Helsinki Swimming Stadium

Situated just three kilometres from Helsinki's city centre lies the Helsinki Swimming Stadium (Uimastadion). Designed by architect Jorma Järvinen for the 1940 Olympic Games, the Stadium remains a classic, standing proud as Finland's oldest public outdoor pool - and even though those games never happened, I'm still adding it to my list of Olympic venues - I think under the circumstances, it still counts!

Getting there was half the fun. I'm on a Scandinavian train/plane/scooter trip with my son - and electric scooters are now our favourite mode of transport! It's better than sitting in an Uber!

The facilities are seriously impressive. Beyond the main 50m pool is a massive diving tower, waterslides, indoor and outdoor gyms, table tennis, beach volleyball, basketball and probably much more. It's more than just a pool—a whole sports hub.

It's a scorching hot day, and when we arrived, it felt like half the city had the same idea - the place was packed! All eight swim lanes, the water slides and even the 10m diving board had a queue 30 yards long!

The 50-meter pool is the main draw; I make quick work of the minimum 1,000-meter swim distance required to add the pool to the list, then float about for a bit in a shady corner, trying to cool down!

This place is definitely on the recommended list; the Swimming Stadium isn't just a great place to swim; it's a slice of Finnish summer life. If you're in Helsinki and looking for a fun way to beat the heat, grab your swimsuit, rent a scooter, and head to this iconic swim spot.