Come and see Helsinki

Senate Square in the heart of Helsinki

 As a kid I always remember January and February as being the time when we would book "THE HOLIDAY". Just after the New Year the brochures wold arrive through the door and the next couple of weeks would be spent trying to choose the place to go. Somewhere different, somewhere exciting, somewhere the beighbours have not been! In those days of the middle to late seventies it was mostly seaside resorts, which is how I came to fall in love with Scarborugh. nowadays people are travelling much further afield, but I bet Finland is not the first place that springs to mind when planning one of the most important times of the year.

Finland sitting between Sweden and Russia, seems to be one of those places where people always would like to see, but never get around to it. I have now been a Helsinki guide for four years over which time I must have met thousands of visitors and I hear a repeated explaination as to why they chose Finland. "When I was younger I worked here for a time", "I visited during my studies", "My neighbour came here a few years ago and highly reccomended it" etc, etc, etc.It is true a lot of people come here with no-expectations, mostly either from Stockholm Sweden and on their way to St Petersburg or the other way and Helsinki is just a part of the tour.Yet time and time again Helsinki suprises, and often people wish they had a longer time to visit. It's clean, very little graffite, uncrowded, everyone speaks English, its feels easy and relaxed. People come to see thedifferent types of architecture, the many park lands or just to wander around enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.Perhaps visiting one of the markets situated in the center, where you can buy fresh Finnish fruit and vegtables as well as Finnish handicrafts. It is quite easy to walk around Helsinki, which is rather a compact little city and can be achieved easily in three hours. If you do not want to walk, you could take a tram, which goes around the city with an hourly ticket. You may wish to take the PUB tram, which serves beer etc, and you could sit drinking your pint while the city passes around you. If it is shopping that you are after, you could visit the design district with its many little streets overflowing with small design shops, or visit the Stockmann's department store. Some want to explore further in-land and visit the wooden town of Porvoo situated about an hours drive down the motorway, or spend some time walking around the Nuuksio National Park which is only half an hours drive from Helsinki and learn about natural Finland in the recently opened Nature centre.

Helsinki Market place

One thinks of Finland and visions of cold wet summers spring to mind, but this is not true, long hot summer days have become the norm, in fact last year we had our hottest day since records began +38 degrees! In the winter we get good snowfalls, unfortunately this year excepted as I look from my office window, during one of the mildest winters on record. But it is not just Helsinki that is worth a visit, Turku the old capital of Finland during the Swedish times, is only a three hour train ride away and if you want to go further, Lapland is well reccomended. Oulu, Tampere and Vaasa are also well worth a look at.

Finns love their sports and so the Olympic Stadium might be right up your street, compleated for the 1940 Olympic games which was cancelled because of the war, the stadium was actually used for the 1952 Olympic games. You can take a lift to the top of the 72 meter tall tower and get a birds eye veiw of the entire city, but if heights are not your strong point, the sports museum is also a worthwhile visit while the rest of the family enjoy the thrill.

The 72 meter Olympic Staduim tower

The Olympic Stadium

If music is your thing, there are many concert halls to visit around the city, one of the most popular attractions for music lovers is the Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland's most famous composer. This monument is visited my millions every year and in the summer time you can usually find students from the world famous Sibelius' accademy playing Sibelius' most famous work "Finlandia" from morning to evening.The monument itself is made from 600 stainless steel tubes and situated in wonderful park land, which is a great favorite for singing Nightingales around mid-summertime.

The Sibelius Monument

So next time you are thinking where to go for "THE HOLIDAY" think of Finland, perhaps we shall meet and I will be able to guide you around this lovely city.