A Guide to Best Shopping Malls in Helsinki

If you have a few extra Euros to spend and are into fashion, Galleria Esplanad is the shopping mall for you. Located in the Fashion District of Helsinki, Galleria Esplanad hosts a vast array of international fashion brands, such as the Swedish jewellery designer Efva Attling, Furla and the Finnish Marimekko.

Kamppi Shopping Mall was opened in 2005 and the four-year building project was the largest singular construction site in Finland’s history. The Kamppi Centre is located in the centre of Helsinki and the whole complex consists of a central bus terminal for local buses, the Kamppi metro station, high-end offices and residential apartments, as well as over a hundred shops and 40 cafés and restaurants. After shopping, try Pobre’s Philippine cuisine, or the Helsinki icon Sandro’s sumptuous Middle Eastern flavours.

Kluuvi Shopping Mall is located near Helsinki’s many top sights, such as the Senate Square with Helsinki Cathedral, University of Helsinki, and Finland’s National Library. The Shopping Mall was opened in 1989 and consists of 40 different shops from sportswear to a New Lexington Concept Store, as well as brands such as Michael Kors, Tiger of Sweden and Desigual. There are also 11 restaurants and cafés in Kluuvi: try the popular local hangout Belge, or the typical Finnish coffee brand Paulig at Kulma Café.

Itäkeskus Shopping Mall is an Eastern Helsinki shopping centre, easily reached from the city centre of Helsinki. Take a metro, which runs every few minutes, from the central railway station or Kamppi shopping mall. Itäkeskus, or Itis as it is locally called, has a central Boulevard covered with a glass roof. Its 150 shops include brands such as H&M, Din Sko, Vero Moda and Zara.

Strictly speaking, Stockmann is a department store rather than a shopping mall but needs to be included in the list as it holds a torch in Finnish shopping history. Opened in 1930 with its Nordic Art Deco style, Stockmann is the largest department store in the Nordic countries. Stockmann’s over 150 shops and cafés include luxury brands such as Calvin Klein and Armani, and there is also a Moomin café (Mumin Kaffe) on the fifth floor.

Sokos Department Store opened its doors in the year of the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. The department store’s shops cover five floors of the building, with the top floors belonging to Sokos Hotel and its rooftop restaurant with magnificent views.