Helsinki
From Imakoopedia
Helsinki or Helsingfors is Finland's capital and something of an international metropolis. Founded in 1550, it has been the Finnish capital since 1812. Helsinki's current population is over 500,000, but the Helsinki region with the neighboring suburban cities of Espoo and Vantaa has a population of 1.2 million.
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Understand
Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden as a trading post to compete with Tallinn to the south in Estonia. In 1809, Finland was annexed to Russia during a war of that period and the capital of Finland moved from Turku to Helsinki in 1812. The Czar felt the Grand Dutchy of Finland needed a capital of Grand proportions. Two architects, Johan Albrecht Ehrenström a native Finn, and Carl Ludwig Engel from Germany were given the task of rebuilding the city in empire-style as seen today around the Lutheran Cathedral, which was completed in 1852.
Get in
By plane
All international and domestic flights land at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport (http://www.ilmailulaitos.fi/airport_helsinki-vantaa) (HEL), 15 kilometers to the north of the city. International and domestic terminals are separate but connected by a walkway.
The cheapest public transport option to the center is public bus 615, which takes around 40 minutes and costs 3.40€ to the Central Railway Station in the heart of Helsinki. Finnair's own bus offers direct service to major hotels for 5€. Taxis to the center cost 25€ and up, although the shared Airport Taxi (http://www.airporttaxi.fi/index_eng.html) (tel. 0600 555 555 for bookings) minivans for 1 to 4 people are only 18€.
By train
All long-distance trains from St. Petersburg (Russia) and northern Finland terminate in the heart of the city at the Central Railway Station (Rautatieasema), which also provides easy interchange to the metro and tram lines.
By car
Expressways connect Helsinki to Turku to the west, Tampere and Lahti to the north, and to Porvoo and towards St. Petersburg in the east.
By bus
Long-distance buses terminate at the central bus station in Kamppi, adjacent to Mannerheimintie and within easy walking distance of the Central Railway Station.
By boat
Helsinki is well connected with ferry services to Stockholm (Sweden) and Tallinn (Estonia). Ferries arrive at three different terminals depending on the company.
Get around
All public transportation in the Helsinki metro area is operated under the aegis of HKL. The following basic ticket types are available:
- Tram ticket (1,50€, travel card "0") -- single tram trip, no transfers
- City ticket (2,00€, travel card "1") -- valid for one hour within city limits, unlimited transfers
- Regional ticket (3,40€, travel card "2") -- valid for one hour within Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, unlimited transfers
Fares can be paid by cash on boarding or by Travel Card (matkakortti), a reloadable smartcard sold at R-kiosks and HKL offices. The Travel Card requires a refundable 7€ deposit and gives a 15% discount on fares. Using it is slightly cumbersome, as you must hold your card against the reader and simultaneously press the numbered button corresponding to the desired ticket type. Wave the card without pressing anything to see the remaining value or to register a transfer.
Alternatively, you can opt for the Helsinki Card (1 day 25€ to 3 days 45€) or HKL Tourist Ticket (1 day 5,40€ to 5 days 16,20€), both of which offer unlimited travel within the city. The Helsinki Card also offers free admission to a number of museums and attractions, but at a much steeper price.
Journey Planner (http://aikataulut.ytv.fi/reittiopas/en/) will get you from street address, place or sight to another by connecting the necessary public mass transit, giving you plenty of options. It covers metropolitan Helsinki (incl. Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen). Try Airport or Railway station for place names.
By tram
For tourists the most convenient (and scenic) means of travel is the extensive tram network, especially line 3T which does a figure-eight circuit around the city.
Bar Tram
Of particular note is the Bar Tram, a bright red tram converted into a pub on wheels. The tram runs during the summer only from Wednesday to Saturday, once an hour from 2 to 8 PM, with stops at the Railway Square, Linnanmäki, Opera House, Aleksanterinkatu and the Market Square. Price 7€, including one beer.
By bus
Buses fill in the gaps not covered by trams. The main bus stations are adjacent to the Central Railway Station (for points north and east) and the Kamppi subway station (for points west).
The Kamppi bus station is currently being moved underground and the construction site resembles a battle zone. The new terminal is expected to open in 2005.
By train
VR's commuter railways run north from the Central Railway Station, branching out in three directions, none of them particularly interesting though. HKL tickets are valid within the metropolitan area limits.
By metro
A metro line runs from the center to the eastern suburbs, but is of little use to most tourists.
By ferry
The HKL ferry to Suomenlinna from the Market Square (Kauppatori) is a cheap and popular summer getaway. Private operators operate services to various other islands during the summer; schedules can be sparse and HKL tickets are not valid.
See
- Ateneum Art Museum, Kaivokatu 2, 00100 Helsinki, phone number +358 9 173361 (+358 9 17336228 for tickets). Open Tue and Fri 9am - 6pm, Wed and Thu 9am - 8pm, Sat and Sun 11am - 5pm, Mondays closed. Ateneum has the largest collection of paintings and sculptures in Finland. Particularly notable is the collection of works by major Finnish artists. Entrance fee 5,5/4 €, or during special exhibitions 7,5/6,5 €. Free admission for visitors under 18. Wednesdays from 5pm to 8pm free admission. http://www.ateneum.fi/acms/core/default.asp?docId=11876
- Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Mannerheiminaukio 2, 00100 Helsinki, phone number +358 9 1733 6501. Open from Wed to Sun 10am - 8.30pm, Tue 9am - 5pm, Mondays closed. Located near Ateneum, Kiasma is everything Ateneum isn't. The collections mostly include works by contemporary Finnish artists and artists from nearby countries. In addition to this, there are also periodical exhibitions. The building itself is a work of art. Entrance fee 5,5/4?, groups (with at least 10 people) 4€ per person. Under 18 year-olds free. Fridays from 5pm to 8.30pm free admission. http://www.kiasma.fi/www/index.php?lang=en
- Korkeasaari Zoo. http://www.hel.fi/zoo/index_eng.html
- Sibelius Monument. http://www.hel.fi/tourism/html/english/artikkelit/artikkelit/sibelius.html
- Tuomiokirkko (the Lutheran Cathedral), the unofficial symbol of the city
- Temppelinaukio (The Church in the Rock)
- Parliament House has tours on Saturday at 11 and 12 and Sunday at 12 and 1 in Finnish, Swedish and English.
- Uspenski Cathedral Kanavakatu 1, Helsinki, phone +358-(0)9-634 267. Uspenski Cathedral is the largest orthodox church in Western Europe. Open October-April Mon closed Tue-Fri 9.30-16, Sat 9.30-14, Sun 12-15. May-September Mon, Wed-Sat 9.30-16, Tue 9.30-18, Sun 12-15.
Do
- Head out to Nuuksio National Park for some light hiking a stone's throw away from the city. A number of well-signposted trails are available, while hardcore hikers can head out into the bush and stay at one of the many campsites. An information cabin near the main entrance (as well as the Helsinki tourist info) has simple free maps, or invest 10€ in a detailed topographic map of the area. No direct buses from Helsinki, but you can take the train to Leppävaara and connect to Espoo bus 85 or 88.
Learn
Work
Buy
Helsinki's main shopping drag is Aleksanterinkatu, which runs from Senate Square to Mannerheimintie and is packed with large stores. The parallel Esplanadi boulevards have specialist (and generally very expensive) boutiques.
- Stockmann (corner of Aleksanterinkatu and Mannerheimintie) is Helsinki's (and Finland's) premier department store. Large selection of souvenirs on the 4th floor.
- Itäkeskus (metro: Itäkeskus) is the largest shopping mall in Scandinavia with some 240 shops.
As in the rest of Finland, note that most shops close by 6 PM on Saturday and are closed entirely on Sunday. A notable exception are the shops located in the central railway station's underground Asematunneli complex, which are open until the late evening almost every day on the year.
Eat
Helsinki has by far the best cosmopolitan restaurants in Finland, and is a good place to escape the usual diet of meat and potatoes... if you can foot the bill, that is.
Finnish
- Konstan Möljä (http://www.kolumbus.fi/konstanmolja/), Hietalahdenkatu 14, +358 9 694 7504. Traditional Finnish food. Lunch buffet 7.40€, main dishes 15+€.
- Lappi (http://www.lappires.com/), Annankatu 22, +358 9 645550. Traditional Finnish (and especially Lapp) dishes. Main dishes 12 - 27€.
- Manala (http://www.botta.fi/manala) Dagmarinkatu 2, +358 9 58077707. Tasty, no-nonsense Finnish food from noon till 4 am. Main dishes 10-18€.
- Zetor (http://www.zetor.net/) Kaivopiha, Mannerheimintie 3-5, +358 9 666966. Tourist restaurant with lots of character and great quality Finnish food. Plenty of old tractors and Finnish memorabilia. Main meals between 10 - 20€.
International
- Belge Kluuvikatu 5, +358 9 6229620. A Belgian restaurant. Good food, beer and atmosphere. http://www.hok.fi/ravintolat/belge/index.html
- Gastone, Korkeavuorenkatu 45, +358 9 666116. Nice restaurant with an Italian flavor.
- Farouge, Yrjönkatu 6, +358 9 6123455. Probably the only Lebanese restaurant in Finland. Friendly service and excellent food. Main courses 14-38 e. Lunch 11-15 on workdays. Closed on Sundays.
- Kabuki, Lapinlahdenkatu 12, 00180 Helsinki, +358 9 694 9446. Best Japanese restaurant in Helsinki! No chance without reservation. http://www.ravintolaopas.net/kabuki/
- Kynsilaukka Fredrikinkatu 22, +358 9 651939. For garlic lovers only... Main dishes 15-20€. http://www.kynsilaukka.com/garlic/index-e.html
- Limón, Rikhardinkatu 4 , +358 9 6225992. A cozy place serving both tapas and normal dishes. Main dishes 12 - 16€ http://www.limon.fi/
- Mai Thai, Annankatu 31-33, 00100 Helsinki, +358 9 685 6850. One of the best Thai restaurants in Helsinki - simply incredible! Make sure to reserve a table in advance. http://www.ravintolaopas.net/maithai/
- New Bamboo Center, Annankatu 29, 00100 Helsinki. Well known and popular chinese restaurant in downtown. Cheap lunch/dinner served to 21.00.
- Yade. Keskuskatu 3, +358 9 856 856 80, yade@center-inn.fi, [1] (http://www.ravintolaopas.net/yade/). Asian-style restaurant serving wok, noodles, ramen, etc. Completely non-smoking, occasionally busy so reserve a table in advance. Closed on Sundays. Note: Closed for renovation until mid-Nov 2004.
Miscellaneous
- Vege (http://www.vege.fi), Uudenmaankatu 9-11, +358 9 6227 7550. Decent vegetarian and vegan food in a nice atmosphere, currently open only till 18:00 and offering set lunches, but apparently planning to add à la carte offerings in the evening. Lunch 8-11 €. Closed on Sundays.
- Silvoplee (http://www.silvoplee.com/), Toinen linja 3, +358 9 726 0900. Vegetarian restaurant specializing in living and raw foods but also serves warm dishes. Buffet, pay per weight. Closed on Sundays.
- Golden Rax, All-you-can-eat Pizza Buffet. Serves Pizza, Pasta, Salad and drinks. Price: €7.99 per person at the time of this writing. Location: Mannerheimintie 20 (along the route for tram 3B/3T, near the parliament house)
Cafes
- Ateljee Baari, Kalevankatu 5, 00100 Helsinki. Despite it's name it is more like cafe located on top of Hotel Torni. Excellent view over Helsinki downtown, in fact the only place to enjoy them. Highly recommended. Find the elevator close to lobby to get there.
- Cafe Engel, Opposite the Lutheran cathedral. Where the locals go for tea and snacks. Very relaxed, lovely courtyard out the back with films late into summer evenings.
- Cafe Success, Korkeavuorenkatu 2, +358 9 633414. Traditional cafe serves excellent delicacies. Famous for their cinnamon rolls ("Korvapuusti", also available in Cafe Esplanad).
- Kipsari, Student cafe at the University of Art and Industrial Design in Arabia. Relaxed atmosphere with music at times. Nice students.
Drink
Helsinki has plenty of hip places for a drink, but they are uniformly expensive. If intent on getting plastered, follow the Finns and drink up a good "base" at home (or hotel) before going out on town.
- UNIQ. Yliopistonkatu 5, [2] (http://www.uniq.fi/). A nightclub home to the Arctic Icebar, essentially a giant walk-in freezer where you can sample Finlandia vodka-based cocktails at a temperature of -5°C all year around. Loan parkas, moon boots and gloves provided. Open Wed-Sat 10 PM to 4 AM. Cover 5€ on weekends, drinks in the Icebar a steep 10€ (buy coupons in advance at the other bar counters).
- Teatteri (Pohjoisesplanadi 2) is a complex featuring a deli, a restaurant, a bar and a night club, all of them trendy and popular. Check out the aptly named Clock Bar (Kellobaari) downstairs.
- Fever (Annankatu 32) is one of the newer nightclubs in Helsinki. Mostly popular with 20-something crowd this club plays the current top-40 list and some club classics. As a rather unusual feature in the Helsinki scene, this club is open every day of the week.
- Baarikärpänen, On The Rocks and Eatz are all bars/nightclubs on Mikonkatu, next to the Helsinki railway station. Baarikärpänen offers RnB and top40 hits in a nice lounge-type bar with big comfortable sofas and a dance floor. On The Rocks is a rock oriented bar with occasional live bands and stand up comedy acts. Eatz sports a restaurant and a small bar/dancefloor section playing varying music depending on the night.
- The Club (Simonkatu 6) is a very popular venue offering three separate bar/club areas with a varying theme. The Club tries to profile itself as a upscale nightclub for trendy crowd. Music varies from Finnish-hits to RnB and House, depending on the area.
- Helsinki Club (Yliopistonkatu 8) is an old party venue that keeps discovering it self again and again. Helsinki Club, or "Hesari" has offered its services for party goes since 1971 and still hosts some of the hottest parties in Helsinki even today.
If you're not interested in the more trendy downtown nightclubs/bars, or are on a bugdet, you might want to head over to Kallio district that has heaps of bars with relatively cheap beer and an offbeat atmosphere. Popular places include Stellar pub, Roskapankki and Tauko but there are lots more to choose from. For a virtual tour of Kallio bars with addresses and beer price info, see baarikierros.com. The sometimes "decadent" bar culture here might not be everyone's cup of tee, though.
You can reach Kallio from the center by walking, by tram (lines 1, 3B, 6 and 7) or by metro (get off at Hakaniemi or Sörnäinen).
Sleep
Accommodation in Helsinki is generally quite expensive, but of a high standard. Hotels are usually cheaper on weekends when usual clientele of businessmen are away.
Budget
There are quite a few budget hotels in Helsinki, the cheapest being youth hostels. The Finnish Youth Hostel Association (http://www.srm.fi) can provide further information.
- Eurohostel (http://www.eurohostel.fi/). Helsinki's best-located hostel. €19.50 (IYHF members) .
- Hotelli Finn (http://www.hotellifinn.fi/), Kalevankatu 3B, (+358 9) 684 4360 (fax: (+358 9) 6844 3610, E-mail: hotelli.finn@kolumbus.fi). A clean hotel near the main railway station. Even though the rooms are small and fairly no-frills, the hotel is comfortable and cheap. There are 27 rooms, and can accommodate from one to four people per room. Rooms include telephone and TV. €55-€115 (single - room for four).
- Stadion Hostel (http://www.stadionhostel.com/) in the Olympic Stadium building quite near the centre. Dorms from 15 €.
- Rastila Camping (http://www.hel.fi/liv/rastila/rastilaenglish.html), the only camping site inside Helsinki borders. 17 min metro ride from the Central Railway Station.
Mid-range
- Cumulus Kaisa (Kaisaniemenkatu, M Kaisaniemi) is a centrally located but minimally equipped business hotel. Prices from 83€ for a double in the low season.
- Hotel Helka (http://www.helka.fi) (Pohjoinen rautatiekatu, near M Kamppi) is a dependable old standby within walking distance of the city center. Prices generally around 100€.
Splurge
- Hotel Kämp (http://www.kamp.fi/), central Esplanadi Boulevard. This historic hotel claims to be the only true 5-star in Scandinavia, with prices to match.
Contact
Stay safe
In general, Finland is a fairly safe country, and Helsinki is no exception. There are no exceptional crime problems or health hazards. Unfortunately, as the city grows larger, petty crime will likely increase as well. Still, this should not be a visitor's biggest worry.
Cope
Internet cafes are rather thin on the ground in Helsinki, as most people have net connections at home.
- Cable Book Library. Lasipalatsi, Mannerheimintie 22-24, [3] (http://kirjakaapeli.lib.hel.fi/index-en.html). Very centrally located between the central railway and bus stations. You can surf the net for free for 30 minutes just by presenting your ID card, but may have to queue.
Get out
As a coastal city, Helsinki has good connections to some fine destinations nearby. In Russia, St. Petersburg, "the Venice of the North", is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Stockholm, the Swedish capital, is like Helsinki, only bigger. Tallinn in Estonia is known for its medieval city center.
External links
- City of Helsinki (http://www.hel.fi/english/)
- City of Helsinki Tourist Office (http://www.hel.fi/tourism/html/english/artikkelit/index.html)
