A colourful respite during the grey chilly mornings of winter, Kauppatori is a lively market that sells more fish than anywhere else in Helsinki! Located at the edge of the city and with a beautiful view of the harbour, do check out the Market Square very early in the morning, as it gets crowded by 10am. Though it’s more well known for its huge variety of fresh fish, tourists looking for a one-stop centre for souvenirs will find that there's abundant Finnish crafts, wooden wares, and map-of-Finland fridge magnets with thermometers for sale here.
About 100m from this lively and colourful market is the lonesome figure of Havis Amanda. A symbol that embodies Helsinki’s status as the "Daughter of the Baltic", this fountain is largely left there, freezing for 364 days of the year. On May Day (Vappu), it is a tradition amongst Finnish students to congregate here, bathe her, and dress her with their graduating caps. One can only imagine the amount of UFO (unidentified floating objects) at this fountain, as Finns are well known for getting really "happy and high" on their graduation day.
To get here, walk along Esplanadi Boulevard toward the harbour.