Helsinki City Breaks 2012

Capital of Finland

Helsinki is the capital city of Finland and is a place where east and the west converge. More than just the capital city of Finland, it is also the country’s largest city.

Almost six hundred thousand people reside in Helsinki. Helsinki is considered one of Europe’s major cities and is recognised as Finland’s political, cultural, financial and educational centre.

Popular Attractions

Some of Helsinki’s most popular tourist attractions include Olympiastadion or Olympic Stadium, Korkesaari Island and Helsinki Zoo, Linnanmäki Amusement Park, Paloheinän Mäki (a popular spot offering various recreational activities), and Pihlajasaari Island and Beaches.

These destinations can be reached via guided bus tours or even boat tours, depending on your personal preference. Pihlajasaari Island and Beaches would be an ideal destination during the warmer months while Paloheinän Mäki is a recommended destination in the winter.

Food and Drink

Finnish cuisine can be described as a fusion of traditional country fare, grande cuisine and continental fare. As mentioned earlier, Helsinki is considered the place where the east and west meet. Having said that, Helsinki’s cuisine is influenced by both the eastern and western parts of Finland. Eastern dishes often include a variety of mushrooms and vegetables while western fare commonly features meat and fish. Wholemeal products (oats, rye, barley) and berries (blueberries, cloudberries, lingonberries) are also a staple in Finnish cuisine.
Helsinki’s climate can be described as both continental and maritime.

Climate

Winter months get particularly chilly while summer months vary from warm to hot weather. The temperature peaks in July at 23 degrees Celsius or 73 degrees Fahrenheit while dropping in the winter to below freezing at -2 degrees Celsius or 28 degrees Fahrenheit in February. The best time to visit Helsinki would be in the summer when the days are long and sunny. Summer daylight lasts for almost 20 hours leaving plenty of time to explore the city thoroughly even through the ‘night’.

Nightlife in Helsinki

When it comes to nightlife, the Finns are ahead of the game. Helsinki is alive and teeming with clubs that don’t open before 10 p.m. and don’t close their doors before 4 in the morning. Some of the most popular nightlife locations in Helsinki include The Tiger Nightclub (previously The Lux), The Artic Icebar, Molly Malone’s Irish Pub, Nightclub Kaarle XII, The Lost & Found in Helsinki (especially popular with the gay community), The Redrum Nightclub, Ateljee Baari at Torni, Helsinki Sports Academy, The Tavastia and Semifinal Nightclubs and Bar Stuff.