A 'happiness hacker's' guide to the happiest outdoor places in Helsinki

For the last seven years, Finland has been voted the happiest place in the world. Of the 140 countries surveyed in the UN's latest World Happiness Report, it continues to rank top for health, wealth, kindness and freedom for citizens to do as they please. Never is that clearer than during the summer when daylight reigns in "the land of the midnight Sun", bringing the city’s unique blend of nature and urban perks to life.

An archipelago framed by 300 islands, with two national parks reachable by public transport from the city and plenty of green spaces, Helsinki is an outdoor-lover's paradise and a sauna-goer's haven; the city has one for every two residents. Add 19 hours of daylight to breezy summertime highs of 21C, and the "happiest city in the happiest country" moniker suddenly makes perfect sense.

We spoke with Lena Salmi, a professional "happiness hacker", to find the city's most happiness-inducing outdoor spots. Salmi – who helps visitors "find their inner Finn" through outdoor city tours – swims, scoots and skates her way through her hometown, doing the latter in a tutu, having taken up the sport seven years ago at the age of 63. Salmi worked in Finnish Lapland for decades as a sports journalist until she discovered her "hack" to happiness: "[I] recognised what I missed in Helsinki", she reflects. "It is the sea, and the seagulls. Many people say that the sea is separating us – but in my opinion, it brings a whole other world, and is so remarkable."

Lena Salmi is a former swimmer and sports journalist-turned skateboarder from Helsinki. She was appointed one of Visit Finland's official "happiness hackers" for her joyous "hacks" to life, and leads summer masterclasses for those visiting the country to seek out Nordic-style joy.

With 130km of coastline fringing the city, "you have so many options for how you can spend your time," Salmi says – and embracing the truly Finnish approach to exploring is "to free yourself from hurry, and just enjoy."

When asked why she thinks Finns are the happiest people in the world, she says, "Often, it is mentioned that our social security, our education and so on. For me, my happiness means you might be as you are. Nobody cares. You just are what you are."

Here are Lena Salmi’s five best Helsinki happiness hacks.

1. Best for swims with a view: Allas Sea Pool

"I love the sea, water and swimming, so one of my happiest places in Helsinki is the Allas Sea Pool," Salmi says. Opened in 2016, Allas Sea Pool features a sea pool (an enclosed area of sea water to swim in), a warm pool and a children's pool built on top of the Baltic Sea and is open from dawn until dusk.

Salmi is firmly among the groups of dedicated morning swimmers undertaking an early paddle at around 07:00 five days a week in the 25m seawater pool located "in the core of Helsinki, opposite our Presidential Palace" – an Imperial structure built in the early 19th Century.

With three saunas, two restaurants and the largest open-air terrace in the city, Allas sees up to 3,500 visitors per day in the peak of summer, when it also hosts open-air concerts. It is open year-round, with naked swims taking place in the evening, too.

Salmi has an unlimited swim pass; that means she can alternate her morning visits between Allas and the water at "the world’s most beautiful sporting place" – the Olympic swimming stadium. Designed by architect Jorma Jarvi for the 1940 Games – cancelled after World War Two broke out – the Uimastadion (also known as Stadikka to locals) finally got its moment on the global stage in 1952. "It really is a beauty," Salmi says of Helsinki’s oldest inland pool.

2. Best for appreciating (and making) art: Suvilahti graffiti wall

When Salmi began skateboarding, she began to notice not only the natural beauty around her, but the graffiti – a medium that allows anyone to "become a part of every city". She has since tagged her way around the world (hers is ILI3), including in London's "Banksy Tunnel".

Her favourite spot for appreciating graffiti in Helsinki remains Suvilahti, Finland's biggest graffiti wall with hundreds of metres of wall space for artists to leave their mark. Her first trip to the wall was a decade ago (Tony Hawk has also visited), and she encourages others to try it out – no expertise required. "There is a graffiti shop where you can buy a can [on site]," she says. "Just go there and buy one can and do your tag."

3. Best for trying out a new skill: Micropolis skate park

"The other side of my love for Helsinki is that I can skate here almost everywhere," says Salmi. During her swims at the Stadikka, Salmi could see a hill above, where "young kids were laughing and skating to [Micropolis] skate park. Then I just decided I had to try it."

When she first visited the age of 63, "I thought, okay, they may laugh at me," she says. "But if they laugh, that is not my problem. But they didn't laugh. They gave me high fives, and came to talk to me, and came to teach me. Then I knew I had found my paradise in skating."

After gaining confidence in her skating skills, Salmi began teaching in 2014 with the Longboardettes, a local longboarding crew who have taught tricks to five-year-olds and pensioners alike. While once laying claim to being Helsinki’s oldest skater (she has since been usurped by an ex-ski jumper a couple of years her senior), the pursuit is "all about creativity", she says – as well as providing a great way to upskill in picturesque surroundings.

4. Best for strolling and shopping: Esplanadi

Known locally as Espa, this 200-year-old walkway and park lined with linden trees cuts through the heart of Helsinki. "Just sit there and smell the fresh air," Salmi suggests. "It is such a lovely place."

The city’s most popular park is particularly beautiful in the springtime, "when the trees are becoming greener and greener". While Salmi appreciates that Finland gets four seasons, the arrival of sunshine means "people begin to walk more slowly on the streets and people are laughing and smiling… the climate is our plus point."

So is the fact that Helsinki is spread out over such a large area. Salmi adds; "we have plenty of room, and Helsinki is not so crowded compared to Stockholm, London, Paris or Rome."

Make the most of it by strolling through the Espa, which is four blocks long. On either side is the Pohjoisesplanadi (North Esplanade) and Eteläesplanadi (South Esplanade), both of which are filled with "lovely shops", Salmi says. "If there is one place people have to visit in Helskini, it’s Marimekko." The Finnish design house, founded in 1951, is filled with vibrantly printed clothes, crockery and ceramics, fabric, furniture and more. "It’s so colourful," says Salmi. "Every time I come from Allas Sea Pool along the North Esplanade, I have to go inside Marimekko, just to get in a good mood."

5. Best for natural workouts: Opera outdoor gym

There are more than 100 free outdoor gyms in Helsinki. Salmi’s favourite is one of the smaller ones, by the Finnish National Opera House, which "I saw with fresh eyes during the pandemic," she says. Instructed to stay away from others, Salmi "began to jog there and do gym workouts. It saved my life to be outdoors," she reflects.

Opera outdoor gym is situated on Töölö Bay, where villas made of wood (the city’s main building material from its founding in 1550 until the late 19th Century) line the shore. At the north end of the bay, a Winter Garden features hundreds of plants, while stand-up paddleboarders can ride along the bay, too.

-BBC