OmaStadi attracts visitors to eastern archipelago of Helsinki

Last summer, the Eastern Archipelago Route expanded with the help of OmaStadi, the City of Helsinki’s participatory budgeting process. There were three-hour cruises with several island stops operating from Meritullintori in Helsinki’s Kruununhaka district and Hiekkalaituri in the Vuosaari district. The new island destinations were Western Neitsytsaari, Malkasaari and Kotiluoto. In the past, these were only accessible by private watercraft.

“The feedback from passengers has been very positive. They’ve been interested in the new destinations and sauna opportunities. The restaurant, accommodation and sauna on Kivisaari island have also been in active use,” says Kai Knocke, Chair of the Board of FRS Finland, which operated to the islands. 
 

Some of the islands also offered the opportunity to go to the sauna. The sauna on Western Neitsytsaari island opened its doors, and the sauna on Malkasaari island hosted three sauna days. Next year, you will be able to book both of these saunas on the website of Helsinki-Uusimaa Outdoors (Uuvi).   

“Of the new islands, Western Neitsytsaari attracted the most interest, with more than 1,100 passengers heading there. The route saw many regulars who enjoy cruises as part of their summer routine, as well as many cottage owners. Operating two ships resulted in a better distribution of demand, and we were better able to serve customers in our onboard café,” Kai Knocke says. 
 

The archipelago belongs to everyone, as does the responsibility to uphold its values. The recreational enjoyment of the sea and archipelago goes hand-in-hand with the responsibility to behave in a way that doesn’t disturb nature or other people while you’re there.

The Helsinki archipelago has 300 islands and 130 kilometres of shoreline. Safeguarding the sensitive archipelago nature is of the utmost importance,  and Helsinki is committed to protecting its precious natural environments. All of us who live in Helsinki need to do our part to protect marine life. The Helsinki archipelago is a very important part of our city, and we are all responsible for it.

“The archipelago belongs to everyone, as does the responsibility to uphold its values. The recreational enjoyment of the sea and archipelago goes hand-in-hand with the responsibility to behave in a way that doesn’t disturb nature or other people while you’re there. The Luontoviisas vesilläliikkuja (Naturewisdom to the seas) website offers tips on how you should act to ensure the success of bird nesting, for instance,” says Special Planning Officer Minttu Perttula from the City of Helsinki’s Sports Services. 

The sea is an intrinsic part of life in Helsinki

Helsinki’s proximity to the Baltic Sea makes it a distinctive and unique capital city, and the nearby sea is an intrinsic part of the lives of Helsinki residents, states Helsinki’s new City Strategy. Each of the three rounds of the OmaStadi participatory budgeting process has attracted numerous proposals related to water transport, islands and swimming.

“For many Finns, the sea represents freedom, strength and a relationship with nature. It’s an important recreational environment for boating, fishing, island tourism, cottage life and swimming,” lists Team Leader Oleg Jauhonen from the City of Helsinki’s Sports Services, who is in charge of several OmaStadi projects. 

Promoting sustainable tourism is important to the operator FRS Finland. The water transport company took action last summer by removing twenty or so abandoned vehicles from the shallow Degerö canal immediately after spotting them. 

“Passenger safety is our number one priority, and those abandoned electric scooters and bikes were endangering the safety of ships. We have the Sustainable Travel Finland label and an EcoCompass certificate, and we were pleased to be able to take practical action for the environment,” says Kai Knocke. 
 

Cruises to the eastern archipelago next year as well

FRS already had an agreement to operate in the eastern archipelago. Therefore, it was natural to deepen the cooperation with FRS by expanding the service to also cover transport links between the archipelago and the centre of Helsinki. 

“Our cooperation has been good and we’ve had a good shared understanding of the waterway transport service to be implemented from the beginning. FRS had a genuine desire to improve and expand its waterway transport service. We’ll continue to operate to the archipelago and the city centre next year and probably the year after that as well. At the moment, we’re considering whether there is a need to make any strategic changes to our service,” Oleg Jauhonen sums up.

“The OmaStadi project allowed us to expand the route according to the wishes of Helsinki residents. It was also nice to be able to offer more job opportunities on the two vessels operating the Eastern Archipelago Route. Our cooperation with the City was very smooth and agile despite the tight schedule,” Kai Knocke rejoices.

OmaStadi is the City of Helsinki’s way of providing participatory budgeting services. During the three OmaStadi rounds, Helsinki residents have proposed and voted on how the City will spend a total of €22 million. The 164 OmaStadi projects implemented to date have made Helsinki a better and more welcoming place for its residents. 

The fourth OmaStadi round kicked off with the proposal phase in September–October 2025. Helsinki residents submitted a total of 1,761 proposals. In March 2026, after the evaluation phase, residents will be able to vote on the use of €10 million. Visit omastadi.hel.fi to submit proposals and vote on them.