This summer, my husband and I spent ten days in Europe, visiting Stockholm, Tallinn, and Helsinki. In each city, we found time to work out and run, so I thought I’d share a few of our favourite routes. I’m really lucky because my husband does most of the route planning for us, but if you’re not as confident in doing it (like me), you can use Strava to find local running routes or check out greatruns.com.

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a city that blends modern life with a rich history. It’s known for its beautiful architecture, from grand historic buildings to sleek, contemporary designs. Surrounded by nature, Helsinki is dotted with parks, waterfronts, and over 300 nearby islands. The city is also a cultural hub, offering many museums, art galleries, and festivals. Whether you’re wandering through the lively Market Square, visiting the famous Helsinki Cathedral, or exploring the peaceful Suomenlinna sea fortress, Helsinki is full of charm and Nordic beauty—and it’s a fantastic place for runners!

Our hotel in Helsinki was right in the city centre, which made it easy to find sightseeing routes to run along. Unfortunately, the couple of days we spent there were a little rainy, so we had to wait for a sunny window to get out for a run. However, the temperature was pleasantly moderate, and it was comfortable to run in shorts and a t-shirt without sweating as much as we do in Washington, DC, at this time of year. My favourite run took us through Hesperia Park, a route that passes by many different museums and art galleries, as well as the Olympic Stadium. It’s a great route not only because of what you see along the way, but also because it’s easy to shorten or extend, thanks to the different loops it offers.

Our 7-mile route followed the trails in the park, past children’s playgrounds, around a beautiful lake, and alongside the train tracks. It was almost completely flat, apart from one short hill in the middle, which was so brief that we barely noticed it. Runners and bikers in Helsinki are very respectful, and the paths are well laid out for pedestrians and others to share. It was great to see how bustling the park was and how many people were using it for exercise, picnics, coffee, and meeting up with friends.

My favorite part of the run was seeing the Olympic Stadium from the 1952 Summer Olympics. The stadium is still in use and hosts sporting events as well as concerts. It has a 72-meter-high tower that you can climb (sadly, we didn’t have enough time to do this), but I think it would be worth a visit.

If you’re ever in Helsinki, I highly recommend our route. It would also be great to run along the waterfront, especially if you don’t have time to take a boat tour, as we were able to do. Helsinki is made up of so many islands, each unique and pretty to see.

If you have any great routes or places of interest to share with others who might be traveling to Helsinki, please share them below.