Vanhakaupunki is where Helsinki was founded in 1550, at the mouth of the Vantaa River. Do not come expecting a preserved medieval quarter: the early settlement was damaged by fire and disease, and the city later shifted south to its present centre.
The appeal is quieter now. A small memorial marks the founding site, the remains of Helsinki's first church sit nearby, and the rapids give the area a rough, natural edge that feels far from the capital's formal squares.