Allas Sea Pool

Allas Sea Pool is a waterfront spa and swimming complex at Katajanokanlaituri 2 A in central Helsinki, Finland, beside Market Square (Kauppatori) and facing the harbour and the Presidential Palace. It consists of a heated freshwater pool, a seawater pool, a children's pool, several saunas and a large terrace, and it is open year-round, so swimmers can step from a hot sauna into the harbour air in the depth of the Finnish winter. The complex is built on piers over the Baltic Sea, and the seawater pool is filled directly from the harbour, which gives a distinctive experience of swimming in the middle of the city with views of passing ferries and the Uspenski Cathedral on the hill opposite. Saunas include a traditional wood-heated sauna and a smoke-style or panoramic sauna area, and the sauna and cold-plunge ritual is the heart of a visit. The terrace has a restaurant and a bar, and towels and swimwear can be rented or bought on site. A typical visit takes 2 to 3 hours. A day pass costs about €16-19, with reduced prices for children, so allaspool.fi should be checked for the current rates. Opening hours run from 6:30 on weekday mornings and 8:00 on weekends, closing at 21:00 or 22:00, with changes for events. Swimwear is worn in the pools and saunas, and showering before entering is required. Early mornings are quiet, while evenings and weekends, especially in summer, are the busiest. Good photographs can be taken from the terrace looking over the harbour toward the Presidential Palace, and from the Market Square side of the complex at sunset. Visitors who want to avoid queues in summer are better off arriving on a weekday morning.