Haaga, close to central Helsinki, is popular among students and offers visitors peaceful parks with good transport links.

The busy capital city has numerous districts that tourists may not see the first time they visit the city. Haaga, located in northern Helsinki, is a former market town. Travellers coming to Helsinki on a city break should stop off in Haaga, which is well known for its many parks. There are also two well-equipped golf courses in the immediate vicinity of Haaga.

An absolute must is the Haaga Rhododendron Park, one of Helsinki's most beautiful parks. The park has an amazingly wide range of rhododendron varieties, the oldest of which were planted in the 1970s. The park is easy to navigate along trails and duckboards. The park also has deciduous azaleas in addition to evergreen rhododendrons.

Haaga’s parks make it great for travellers with pets. Spend a pleasant weekend break exploring the Haaga area with a dog – Haaga park has a dog enclosure for your four-legged friend. It is easy to reach Haaga from central Helsinki and Helsinki Airport by train. Huopalahti station is a short distance from the rhododendron park and Haaga park.

In addition to beautiful parks, Haaga has a few interesting buildings worth visiting, such as Huopalahti Church, which hosted a folk school and meetings of the Finnish-speaking population at the beginning of the last century. The wooden church has an altarpiece painted after a work by Rubens in addition to the current altarpiece, as well as a wood carving by Eeva Ryynänen and a relief work by Auli Korhonen. The church remains in active use, as the replacement church designed by Eliel Saarinen was never built.

Holidays in central Helsinki can be expensive but it is easy to take a cheap holiday in Haaga. With the money you save, you can visit the Kaari shopping centre to the north of Haaga, which has around 80 speciality stores ranging from children's clothing shops to pet shops.

Fans of golf should head straight to Haaga as the two golf courses within Helsinki’s borders are located close to the district. Paloheinä Golf, located to the northeast of Haaga, is a suitable course for beginners and experienced players. To the southwest, the traditional Helsinki golf club, known as Tali Golf, is suitable for players looking for a full-scale golfing challenge.