been ranked as the happiest country on earth by the UN’s World Happiness Report.

It’s not just the lifestyle that many Finns enjoy, but the way in which the government supports their lives too. Finns are now allowed to choose half of their working hours so they can adjust to a schedule that best suits their lives. All workers also receive 30 days of vacation time, rarely work overtime, and enjoy short commutes.

For parents those laws also ensure they can spend quality time with their children with long paid maternal/paternal leave, affordable childcare, and a great education system. It all adds up and whether you’re visiting for a weekend, a week, month, or more you’ll leave wondering if you should stay forever. You can read more about the way of life in Helsinki here.

Things to Know About Visiting Helsinki

• We really enjoyed living in the city like a local and got to stay in our own studio apartment, Aallonkoti.  The apartment was extremely comfortable, spacious, and had a full kitchen with a washer and dryer. Bonus!
• Helsinki’s public transportation is amazing! You can get just about anywhere on the buses, trams, and trains. You can also get to Estonia, Russia, and Sweden via ferry.
• We found the Finns to be very stylish in their capital city, especially around dinner time. Pack accordingly if you want to blend in. Remember to bring a warm jacket, winter hat, and gloves in the winter. Good snow boots wouldn’t hurt either!
• As mentioned, the Finns love their sauna (pronounced SOW-Nah). They are actually the ones who invented the concept of sauna over 2000 years ago! You should definitely experience one while you’re in Finland. Oh yea, and no one, and I mean no one cares that you are naked. Just make sure to always sit on a towel or sheet in a public sauna. No one really wants to sit where the other person’s bare bum just was. Most saunas will provide a sheet for you. If you’re still lost check out these beginner tips. 
• The Finns are known for being very quiet people. I actually enjoyed the quietness when sitting on the bus, tram, ferry, or in a cafe. That’s not to say that that you can’t easily start a chat with a Finn though! We never were met with any hostility in Finland and just about everyone can speak English well.
• Tipping is not really a thing in Finland.

Quick Facts on Finland

• ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’ in Finnish:”Hei” and “Kiitos”
• Capital: Helsinki
• Currency: Euro – (EUR) – €
• Visa: Schengen visa is 90 days in the European Union every 180 days. Many nationalities are granted this on arrival for free. Check with your embassy to see if that is you.
• What to Pack: It all depends on the season, but always have something warm to wear as summer nights can still be cold. We always throw a packable down jacket in our bags when we travel this far North.
• Good to know: About 270,000 people in mainland Finland are Swedish speaking.

For such a modern city you never seem to be too far away from nature – the city features a marvelous amount of green space and it’s spread out across a series of islands in the Baltic Sea. Then you add the cities delicious restaurants and Finn’s clear affinity for having a good time. They even have a word in Finnish, “kalsarikannit,” a word to describe sitting at home in your underwear drinking with no intention of going out.

Helsinki is a wonderful city to explore full of things to do and delicious food to eat. We spent a week here around Christmas time and could not have had a better time exploring a city. Helsinki may not be your typical European city destination, but it is well worth a special trip to Finland. If you’re after some things to do in Helsinki we have you covered.

What To Do In Helsinki

Get Inspired

Whether you’re into design, modern art, photography, natural history, or classical art there is no shortage of museums and exhibitions in Helsinki. Visiting the many museums makes for the perfect thing to do in Helsinki in the winter.

At the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) you can find a rotation of exhibitions in a modern building.  While at the Ateneum Art Museum, the grand building next to the train station, you will find classical art pieces including one of the most famous in Finland, The Fighting Capercaillies. We also ventured into the Kiasma, a contemporary art museum with interactive art.

Finland feels very much about the new and a clear love of design can be found throughout Helsinki. In fact, Helsinki has been declared a UNESCO City of Design. So, any visitor to the city must explore some of the city’s architecture. Personally, one of our favorite building designs would be the Kaisa House.

The Kaisa House is the library of Helsinki University. It’s a cool stop to relax, have a coffee, read a book, and explore the innovative architectural design. If this all sounds great to you, head to the design district! In this neighborhood, many of the design firms are located amongst a plethora of restaurants, stores, hip hotels, and museums.

Sample Finnish cuisine

Helsinki has a thriving food scene with hundreds of restaurants to tantalize the taste buds. You can find cafes, traditional haunts, and even a few Michelin star restaurants in the city. It all follows the trend in Nordic countries moving towards fresh and locally produced food with close ties to the surrounding environment. There are over 1200 restaurants in Helsinki and they account for about 4% of Finland’s GDP! You will have no trouble finding a good restaurant and need to spend at least one night delving into the food scene.

If you’re interested in some classic foods try Hernekeitto, herring, lingonberry pie, reindeer, moose, ruisleipä, and mämmi. A few of our favorite eats were at Savotta, where we found traditional Finnish food in a charming and cozy interior where the servers are dressed in olf Finnish logging wear. We also sampled Finland’s modern-day food scene at The Holiday, a contemporary neighborhood restaurant on Katajanokka island, and Juuri in the design district. If you’re after a romantic thing to do in Helsinki we found the most intimate experience at Savotta.

Side note: Finland isn’t the most affordable country to eat out in the world. If you prefer to eat in we found Lidl’s in Helsinki which is easily some of the cheapest grocery stores in Europe

 Take a day trip to Tallinn

A few years ago we visited both Riga, Latvia, and Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, but we missed Estonia. It was a city we’d heard a lot of nice things about so we were ecstatic to find out that Tallinn is only a two-hour ferry ride away from Helsinki! We woke up at 5 am one morning and made our way to the Helsinki harbor to head over to Tallinn for the day. It was the perfect day trip from Helsinki and a great opportunity to explore a new city.

It’s only 70 miles south of Helsinki and has one of the most well-preserved old towns in Europe. Cobbled streets and medieval houses make up this historical district but, that doesn’t mean that Tallinn is stuck behind the times! Estonia has a bustling technology sector home to thousands of startups and e-businesses. It brings a young hip vibe to residential neighborhoods with breweries, coffee shops, art galleries, and restaurants.

There are many sights to see in Tallinn and to really make the most out of a trip we recommend at least two days. However, we were able to have a fun time for only a day. You can head to the lively Christmas market with folk dancers if it is winter season, eat your way around the Medieval old town, check out the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, walk the city walls, ice skate, and more! The city center is very compact and easy to walk around. If you’re there for more than a day considers getting the Tallinn Card to save money on all the attractions.

I know that Tallinn really isn’t a “thing to do in Helsinki,” but I just had to include it here as we had such a fantastic day trip from Finland’s capital.

Have five cups of coffee a day

It’s not coffee addicts like the Italians or Turks that consume the most coffee in the word. Oh no, that title would belong to the Finns. On average they consume 12 kg of coffee per person a year or about five cups of coffee a day for the adults.

We’re coffee fiends so we set out to enjoy a few cups of coffee ourselves and explore the burgeoning café scene. It seemed as if there was at least one café to pop into every block, which made another great retreat from the cold. A few of our Helsinki favorite cafes were Café Regatta, a small café in Töölö that is every bit as charming as it looks.

Café Regatta doesn’t serve up specialty coffee like cappuccinos or espressos so this is good for filtered coffee or hot chocolate. Our favorite spot in the center of the city would have to be the beautiful Kappeli. Try to stake out a window seat! Another must is Cafe Ekberg, it is the oldest cafe in Helsinki. They’re well known for their tantalizing pastries and creating classics such as the “Alexander” cake.

Enjoy the Christmas Cheer

We visited Helsinki right before Christmas, which felt like the perfect time to head to Finland. When the season comes Christmas cheer is abundant in Finland’s capital city. Several of our days in Helsinki were marked with snowfall and the city glistened with Christmas lights. The Christmas lights shine in every corner of Helsinki, there is a public ice rink next to the Central station, and soft Christmas music can be heard all around.

Senate Square is home to Helsinki’s Christmas market and it all sits right below the Helsinki Cathedral. Almost every night of the week you will find over 100 shops here selling anything from baked goods, and Finnish meats, to Christmas scarfs and mittens. Then, of course, there is glögi (Finnish mulled wine), which can be had with or without alcohol.

We found Santa Claus a few times paying a visit to the Christmas markets and there is the iconic carousel that is free for children to enjoy. We didn’t find the Helsinki Christmas market to be the most lively European Christmas market we have ever visited, but definitely found it charming, cheerful, and a great thing to do in Helsinki in December.

Head to the Winter Garden

The Helsinki Winter Garden is a botanical garden at the bottom of Central Park that visitors and locals alike can come to enjoy exotic plants and beautiful gardens. Although they are called “Winter Gardens” they are actually open year-round for people to enjoy. However, during the winter you’ll find lovely Christmas decorations and that winter cheer in the air. It’s a great cheap thing to do in Helsinki as it is free to enjoy. It’s the perfect spot to spend an hour relaxing, bring a book!

Get lost in nature

Few capital cities have a refuge from the city life. This is not the case in Helsinki where you can easily escape to their Central Park for a day. The park runs south to north for almost 10 kilometers covering thousands of hectares. Throughout the park, you can take part in outdoor sports, jog, enjoy the gardens, and search for wildlife.

The park plays home to various species including the muskrat, raccoon dog, brown and arctic hare, the elk, and the fox. Bird lovers can also enjoy a day here looking for the Eurasian jay and garden warbler, among various others. We know how hard it is to get in your precious nature time while in a city from our New York days, and highly recommend checking out the park at least once no matter the season.

Learn about the Moomins

The Moomins are celebrated and loved characters created by Tove Jansson, one of the most famous Finnish artists of all time. They are cartoon creatures resembling that of a cute hippo family. I’d say they are probably comparable to Winnie the Pooh or the Peanuts characters in the United States, but maybe even bigger among the Finnish. Everyone knows and loves the Moomins, and you can get involved with that love too even as a guest.

For the time being, a Tove Johnsson exhibition stands in the HAM that is fun and interactive. There are also four Moomin cafes around the city as well as two Moomin shops. If you’re lucky you may even spot a few Moomins roaming around the streets of Helsinki.

Head to Helsinki’s oldest swimming pool

Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall was built in 1928 and is now the oldest public swimming pool in Finland. It’s located in the center of the city and locals and visitors head there every day to relax in the saunas and go for a swim. The architecture and design here was world class at the time it was built, and the interior still stands timelessly over the decades.

Heading here is a fantastic place to experience the Finnish sauna culture. Cameron and I both knew we had to experience Yrjönkatu – the kick is we had to go on separate days as most people swim naked (you must sauna naked). Men can head to the pool on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday while women can enjoy the pool on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. There is a whole set of rules to Finnish Sauna culture, but we’ll leave that for its own post.

The pool has three separate saunas – infrared, steam, and a traditional wooden sauna. Afterward, you can enjoy yourself on the top floor with a beer and food as the pool is serviced by Cafe Yrjö. If you don’t feel comfortable swimming naked you’ll need to bring your own swimsuit or rent one. The staff will provide you with a towel, bathrobe, and sauna towel. If you want to shower afterward be sure to bring your own shower supplies as there are none here.

Dip into a sea pool

Another option for experiencing Finnish sauna culture in a unique environment is the Allas Seal Pool. This floating sea spa is located right on Market Square and has a few outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, and a café.

One of those pools, is true, a sea pool. A pool where you can jump into water that is the same temperature as the Baltic Sea the complex overlooks! Note, that you don’t have to sauna naked here, but most people do. They also have a coed sauna, when it’s not privately booked, where you wear bathing suits and can hang out with others at your party.

Have a night out on the town

Helsinki is not known for having the best weather, but that’s probably not what you came to Finland for anyway! Some days it can be cold and rainy – especially in the summer. So what’s one of the best things to do in Helsinki at night?

We were able to enjoy the weekend in Helsinki and loved the nightlife scene. The Finns know how to have a good time (in a classy way of course). There is no shortage of trendy bars and clubs in Finland’s capital. Some of the best bars in the city are Ateljee Bar, located on a hotel rooftop, and Steam Helsinki, which serves delicious gin concoctions in a steampunk setting.  We are not big on clubbing but according to The Guardian, Kaiki Club has been voted one of the 25 best clubs in all of Europe!

Side note: Like the rest of the Nordic countries, Finland is not exactly a cheap destination. Alcohol prices are high so if you are on a budget you may want to consider bringing in your own booze and having a few drinks at your hotel or before going to the bars. 

Enjoy a day at the zoo

After our year across Africa, we have a hard time stepping into zoos. However, we know that not everyone can head into the wild and enjoy the many beautiful animals that populate our earth and most zoos do great things for animal conservation and funding. Helsinki Zoo is a 30-minute bus ride from the city center is perfect for families that want to see some Arctic animals like the lynx, wolverine, and reindeer. The Helsinki Zoo also houses Coco, the oldest sloth in the entire world!

The zoo dates back to 1889 and is located on its own island. This means you can visit one of the oldest zoos in the world right in Helsinki. You won’t find any elephants, giraffes, or zebra here as the zoo strives to only have animals that can adapt to the climates of Finland.

Visit a fortress!

Off the coast of Helsinki lies a cluster of islands. UNESCO World Heritage Suomenlinna is one of those islands that are easily accessible from the city. Suomenlinna is a fortress built in the 18^th century when Finland was still part of Sweden. It’s an interesting sight to see when visiting Finland.

To get here you must take a ferry or waterbus and it takes about 20 minutes from Market Square. Once there you can explore by yourself or hop on a guided tour. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes, and museums to duck into while visiting the fortress of Suomenlinna.

Things to know about visiting Helsinki

• We really enjoyed living in the city like a local and got to stay in our own studio apartment, Aallonkoti.  The apartment was extremely comfortable, spacious, and had a full kitchen with a washer and dryer. Bonus!
• Helsinki’s public transportation is amazing! You can get just about anywhere on the buses, trams, and trains. You can also get to Estonia, Russia, and Sweden via ferry.
• We found the Finns to be very stylish in their capital city, especially around dinner time. Pack accordingly if you want to blend in. Remember to bring a warm jacket, a winter hat, and gloves in the winter. Good snow boots wouldn’t hurt either!
• As mentioned, the Finns love their sauna (pronounced SOW-Nah). They are actually the ones who invented the concept of the sauna over 2000 years ago! You should definitely experience one while you’re in Finland. Oh yea, and no one, and I mean no one cares that you are naked. Just make sure to always sit on a towel or sheet in a public sauna. No one really wants to sit where the other person’s bare bum just was. Most saunas will provide a sheet for you. If you’re still lost check out these beginner tips. 
• The Finns are known for being very quiet people. I actually enjoyed the quietness when sitting on the bus, tram, ferry, or in a cafe. That’s not to say that you can’t easily start a chat with a Finn though! We never were met with any hostility in Finland and just about everyone can speak English well.
• Tipping is not really a thing in Finland.

Quick Facts on Finland

• ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’ in Finnish:”Hei” and “Kiitos”
• Capital: Helsinki
• Currency: Euro – (EUR) – €
• Visa: Schengen visa is 90 days in the European Union every 180 days. Many nationalities are granted this on arrival for free. Check with your embassy to see if that is you.
• What to Pack: It all depends on the season, but always have something warm to wear as summer nights can still be cold. We always throw a packable down jacket in our bags when we travel this far North.
• Good to know: About 270,000 people in mainland Finland are Swedish speaking.