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Similar Hietaniemi Cemetery, Pihlajasaari, Seurasaari, Kaivopuisto, Lauttasaari | ||
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.
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Map of Hietaranta Beach, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
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.