Fodor's Expert Review Market Square

At this Helsinki institution, open year-round on the South Harbour quayside, wooden stands with orange and gold awnings bustle in the mornings when everyone—tourists and locals alike—comes to shop, browse, or sit and enjoy coffee and conversation. You can buy a freshly caught perch for the evening's dinner along with an array of forest mushrooms, a bouquet of bright flowers for a friend, or a fur pelt. In summer the fruit, berry, and vegetable stalls are supplemented by an arts-and-crafts and souvenir market. The crepes, made to order by one of the tented vendors, are excellent, while locals swear by the meat pies and fresh jam-filled doughnuts. In summer there are several vendors selling lunch plates. In early October, there's a Baltic Herring Market, a tradition dating back to the 18th century, with small boats from the outlying islands docked at the quay to sell their wares.