Make the most of a visit to the capital of Finland. Finland celebrated 100 years of independence from Russia in 2017, but its capital has only just started to establish itself as a weekend getaway destination that can compete with other top European cities. Further, stay for late nights at the sauna and the vibrant club scene, where Finns congregate to drink and converse long after the sun has set over the Baltic Sea, and come for the city’s unique architecture, from the glittering white Lutheran cathedral to the ice marble of Finlandia Hall.
Things to do In Finland
Calm down in the sauna
A visit to a sauna is a must on every trip to Finland. There are many options—about 80% of Finns are thought to have a sauna at home—but few are as modern as the saunas at Loyly, where clean lines and wood that is good for the environment make it look like the building is part of the shoreline. The traditional chilly dip in the water is free, but two hours cost €19, which also includes a towel, seat cover, and shower soap. Further, after the sauna, several people choose to stay for an Aperol Spritz with a view of the ocean.
Allah is a kid-friendly sauna next to the market square with three open-air swimming pools, including one in the sea and two heated ones. Bring your own towel; entry is €14 for a wristband that serves as a locker key.
Experience the Architecture
The pedestrian-friendly city streets of Helsinki lined with more than 30 different architectural types. Visit beautiful neoclassical buildings with gargoyles that watch people walk by. Then, go to Toolonlahti Bay to see Finlandia Hall, a performance hall designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, on the other hand, is very elegant because it was made by an outsider, American architect Steven Holl, in the 1990s. If you’re tight on time, a 90-minute segway trip costs €75 and covers the key attractions.
Isthmus jumping.
The Helsinki archipelago is made up of about 330 islands, such as Pihlajasaari, which is known for its sandy beaches, and beautiful Lonna, which used to be a place to store minerals and is now home to a great restaurant with the same name that serves Finnish and seasonal food. Regular boat departures occur from the market square. Using the JT-Line Island Hopping route, you can travel between Vallisaari, Suomenlinna, and Lonna in one day. The latter is a lovely location for a trek and picnic.
A Place to Stay
The market area, where vendors sell fresh berries and fried fish, is right around the corner from Hotel F6, a prominent hotel with a boutique design. But the central courtyard, which looks like a Moroccan riad and has places to sit and blankets for cool evenings, gives it a wonderful sense of privacy. A superb Finnish breakfast of rye bread smoked salmon, and boiled eggs are included with double rooms starting at €250.
Suomenlinna, an island hostel in a fortress that is also a Unesco World Heritage Site, is accessible by ferry from Helsinki in 15 minutes. The hostel, which is located in a former Russian primary school from the 1900s and offers dorm beds starting at €24 and private rooms starting at €65, is just a short stroll from the beach. The cost of breakfast is an additional €7.90.
Places to Eat
Even though the city has a lot of good places to eat, Finland considered to be expensive, so it can be helpful to know where to get the best meals for the least amount of money. Further, that spot is Fafa’s, a stylish falafel bar with several outlets throughout the city that offers loaded pita flatbread starting at €8.90.
Grön, one of Helsinki’s five Michelin-starred eateries, reinvents traditional Scandinavian meals with plant-based innovations. The chef’s menu features regional fruits and vegetables, including wild mushrooms, nettles, flowers, and dried berries, and costs €49 for four meals.
With another beer and the all-you-can-eat brunch at Fat Lizard (€36, excluding drinks), you can put a hangover to rest. The Fat Lizard breweries, whose ales are on tap behind the bar along with other Finnish craft brews, now have a culinary foundation in this recently established restaurant, which is just a few steps from the Aalto-yliopisto metro stop. While not cheap, brunch is quite high quality and offers everything from pizza, ribs, and salmon to a ton of salads and lots of cream-based desserts.
Where To Get Drinks
Although Finns are sometimes cited as the world’s top coffee drinkers, the quality coffee scene in Finland has only lately taken off. Most of the coffee at Kallio’s new Good Life restaurant comes from three Finnish roasters: Kaffa Roastery, Turun Kahvipaahtimo, and Helsinki Coffee Roastery. If you can find a table in the cozy atmosphere, they also serve eggs.
Moreover, Kaiku is a late-night club with two different rooms where hip-hop fans and techno fans often hang out together. The 400-person venue is in a former matchstick factory, which gives it an industrial feel. It has a large main room for dancing and a large patio where you can cool off with a Long Drink, which is a popular can of fizzy gin and grapefruit.
A Place To Shop
More than 200 shops and ateliers in the Helsinki Design District appeal to admirers of functional Scandinavian design, from the pleasantly understated home goods at Lokal to the subdued hues and exquisite tailoring at Samuji. Get a map of the Design District of Helsinki to find the shops and cafes spread out in Kaartinkaupunki, Kamppi, Punavuori, and Ullanlinna. Watch for open studios where you may interact with the artists in their usual store-turned-workrooms.
Marimekko, which became popular after Jackie O wore it during her 1960 presidential campaign, is still Finland’s most well-known export. Further, to keep wearers upbeat during the long Finnish winters, Marimekko designers use vibrant colours and floral motifs. While exploring the city, look for the branded totes carried by Finns and try on the recognizable poppy dress at one of the many shops.
Architecture’s best feature in Finland
After a thorough makeover, the public welcomed into the modern art gallery Amox Rex in August 2018. The inside is all smooth curves and sans serif type, and sphere-shaped skates light up underground galleries.
Secret Things You Didn’t Know About A Travel guide to Helsinki
What kind of money do I need?
Euros.
What dialect do they use?
Finnish.
Do I need to tip?
Tipping is not customary.
What is the difference in time?
GMT+2.
How long does a flight take on average from the UK?
Two hours and fifty minutes. There aren’t many airlines that fly directly from the UK to Helsinki, but British Airways, Norwegian, and Finnair are three of them.
Public transportation
Helsinki further, has a sophisticated bus and tram network in addition to one metro line. Purchase a travel card from one of the blue machines and tap in as you board to use it on all three (single trip: €2.90; day pass: €11).
Top view
The Ateljee Bar is on the 12th floor of the Sokos Torni Hotel, up a twisting spiral staircase. From there, you can drink and look out over the whole city.
Photo credit for : Tim Bird