I visited Helsinki's new stress-busting airport terminal — it had bird song in the bathrooms, a Moomin cafe, and rocking chairs to wait for boarding

Helsinki's new airport terminal opened on December 1, 2021, boasting a stress-reducing Finnish-inspired design. I visited the airport on my way home to London, and was surprised by how relaxing it was to go through it. Keep reading to see what it was like.

I reached the airport via train.

This is departure hall.

The departure hall's Finnish birch ceiling is curved to make it warm and guide the passengers intuitively through to security.

You don't have to take your electronics and liquids out of your bag for security because of this high-tech machine.

The terminal is bright and airy.

Seating is shown that mimics the shape of graphic green hills.

The hall is generally quite quiet.

There was one waiting area where a screen showed scenes from the Finnish countryside.

An interactive touch screen provided more information about the area being shown.

It was quite relaxing to sit there for some time while waiting for the plane.

There were many areas to enjoy a comfortable seat looking out of the large windows.

I particularly enjoyed trying the rocking chairs.

Bird song was playing in the bathroom

And taps outside of the bathroom gave hot and cold drinking water.

There was a Christmas cabin inside the airport.

... fitted with a mock sauna. It wasn't functional, as far as I could tell.

There was also a mobile library.

The airport had a few shops selling staple Finnish brands merch from iconic national cartoon the Moomins.

Continuing the Moomin theme was a cafe.

It was designed to mimic a Moomin house.

The cafe was decorated with cheerful pastel colors.

I enjoyed a coffee there while I waited.

There were a few areas I didn't visit.

The airport also has an exercise room and a pet relief area, but I didn't look for those. 

All in all, it was a nice experience.