Finland – helsinki (chapter)

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Helsinki
% 09 / POP 1.04 MILLION (GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA)
Why Go?
Sights .............................44
Activities......................... 55
Tours ............................... 56
Festivals & Events .......... 56
Sleeping.......................... 58
Eating ............................. 62
Drinking .......................... 66
Entertainment ................ 67
Shopping ........................ 69
Information .................... 70
Espoo .............................. 76
Vantaa ............................ 77
Porvoo ............................ 77
Tuusulan Rantatie ...........81
Best Places to Eat
It’s fitting that harbourside Helsinki, capital of a country
with such a watery geography, melds so graciously into the
Baltic Sea. Half the city seems to be liquid, and the tortuous
writhings of the complex coastline include any number of
bays, inlets and a speckling of islands.
Though Helsinki can seem like a youngerr sibling to other
Scandinavian capitals, it’s the one that went to art school,
scorns pop music, is working in a cutting-edge design studio and hangs out with friends who like black and plenty
of piercings.
On the other hand, much of what is lovable in Helsinki
is older. Its understated yet glorious art-nouveau buildings,
the spacious elegance of its centenarian cafes, the careful
preservation of Finnish heritage in its dozens of museums,
restaurants that have changed neither menu nor furnishings
since the 1930s – they are all part of the city’s quirky charm.
When to Go
»
Savoy (p62)
»
Olo (p62)
HELSINKI
»
Demo (p62)
°C/°F Temp
»
Chez Dominique (p62)
»
Zucchini (p62)
Best Places to
Stay
»
Hotelli Helka (p58)
»
Hotelli Onni (p79)
»
Hotel GLO (p58)
»
Hotel Finn (p58)
»
Hotel Fabian (p58)
Rainfall inches/mm
30/86
6/150
20/68
4/100
10/50
0/32
2/50
-10/14
0
-20/-4
J
F
M
Jun Terraces are
sprouting outside
every cafe and
the nights never
seem to end.
A
M
J
J
A
Aug The city’s
functioning again
after the July lull,
but all the summer activities are
still on.
S
O
N
D
Dec Skate on ice
and absorb the
Christmassy atmosphere before
temperatures get
too extreme.
666
66
666
666
6
6
66
666 66
666
66666
66
66
66
66
66
666
666
6666
66
66
6666
43
¡
# Sörnäinen
r
ne
in
E lä
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Helsinki
Zoo
Gulf of Finland
ok
Laivast atu
1
1
1
1
1
1
‚
1
ë
#
Tervasaari
1
1
1
1
1
¡
#
1
1
1
1
Train
#0
00
00
0
Station £
1
1
1
1
10
#
1
Temppeliaukion
Kirkko
1
Korkeasaari
Liisankatu
Kaisaniemi
0
0
0
¡
#
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Kirkkokatu
¡
#
0
0
¡
# 0
00
00
00
0
00
0
0
Hietaniemi
Kamppi 0
Rautatientori
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Cemetery
#
0
0000 Aleksanterinkatu
Malm 0
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0
ink0
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atu
Lapin
0
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la 00
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Kaisaniemi
Park
isran
ta
1
1
1
1
1
Pohjo
1
1
1
1
1
1
To Espoo
(12km)
läesplanadi
Ete
hden
katu
KATAJANOKKA
0
0
0
0
0
00
0
atu u
ink kat
tu
rik van nka
e
E ale oti
r
K
n
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ar
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lev
Bu
See Central Helsinki Map (p50)
Eteläsatama
atu
nk u
re nkat
o
e
av u
Pun im ieh
Mer
inkatu
itorn
Täht
Valkosaari
Luoto
(Klippan)
at
u
1
1
1
aarenkuja
1
1Museo
katu
1
TÖÖLÖ
1
1
1
EIRA
ok
st
P u Kaivopuisto
er
ik a
Park
nta
tu
anra
M e r isata m
See Helsinki Map (p46)
M
Hi
eta
s
1
1
1
1
i
1
1
1
e
Hakaniemi
Market
tu
erianka
Hesp
1
Hakaniemi
¡
#
Töölöntori
1
m
Hä
HEL SINKI
tie
Töölönlahti
¡
#
t a r hantie
Siltasaarenkatu
im
he
u
kat
sen
iuk
pel
To
in
Sö
en
r
tie
ra näi
nt st
at en
ie
6 Kotiharjun Sauna
#
To KALLIO
in
en
Li
nj
a
To Porvoo
(50km)
Itävä
ylä
‚
Kirstinkatu
n
Ma
Olympic
Stadium Talvipuutarha
Botanical
Gardens
Pohjoinen
Uunisaari
Sirpalesaar
Liuskasaari
Harakka
e
# 00
Suomenlinna #
2
500 m
0.25 miles
Helsinki Highlights
1 Descending into the
weekend maelstrom in the roar
of Helsinki’s excellent variety
of pubs and clubs (p66)
2 Grabbing a picnic and
exploring the fortress island
of Suomenlinna (p44) that
guarded Helsinki harbour
3 Browsing exciting design
shops (p69)
4 Selecting from the city’s
huge range of museums and
galleries (p44)
7 Taking a trip across to
Tallinn (p59) to admire its
unforgettable Old Town
5 Taking advantage of the
8 Admiring wooden
great network of bicycle paths
(p74) to explore on two wheels
6 Sweating out your cares
in the traditional, atmospheric
Kotiharjun Sauna (p55)
warehouses of Porvoo (p77)
9 Dining on traditional food
like meatballs or liver, or avantgarde New Suomi cuisine (p62)
a Nodding with respect to the
Temppeliaukion Kirkko (p53)