The name says gym, the reviews say swimming hall
The listing carries the Finnish word kuntosali - gym - but read five reviews and you'll notice something: almost nobody is talking about a weight room. They're talking about pools, saunas, and steam rooms. This is Makelanrinne, one of Helsinki's Urheiluhallit indoor sports halls, and the star attraction is the water. If you came looking for a barbell, correct course now. If you came for lane swimming, aqua jogging, or a sauna after work, you're in the right place.
I'd rather tell you that in the first paragraph than let a 4.4 average and the word "gym" send you to the wrong building.
What people actually describe
Pools, and lots of them. The most useful review, from June 2023, does most of my work for me: "Several pools... You can take a special belt and do aqua jogging in one pool. Swim slowly or faster in another pool. Relax in a 'spa' type of pool with jacuzzi water streams... Three are also two pools for toddlers and children. Steam sauna and hot saunas." It even quotes the entry fee: "3,50 EUR one time entrance fee for students. Full price of 7 EUR." That's the kind of concrete detail worth more than any average.
A second swimmer in August 2025 confirmed the sauna range and added a warning: "Kuuma sauna is hot sauna, and it is really not for beginners." Both reviewers give the same two tips independently - bring your own shampoo and a seat cover, because soap isn't provided.
Where the voices agree
The scale and the value. An April 2024 review called it a "Ginormous swimming pool with dozens types of activities. Good prices for such a great swimming pool. Wasn't crowded." A September 2025 regular went further: "Easily the best indoor sports & swimming facility in whole Helsinki / capital region." When multiple people independently praise the same thing - space, price, cleanliness - that's a pattern you can lean on.
Where they mildly disagree
Parking. Two separate reviewers flagged it. One in December 2025 kept it to a "little minus is that parking is always charged outside of the swimming hall 24/7." Another noted parking runs about 1 EUR per hour but is easy to reach by tram and bus. So: reachable, affordable, but never free. Plan for that.
What that 4.4 measures
This is a large sample - 2,170 ratings - so the number is genuinely load-bearing, not a fluke of a few happy visitors. And the words match it: clean, spacious, well-maintained, well-priced, with the only recurring complaint being paid parking. When the sample is this big and the text agrees with the score, you can trust it.
What's missing
Here's the honest gap: for an actual gym floor - free weights, machines, strength training - the reviews are silent. If Makelanrinne has a fitness room, none of the visible reviewers used it or rated it. Every quoted price is a pool entry fee. If you specifically want to lift weights here, that's the one thing you'd need to confirm at +358 9 34886550 before going.
Who it's not for
Anyone whose plan is a strength session. This is a swimming and sauna complex first. Lap swimmers, families with small kids, and sauna regulars are the people writing the happy reviews.
FAQ
Is Makelanrinne a gym or a swimming pool?
The reviews describe an indoor swimming and sauna complex with several pools, including lanes, an aqua-jogging pool, a jacuzzi-style pool, and children's pools. Weight-training facilities aren't mentioned by reviewers.
How much does entry cost?
One 2023 reviewer quoted 3,50 EUR for students and 7 EUR full price for pool entry. Confirm current rates before you go.
Do I need to bring anything?
Two reviewers say soap and shampoo aren't provided, so bring your own, plus a towel and optionally a sauna seat cover.
Is parking free?
No. Reviewers report parking is charged 24/7, around 1 EUR per hour, though the hall is easy to reach by tram and bus.