The forest This is one of our favorite forests near…read moreHelsinki. Lovely evergreen forest by the Kaitalampi lake. You can smell the moss and the woods in the air. There are several paths and one takes you around the lake / pond and it's about 1 h walk. The lake The lake is lovely clean water and there's several places to go for a swim and to change clothes. Hhh. Amenities There's several places for setting up a fire, the wood is provided and ready for use free of charge. Changing rooms and forest toilets are also available if needed. Location Easy to reach by bus, car or bike (for avid bikers) from Helsinki. Several parking spots also at Luukki direction. Remember to respect every man's rights and leave no trace. Enjoy this beautiful forest and let it enhance your heart!

No idea what the other reviews say, so thank goodness for the stars! This lovely little park sits…read morejust down the way from a friend's place and right next to a lovely little lake. There's tons of room to run around, some work out equipment and a huge pirate ship play set that gets even the coolest kid excited about playing! The couple times we came down there were plenty of people around, but never felt crowded. There was also a lovely little basketball court with both 8 and 10 foot rims so you could always find a rim that made you feel tall! A great spot to take the kids and adults for some hang time and to run some energy off!

Mountain Man Gardens This place is named after the mountain…read moreman- get grizzly and rugged out here. This small park is rather urban- right off of the #1 and #2 streetcar lines. There is a playground on this place, but the gate seems to have been frozen shut when I went, but some kids managed to smash through the ice and open it up. There's lots and snow and ice here when it's cold. I'd recommend crampons, since the sidewalks aren't salted or anything. It's an average park- not too special. It has some trees to it, and some lackluster landscaping. There's plenty of places to grab a bite around here for a good picnic. Don't go out of your way for this park, but it's okay to go check out if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

Vanha Kirkkopuisto is the Old Church Park and it's a very nice mostly green spot (it's November, so…read morethe trees are a little bare). Popularly referred to as the "Plague Park" as victims of the 1710 plague were buried here alongside the church. So there's that going for it. Several large grave markers alongside the paths that crisscross the park, which is the size of the city block. Modernized in the late 1990s, the overgrown trees were cut back. This brought more sunlight, allowing the grass and shrubbery to grown in. The paths are cleaner and definitely not muddy despite some recent rain. The main archway was restored and they've added a public toilet here. It is 3.5 hectares (8.4 acres). [Review 10089 overall, 1675 of 2018.]

Old Church Park! This old park is right in the middle of…read morethe Kamppi Design District in Helsinki. It's a big park that takes up an entire city block, with lots of places to sit and watch the trees grow. There's lots of walkways that allow you to traverse the park in any direction. When I went, most of the pathways were covered in ice, and were quite slippery. It's a picturesque park that'd be perfect for an afternoon stroll or even a picnic! The church at the end of the park is beautiful, and a great setting for photos. It's a quiet park, without much open space- it's all taken up by pathways, lines of trees, and tombs. It's not an ideal place for a game of football or to fly a kite. In the corner of the park, you'll find a cemetery with ancient tombstones in Finnish, and tombs. Some of the tombstones don't look to be in the best condition. One of the tombstones resembles a large book, marking the grave of the first print shop owner in Helsinki. Parking can be challenging here, no lots to park in. I also didn't find a public restroom, but there are more in the neighborhood. The other name for the park is "Plague Park." Creepy! It's where they buried the plague victims hundreds of years ago. Don't dig!

This triangle shaped park in the Kamppi Design District in Helsinki is a cool park! There's lots of…read morethings to see and do in this urban park that has a twin sister park right next door, separated by a traffic circle. Lastenlehdon is the larger of the two parks, which houses a playground, public restrooms, some landscaping and sculptures, and a big open space. The park was pretty frozen when I went, with the open spaces filled with ice and snow. There's a big, wide open space that would accommodate a baseball or soccer game, if it's not frozen. The park is safe, and rather well lit. There's plenty of places to sit, and the sidewalks were heavily tread to do away with the ice. The playground seems to be utilized during the day by a local school, as it was full of children wearing bright yellow reflective vests. Parking seems like it could be pretty challenging around here, but it is serviced by the public buses, and the taxi stand in the corner of the park.

This is a basic park. There isn't anything spcial about it. They don't keep it very clean during…read morewinter. It would be nicer if they did.