Hietaniemi beach

Hietaniemi beach (Finnish: Hietaniemen uimaranta or Hietaranta, Swedish: Sandudds badstrand or Sandstrand; colloquially Hietsu) is a popular sand beach in central Helsinki, Finland. It is located in the Töölö district, next to the Hietaniemi Cemetery and is the most popular beach in central Helsinki.

Hietsu
Beach volleyball and beach ultimate being played at Hietaniemi in July, 2013.

History

In the beginning of the 20th century the remote area of Hietaniemi was being used as a landfill and was converted into an area for sand storage. Sand was brought in by barges from the bottom of the sea for a number of years. The sand was never really used, however, but was just left there to spread. In 1929, the locals adopted the area as a sand beach.

Being close to the city centre, the beach is nowadays a popular summer destination for locals and tourists. It is also a popular place for playing beach volleyball, and since 1995 the Hietsu Beach Volley tournament has taken place there.

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