2 Best Sights in Side Trips from Helsinki, Finland

Set at the edge of the sea and surrounded by towering, wind-bent pines, the turreted brick-and-stucco Gallen-Kallela Estate on the Tarvaspää promontory was the self-designed studio and home of the Finnish Romantic painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931) lived in the mansion on and off from its completion in 1913 until his death. Inside, the open rooms of the painter's former work spaces make the perfect exhibition hall for his paintings. Also displayed are some of his posters and sketches of the ceiling murals he made for the Paris Art Exhibition at the turn of the 20th century. There is a very good and popular café selling pastries, ice cream, and lunches in the villa opposite the museum.

In an idyllic position at the top of a wooded slope is Hvitträsk, the studio home of architects Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren, and Eliel Saarinen, a wonderful day or half-day excursion destination from Helsinki. The property dates back to the turn of the 20th century and is now a charming museum. The whimsical main house reveals the national art nouveau style, with its rustic detail and paintings by Akseli Gallen-Kallela; Saarinen lived here, and his grave is nearby in the woods that slope down to the lakeside. A café and restaurant are set up in one of the architects' houses.