Helsinki

Finland

Things to do in Helsinki:

View the Gallery Fortress of Sveaborg

Helsinki Restaurants

Cheap (13)

Gran Delicato Caf�

This chilled-out deli is one of the best places in town for a down-to-earth lunch. Expect fabulous sandwiches and great espresso. read more
Affordable (15)

Antiokia Atabar

Candlelit Antiokia Atabar offers fairy-tale d�cor, exotic music and generous portions of Turkish food, including a wide variety of veggie options. The cosy upstairs room is especially suited to... read more
Good quality (11)

Kuurna

This restaurant has many local devotees who rave about the "clear" tastes of the dishes. Menus rotate every week, but the quality of the food - try the burbot soup or fried pike perch - is... read more

Helsinki Nightlife

Chilled (10)

Shaker

Located inside the Tennis Palace - a famous functionalist building - Shaker boasts of having one of the best flair bartenders in the country. Get ready for bottle juggling, flipping and other... read more
Live Music (10)

Happy Jazz Club Storyville

Situated by Parliament House, Storyville is the most famous jazz club in Helsinki, featuring anything from traditional New Orleans' jazz to rock 'n roll. read more
Clubbing (13)

Lost & Found

This building has been the host of many great discos over the years, but Lost & found is definitely one of its liveliest incarnations yet. read more

This Month in Helsinki (March):

By Evgenia Ivanova

Shopping: If the names Gaspard Yurkievich, Natalia Brilli and Marjan Pejoski mean something to you, then trendy Wunder boutique deserves a visit. It stocks clothes, shoes and accessories made by the hottest Finnish and European designers of the moment (5 Pursimiehenkatu, tel: 09 4513 43993).

Sightseeing: Enjoy rousing organ and choir music in the city's finest churches and cathedrals throughout the Kirkko Soikoon (Church Music Festival), on 6-14 March (tel: 09 2340 2524). Not a big fan of religious music? Grab a ticket to the Finnish National Opera's production of classic Verdi opera La Traviata (58 Helsinginkatu, tel: 09 403 021).

Key areas: The Kamppi district used to be a bit down-and-out but now, following a major refurb, it is one of the most vibrant parts of the city. A haven for shopaholics and cinema lovers, it is also home to Helsinki's coolest restaurants and bars.

Day trips: The charming cobbled streets of medieval Porvoo are romantic and dimly lit and just 50km east of Helsinki. Being Finland's second-oldest town, the place is steeped in history and has plenty of sights to see.

Helsinki News & Gossip

Finland Plans Strict Anti-Smoking Laws

Finland is planning to implement some of the world's strictest anti-smoking laws in an attempt to eradicate tobacco use from Finnish society. A ban on smoking in cars in the company of a minor (under 18) will be put in place by the summer, and apparently it will soon be illegal to have tobacco on display in a shop. Currently about 20% of Finns smoke, but the hope is that the number will increasingly drop over the next few years.

Helsinki Trivia

March: Finland is one of the leading coffee-drinking countries in the world - 12kg of coffee per person a year. Residents of Italy, however, a country internationally famous for its coffee culture, consume only about 6kg per capita.
February: The text message, lactose-free dairy products and the Linux computer-operating system were all created in Finland.
January: If you're visiting in January, don't forget to wrap up warm: Helsinki goes without sunshine for approximately 51 consecutive days during winter, making it one of the coldest cities in the world.