The Old Market Hall, Vanha Kauppahalli, is a long red-brick building on the South Harbour waterfront in Helsinki, right next to the Market Square. It opened in 1889 and is the oldest of the city's market halls. Inside, under a cast-iron roof, wooden stalls sell smoked fish, reindeer, cheese and pastries, and the hall is best known for its creamy salmon soup.
The Old Market Hall at a glance
- Where: on Eteläranta, on the waterfront of the South Harbour, beside the Market Square (Kauppatori).
- Opened: 1 August 1889; building work began in 1888.
- By: architect Gustaf Nyström, who had studied market halls in other European cities before designing it.
- What it is today: a food hall with around 25 vendors and cafés, owned by the City of Helsinki and popular with locals and visitors alike.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes to browse, an hour if you sit down for lunch.
From open market to indoor hall
In the 19th century most of Helsinki's food was sold outdoors on market squares. Towards the end of the century, concern about hygiene and the sometimes chaotic trading on the squares pushed cities across Europe to move food sales indoors. Helsinki commissioned Gustaf Nyström, who designed a red-brick hall with a cast-iron structure inside. Construction began in 1888, and after delays with cement deliveries the hall opened on 1 August 1889. The year is marked on the building's southern end.
The hall did not always look secure. In the first half of the 20th century it was repeatedly threatened with demolition, and moving it to the North Harbour was also considered. It survived, and between 2012 and 2014 it closed for a year and a half while its technical systems were renovated. Since reopening, it has become one of the city's favourite places for a quick lunch by the sea.
What to look for
- The red-brick façade with its rows of arched windows, and the date of construction on the southern end.
- Inside, the long central aisle under the cast-iron roof structure, lined with dark wooden stalls.
- The fish counters with smoked and cured salmon, herring and roe, and the small cafés serving salmon soup.
- Stalls selling Finnish specialities such as reindeer, rye bread and Karelian pies.
- One of Finland's smallest Alko shops, the state-run liquor store, tucked into the hall.
Why Helsinki moved its market indoors
Nyström's hall was part of a wave of covered markets built across Europe in the late 19th century, when cities wanted cleaner, more orderly places to sell meat, fish and dairy. In Helsinki, the outdoor Market Square continued alongside it, as it does today, so you can still see both systems side by side: open-air stalls selling berries, vegetables and souvenirs on the square, and permanent shops inside the hall. Helsinki later added two more halls, at Hakaniemi and Hietalahti.
Tips for your visit
- Come at lunchtime for salmon soup, but arrive before noon if you want a seat at the counters.
- Pair it with a walk round the Market Square outside; in summer the stalls are busiest in the morning.
- Buy a picnic here before taking the ferry to Suomenlinna, which leaves from the Market Square right next door.
- The hall is closed on Sundays for much of the year, so plan accordingly.
Nearby
- Market Square (Kauppatori): the open-air market by the harbour, with stalls, cafés and ferry departures.
- Helsinki Cathedral: the white Lutheran cathedral above Senate Square, a few minutes' walk north.
- Esplanadi: the park boulevard leading west from the Market Square, lined with shops and cafés.
- Uspenski Cathedral: the red-brick Orthodox cathedral on a rocky hill across the harbour basin.
See Helsinki with World City Trail
Our Helsinki scavenger hunt turns the city centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 11 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 53 minutes of walking. It includes the Market Square, Helsinki Cathedral, the Ateneum and the Finnish National Theatre.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Helsinki.
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Facts checked in October 2026.