Hietaniemi beach

The Hietaniemi beach (colloquially "Hietsu") is a popular sand beach in central Helsinki. It is located in the Töölö district, next to the Hietaniemi Cemetery. The beach is the most popular beach in central Helsinki. Other popular beaches can be found in Meri-Rastila in eastern Helsinki, and on the Suomenlinna and Pihlajasaari islands.

History

In the beginning of the 20th century the remote area of Hietaniemi, that was being used as a landfill, was converted into a sand storage. Sand was brought in by barges from the bottom of the sea for years. The sand was never really used, however, but was just left there to spread. In 1929 the locals adopted the area as a sand beach.

Being close to the city center, the beach is nowadays a popular summer destination for locals and tourists. It is also a popular place for playing beach volleyball, and from 1995 the Hietsu Beach Volley tournament has been arranged there.