Helsinki - the Belle of the Baltics - Summer
You’ll love getting to know our friendly and attractive capital city. Breathe Helsinki’s fresh air and enjoy the calming influence of the sea that’s never far away. Enjoy watching the world go by as you enjoy a coffee at a pavement café, then enjoy her many beautiful buildings with their clear influences of east and west…
A Captivating Capital
Helsinki, Finnish capital since 1809, thrives amid a number of clear contrasts. Here, on its wide and elegant streets, Nordic cool combines with a distinct taste of the exotic east. Old meets new. Land meets sea. Urban development and unspoilt countryside co-exist like nowhere else. After all, can you think of any other capital city centre that’s just a 30-minute drive from a National Park?!
Getting around Helsinki is easy, whether you’re on foot or using the excellent tram services. Pretty islands and expanses of green are never far away. There’s plenty of space where you can enjoy your surroundings.
You may like the idea of cycling around Helsinki – and why pay for the privilege when you can take advantage of the free Citybike rentals service. There are 26 stands around the city: pay the 2 euro deposit, use the bike within a pre-determined area of the city and simply park it up and claim your deposit back when you have finished. You can also borrow a helmet from Jugendsali on Pohjoisesplanadi.
Helsinki’s vibrant café society springs to life in summer. This is the time to sit and watch the world go by, perhaps as you enjoy many architectural styles from art nouveau to functionalist. Coffee, of course, is served in stylish, designer chinaware on beautiful fabrics – names such as Iittala and Marimekko are world famous.
The Finns love coffee – in fact they number among the biggest consumers of the drink. Small wonder, then, that there is no shortage of great venues for enjoying a cup or two. Just for starters: make for the elegance of Kappeli on Esplanadi, or choose one of the delicious pastries from the on-site bakery at Café Esplanad.
City sightseeing, the old steam train journey to Porvoo, a cruise through the archipelago, a night at the Opera – these are just some of the many exciting opportunities in Helsinki. Better still, you can enjoy all of them within the space of a few days.
There are boutique hotels, designer hotels, grand hotels and private apartments for all budgets (most hotels have saunas of course – part of Finnish culture). For a taste of something different, choose a harbourside hotel that was formerly a prison (but don’t worry, there has been extensive renovation in the process of opening it as a hotel!).
As for eating and drinking, Helsinki’s line-up continues to grow and grow. Choose from traditional to modern, budget to gourmet, Russian to Mexican… and a great deal more. You’ll even find a tempting array of Michelin stars, shared among four Helsinki restaurants (Chez Dominique has two stars, while Carma, Demo and Postres all have one).
Great eating, stylish bars, fascinating buildings and friendly people – and don’t forget the room to breathe that Helsinki promises. In other words, you have found the perfect summer city. We wish you a warm welcome.
Helsinki Expert provides a wide variety of products for Helsinki visitors: fun and informative activities and programmes in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland, not to forget neighbouring countries Estonia, Russia and Sweden.
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