Finland: Helsinki

[bjorn]

On a crystal clear, almost endless summer day in Helsinki, there is a feeling of absolute joy in the air as you stroll down the Esplanade. "A Living Work of Art," is the city's slogan, and just a short walk down the Esplanade, and you'll see why. Anyone interested in architecture, art, or culture will be intrigued by the ancient buildings, the museums, the live musical performances and festivals. Helsinki is a great town to wander about, lingering at an outdoor café for a coffee, or at a trendy shop on a cute side street.

Almost equi-distant from Stockholm, Sweden, and St. Petersburg, Helsinki is a fascinating blend of influences. You'll taste it in the food and you'll hear in the languages spoken all around you as you take in a traditional Finnish sauna or shop at the Kuappatori Market Square.

When to go:
Whatever time of year you visit Finland, there's something happening. Most museums and galleries are open year-round, and there is as much to do in the winter as there is in summer. The year-round climate is comparable to (though a bit cooler than) that of New England or the Canadian coast. Many people go in July and August because that's when most festivals occur. In addition to the other advantages of warm weather, summer is the time to experience the midnight sun. The winters are long and cold. Snow normally falls from October to April (and sometimes year round in Lapland).

What to Do:
History/Ruins:
Learn about Finnish culture at Seurasaari, an open-air history museum located just outside of the city. Helsinki's Mannerheim Museum is the former home of one of Finland's greatest leaders. The National Museum, located in the city center, has extensive collections of Sami and Finno-Ugric ethnological artifacts.

Museums:
Helsinki contains some of the most notable art museums in Finland. The national art foundation's Ateneum covers Finnish and international art from the 19th century. The Raitioliikennemuseo, is a funky tram museum. Located in an old depot, it depicts Finnish street life in decades past. On Suomenlinna Island, you can ramble around the ruins of the mighty fortress or look around its several museums. Other museums include the City Museum, the Art Collections of the City, and the Amos Anderson Museum of Art, and the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, which displays the country's homes and farmhouses.

Shopping:
Helsinki is home to the largest variety of shops and boutiques in the country, including Stockmann's, Finland's most famous department store. The city has a wide range of shopping opportunities, from major chain stores, unique boutiques, and mom-and pop shops to flea markets and outdoor markets. The Kauppatori (Market Square), Hakaniemi Market Place and Hietalahti Flea Market, have bargains on wild berries, rye bread, reindeer skins, handicrafts, and all sorts of different things.

Finnish ceramics, Finnish glass, Finnish-designed jewelry are all good souvenirs for diehard shoppers. Fashionable folks might like Marimekko fabrics and clothes, Annikki Karvinen coats, Saga minks and Nakara sheared-wool coats. Other Finnish exports include Tunturi exercise bikes, Nokia mobile phones, Fiskars scissors (with the orange handles) and Saab convertibles.

Food/Culinary Info:
Finnish food is a fusion of Swedish and Russian cuisines, but with a lot of variations and local specialties. Potato is the staple food, served with various fish or meat sauces. Meat dishes include snow grouse, reindeer stew, glow-fired salmon or raw pickled salmon. Look for dishes like karelian (rice pastry and stew), karjalan piirakka (potato and rice pastry) and pork-and-fish dishes such as kalakukko to get a sense of Finish cuisine. There are more than 40 kinds of delicious mushrooms grown and eaten in Finland. Casseroles are popular, and the seafood is excellent, with the fish usually grilled, smoked or fried. Baaris, kellaris, grillis and kievaris are the way to go for inexpensive meals. Ravintolas (restaurants) are generally more expensive. Locally made liqueurs include cranberry, brambleberry and cloudberry; imported liquors are expensive.

Cultural Comments
The Finnish sauna. Whether you go to a traditional savusauna (smoke sauna) or a modern electric kind, saunas are a part of Finnish culture you shouldn't miss. Most Finns go once a week - it's a cherished ritual to which they readily invite guests. First, you sit in a hot, steaming room, where temperatures go up to 195ºF. After working up a sweat, you cool off with a swim, or in remote parts in the winter, plunge through a hole in the ice. This is followed by a cold beer, or soda and snacks.

Customs:
Watch out for reindeer and moose when you're driving. There are road signs marking areas where you're likely to encounter them. If you are with your sweetie at a sauna, keep amorous activities to a minimum - saunas are for socializing, not smooching. The Finnish are known for being quite reserved in social settings - so don't worry if there is no small talk at the beginning of a gathering. "Skol" is a typical toast at a bar.

Arts:
Finland is one of the live music capitals of Europe, with tons of clubs and bars like Tavastia Club packed every weekend to hear local bands. Bigger venues, like House of Culture or the Ice Stadium, host bigger crowds coming to see international stars.

Festivals/Events:
Midsummer's Day (Juhannus) is the most important annual event for Finns. People leave cities and towns for summer cottages to celebrate the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit and lakeside merrymakers swim and row boats. Enthusiastic alcohol consumption is also a feature of midsummer partying. The Pori Jazz Festival in July is one of the country's most popular festivals, but the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castle, is the most famous. Some of the best (and the most international) festivals are the most remote: check out chamber music in Kuhmo, or folk music in Kaustinen (near Kokkola). For rock, there are big festivals during the Midsummer weekend, and big annual events, such as Ruisrock, the longest-running of rock festivals, at Turku in July.

On the lighter side, check out the Sleepyhead Day, where on 27 July the laziest person in the towns of Naantali and Hanko is thrown into the sea. Finland's strangest event is the annual wife-carrying championship held every July in tiny Sonkajärvi

Nightlife/Bars:
During the precious long days of summer, outdoor concerts are quite popular, and jazz, pop, or folk entertainment can always be found. And then there's Finlandia Hall and the new Opera House, which offer top performances in opera, ballet, and classical music. If you prefer jazz, stop by Storyville for live performances that last until morning.

Most nightclubs are found in Helsinki. There is also a pool hall, Corona, which draws a hip crowd. Discos usually offer international music and dance, and some late-night restaurants also offer dancing.

Gay & Lesbian:
Finland is fabulous for lesbians! There is a strong gay community in Helsinki, and with OHO, the University of Helsinki's robust gay organization, there's plenty to do.

Cost:
Finland is not cheap, but you could get around on about US$30 a day. If you wanted to enjoy yourself, eat at restaurants, and see the sights, a budget of around US$60 a day is more appropriate. If you want to take a domestic flight in Finland and you're under 25 years of age, there is a great option: Finnair's stand-by ticket. All the flights are from 40-60 Euros. You just go to the airport 45 minutes before departure and if there is room on the plane you get in.

The Helsinki Card is valid for one, two, or three days and it gives you unlimited travel on city transport, plus a free sightseeing tour, free admission to over 50 museums and galleries, as well as discounts at restaurants. The card also entitles the holder to a free roundtrip train ride to Hvittrask. You can buy your Helsinki Card from the Helsinki Tourist Office and from the Hotel Bookings Center at Helsinki Railway Station. If you can't afford a sightseeing tour, take a ride on tram #3T, which loops round the center.

Getting Around:
Most of the things you might want to see are within walking distance of one another. However, quick hops across the center are easily done by way of an efficient and integrated tram, bus, and small metro system.

A one-way journey costs 10mk and unlimited transfers are allowed within one hour (on the trams, a one-way ticket is also available for 7mk, which does not allow any transfers). A multi-trip ticket gives ten rides for 75mk. A tourist ticket lasts one (25mk), three (50mk) or five days (75mk), and permits travel on buses and trams displaying double arrows (effectively all of them). One-way tickets are bought on board, others from the bus station, tourist office or kiosks around the center, and metro tickets can be bought from the machines in the stations. Of tram routes, #3T, which follows a figure-eight route around the center, is the most useful. Taxis have a basic charge of 20mk in the day, 30mk at night, with a charge per kilometer, plus a surcharge after 6pm and on weekends, and even more after 10pm. Bicycles can be rented at the Olympic Stadium.

Language:
Finnish and Swedish are the national languages. English is widely recognized here and you'll see it on signs along with Finnish. Learning a few phrases will help, too.

Party/Social Scene:
Helsinki is a party town, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Try Elite, a bar where you can drink on the terrace in summer. The paintings hanging on the walls were supposedly given as payment by the impoverished artists who used to hang out there.

Other Info:
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