Souvenirs from Finland and shopping in Helsinki
Finland is famous for glass products (e.g. Iittala), Fiskars scissors, Marimekko products (clothes and tableware, shops on their webpage), Marttiini knives, reindeer products (made of reindeer bones, horns and skins), wood products etc.
The downtown Helsinki is full of good shops. The best and the biggest department store is named Stockmann (address Aleksanterinkatu 52). It is one of the biggest department stores in the whole Scandinavia. Shopping Centre Kamppi is also highly recommended. Remember also visit Shopping Centre Jumbo near the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and airport hotels.
A moomin gift shop named Moomin Shop at Kämp Galleria (address Pohjoisesplanadi 33).
Luontokauppa ("Nature Shop", address Simonkatu 9, Simonkenttä, near the Helsinki Bus Station) is a very good shop. They sell products related to beautiful Finnish nature: t-shirts and college shirts with wonderful pictures, other clothes, nature voice cd's, special liquorice candies (lakritsi in Finnish), sauna products, nature books etc. You find some of these products at http://www.luontokauppa.com (in Finnish). The shop was founded by Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto (the Finnish Nature Conservation Society). The society's symbol (logo) is the Saimaa ringed seal. This seal lives only in Lake Saimaa - not anywhere else in the whole world. There are about 200 Saimaa seals in Lake Saimaa.
Visit also the Market Square at the Helsinki Harbour: Souvenirs, food (also Finnish specialities), flowers - almost everything. Boat cruises. The nearby Market Hall (Kauppahalli) is a nice old building where you can get very tasty delicacies.
Scandinavia's largest shopping center called Itäkeskus with 190 shops and 27 restaurants is in Helsinki. Only 10 minutes by metro (subway) from the city centre. By car ten kilometers east of downtown along the Itäväylä highway.
Design District offers many good shops, galleries, museums and restaurants.
Isonkarhun Kauppa (Big Bear's Shop) is the best Teddybear shop in Scandinavia. Also a Teddy Bear Hospital (teddy bear repair) and a small Teddy Bear Museum. Address: Hämeentie 6, near the Hakaniemi Marketplace, Helsinki.
Indoor shopping village (the biggest retail centre in the Nordic countries!) named IdeaPark, "Finland's first roofed town", is situated in Lempäälä, between Helsinki and Tampere (near the city of Tampere, only 23 kilometers), and it is easily accessible by car. See all these: department stores, restaurants, sport shops, toy shops, furniture shops, Catwalk Square (fashion shops), Central Park, Old Town (small shops, art shops and restaurants), outlet shops, children's culture centre PiiPoo (the world's tallest teddy bear, activities) etc.
Remember to buy salmiakki candies. Salmiakki (sal ammoniac) is one of the Finnish specialities. It is a salty licorice candy. Salmiakki is a black candy with a sweet and sour taste. You will either love it or hate it but remember to taste it!
Factory shops in Finland (children's goods, clothing, food, drink, footwear, furniture, furnishing, games, toys, gifts, glassware, ceramics, hobbies, home, garden, jewelry, cosmetics, pet accessories, sweets, tableware, textiles):
http://www.tehtaanmyymalat.com/index_en.html
Famous boutiques in Helsinki:
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