The Beach in the Hietaniemi Area

The Rowing Stadium from the 1952 Olympics, kayak and canoe rentals, and the lovely sandy beach of Hietaniemi are all located along the coast south and east of the main train station. Many open fields that are commonly used as soccer parks, a number of restaurants, and a public sauna are close by. Beyond here is the intriguing, park-like Hietaniemi cemetery, which has a cross honoring the republic's fallen heroes atop its highest point. Marshal Mannerheim (1867–1951) is buried here as well.

The graves of the politicians Risto Ryti, Väinö Tanner, T. M. Kivimäki, and E. Linkomies are next to the entrance. They were tried by a Finnish court for their political actions during the war as a requirement of the 1944 ceasefire and received jail sentences that were later mitigated. The Jewish community of the city is honored in a part of the cemetery.

The distant Hietaniemi region served as a landfill at the start of the 20th century before being transformed into a sand storage place. For many years, sand was hauled in by barges from the ocean's bottom. Yet, the sand was merely left there to spread and was never really used. Locals began using the area as a sand beach around 1929. With its proximity to the city center, the beach is currently a well-liked summer vacation spot for both locals and visitors. Beach volleyball is another popular sport there, and since 1995, the Hietsu Beach Volley competition has been held there.

Location: the Töölö district, next to the Hietaniemi Cemetery

Official site: https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/

Google Rating: 4.4/5.0