Market Square, Helsinki

Market Square in July

Market Square. Helsinki Cathedral is in the center of the picture.

The Market Square (Kauppatori in Finnish, Salutorget in Swedish) is a central square in Helsinki, Finland, and one of the most famous market places and tourist attractions in the city.

The Market Square is located near the centre of Helsinki, at the eastern end of Esplanadi and bordering the Baltic Sea to the south and Katajanokka to the east. The Helsinki City Transport maintains an all-year-round ferry link from the Market Square to Suomenlinna, and in the summer there are also private companies providing ferry cruises, both to Suomenlinna and other nearby islands.

From spring to autumn, the Market Square is bustling with activity with vendors selling fresh Finnish food and souvenirs. There are also many outdoor cafés at the square. Some cafés also provide meat pastries ("lihapiirakka" in Finnish), and one advertises their pastries as being "the best in the Market Square… in Helsinki… in Finland!"

The height of the square's popularity is in early October when the annual Helsinki herring market ("silakkamarkkinat" in Finnish) begins.

Old American cars at the Market Square on the first Friday of May.

A long tradition at the Market Square is a display of old American cars on the first Friday of every month. Any motorist with an interest in old American cars can take part in this display. How the tradition originally started is unclear.

Seagulls have become an increasing menace in the Market Square, swooping down to snatch snacks and ice-cream from the hands of unsuspecting tourists.