Here are some places to research:

http://www.hel2.fi/tourism/en/matko.asp

http://www.visitfinland.com/w5/index.nsf/(pages)/index

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=helsinki@72&cur_section=sig&showover=yes

Things I especially like: (somewhat in an order of importance).

Senate Square,

Lutheran Cathedral,

Railway Station,

The “Rock” Church,

Uspenski Cathedral,

Stockmann’s Department Store,

Fazer Conditoria,

Well Park (Kaivopuisto),

Old Market Hall and Square,

Esplanade,

Finlandia Hall,

Hotel Kamp & Kamp Galleria,

Johannes Church (Paavalin Kirkko),

Artek (Shopping),

MArimekko (Shopping),

Hackman Arabia Museum and Outlet (Tour/Shopping),

Seurasaari Island,

Boat Tour of the Archipelago,

Walking through many parks full of birches,

Overnight Boat Trip to Stockholm

Day trip to Tallin, Estonia

I hope you get to enjoy this soon!

jc

I vote Suomalina.

Sveaborg is nice. An island with lots of old fortifications and some good places to stay in the sun and taking a bath. There are boats from the place where Esplanaden meets the water. (Don’t remember the name.)

Kiasma, the museum of modern art, is great.

A real experience is the Cafe Moscow. Find a bar called Corona, at Eerikinkatu 11. To the left of it, on the same block, is a nondescript storefront with a note in Russian in the curtained window. That’s the bar. A great selection of vodkas, try one called Altai if they have it in stock.

Also, Helsinki does have the largest empire city centre in the world: we locals tend to forget how amazing it is. Just walk around the Senate Square. Oh, and some tourists seem to LOVE the train station, which is in the Finnish National Romantic style that can be seen on grand buildings all over town (imagine a sort of art deco with bear- and pine cone motifs).

Have a great trip!

Go out for a night on the town in a part of Helsinki called Punavuoret. Uudenmaankatu is a good place to start.