I love swimming but I hate swimming halls – indoor pools are noisy and they smell chlorine. Nature waters are quite chilly for the most of the year, but Helsinki Swimming Stadium provides with good outdoor swimming facilities throughout the summer: 50 m swim lanes on top of a peaceful hill surrounded by pine trees.

For the expectation management: Swimming Stadium is not a spa, despite the pools. It’s not a water park either. It’s not a beach, although on a sunny day it’s nice to hang around on the deck. It’s not a public sauna as such, even though there are saunas. Swimming Stadium is a place for swimming. It’s not the cosiest place and it’s far from luxury, but it’s functional. The Stadium was built for the 1940 Olympic games, and I must say it has lasted (and of course renovated) quite well. Aged with dignity.

With 4,50 € entrance fee you can swim for as long as you like and pop into sauna as many times as you like. The entrance fee is very affordable compared to e.g. Allas Sea Pool, which also hosts open air pool and sauna.

Swimming Stadium opens already at 6:30 in the morning, so it’s ideal for a workout before the work day, or for someone suffering from jet lag. Swimming is great sports for a traveler, because you don’t need to carry around too much gears.

How to do the Swimming Stadium:

1. Bring your own swimsuit, towel, shampoo and 2 x 50 c coins. Swim cap, swim glasses and plastic flip-flops are a bonus.
2. Pay your visit (4,50 €) at the cashier.
3. Leave your valuables in a small safety box next to the cashier. Safety box works with 50 c coin, which you’ll get back when leaving.
4. Go to dressing room and choose your closet. Place your stuff into closet. Take off your clothes. Wrap a towel around yourself and take your swimsuit and shampoo with you. Zip the other 50 c coin into the lock mechanism and lock your closet. Slip the keyring around your ankle.
5. Go to the shower room. Leave your stuff into shelf. Take a shower. Wash yourself, remove your make-up and wash your hair with plain water. No swimsuit while washing.
6. Now put on your swimsuit.
7. Go to the pool area. Choose the lane according your swimming pace.
8. Swim. If you need to pee, go to toilet – you’ll find WCs next to shower room.
9. After swimming, return to the shower room. Take off your swimsuit and wash yourself.
10. Go to Sauna. You can have your towel on, if you want to. No swimsuits in Sauna. Sit down and see how others behave. Go out if you start feeling dizzy.
11. Wash yourself. With shampoo.
12. Go back to the closets. Dress up and pack your belongings. Leave the key into the closet door and remember to take your 50 c.
13. Exit the dressing room.
14. Pick up your valuables from the safety box. Leave the safety box key into the door and collect your 50 c.
15. Leave the lobby and step outside.
16. Check the kiosk for a coffee, smoothie, boiled egg or some other recovery booster.

Swimming Stadium

Hammarskjöldintie 5, 00250 Helsinki

500 m from Eläntarha tram station (trams 2 and 3), walk up the hill.
Closest city bike station: Swimming Stadium (right next to the gates)

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