Get close to nature in Finland's vibrant modern capital

Published on Sunday 13 August 2006 00:42

WITH direct flights now available from Edinburgh to Helsinki, the Finnish capital has become an accessible option for a novel city break. You'll find hot clubs and cool bars, neo-classical squares and ultra-modern architecture - and both fine art and fine shopping.

BEFORE YOU GO

The Thomas Cook City Spots series includes a Helsinki guide at 5.99 and there's tourist info at www.helsinkiexpert.fi and www.visithelsinki.fi. The currency is the euro, and in the home of Nokia (a town in western Finland) your mobile will certainly work.

WHEN TO GO

Summer and autumn are the best times to visit, with light evenings and mild weather.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Finnair (www.finnair.com, 0870 241 4411) flies from Edinburgh to Helsinki on Wednesdays and Sundays during summer (until October 1) from 212.

GETTING AROUND

In central Helsinki you can walk everywhere, but a Helsinki Card (€42 for 48 hours) gets you into museums and on trams and ferries for free.

TOURIST TRAIL

Start at Senate Square to admire its formal architecture - a legacy of Russian rule. But don't climb up to the Tuomiokirkko cathedral; like a reverse Tardis, it seems larger from the outside. Stroll along the tree-lined avenue Esplanadi, perhaps stopping for coffee at Kappeli - the composer Sibelius used to frequent this greenhouse-style caf.

Also check out the Finnish design shops Marimekko fabrics, Iittala glassware and Artek interiors. The nearby Design Museum has an exhibition of Iittala's groundbreaking glass designs (until September 10, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, www.designmuseum.fi, €7, closed Mondays).

Crossing back over Esplanadi, take a look at the railway station, an icon of the National Romantic style (Gothic meets Art Deco) with four giants holding glass lanterns on its faade. Just beyond is Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in a striking curvy building (Mannerheiminaukio 2, www.kiasma.fi, €8, closed Mondays).

Then it's a short walk to Finlandia Hall on the shore of Tlnlahti. Walking round the bay at dusk, past rustling reeds and birch trees, you can admire the dramatic angles of Alvar Aalto's masterpiece. This is the essence of Helsinki - a modern city that's open to nature.

GO NATIVE

Head for the Kauppatori harbourside market, where fishing boats offer trays of fresh fish and marinated herring. In the Kauppahalli covered market you can buy rye bread, gravadlax and savoury Karelian pastries for a picnic lunch.

Then hop on a ferry to Suomenlinna island and stroll round its grassy ramparts, pretty wooden houses and a church that doubles as a lighthouse. You can swim or sunbathe in little bays and there are also museums, cafs and shops - I liked the craft shop B34. From the ferry you get lovely views of the green and gold domes of two cathedrals (Uspenski is red and Russian Orthodox, Tuomiokirkko is pristine white and Lutheran) rising above the city's rooftops.

WHAT TO BUY

The Design District around Uudenmaankatu and Bulevardi (pick up a free map from any shop) is full of cafs and bijou boutiques. At Alexandran Kammari (Uudenmaankatu 13) shelves packed with vintage glassware offer affordable treasures. IVANA Helsinki (Uudenmaankatu 15) and Lux Lux (Uudenmaankatu 26) sell trendy womenswear. The Moomin Shop in the Galleria at the Kamp Hotel (on Esplanadi) stocks Finnish writer Tove Jansonn's books, plus T-shirts and tableware adorned with her cute characters.

NIGHT LIFE

Mecca (Korkeavuorenkatu 34) is a stylish bar and restaurant with big leather sofas and subtle lighting. Bizarrely, they play Monty Python sketches in the toilets to entertain you while you pay a visit. There are many bars and clubs in the Design District - try Super Bar (Eerikinkatu 11), where studenty types dance in a blue-lit basement; or head up to the Ateljee bar on the 13th floor of the Hotel Torni (see below) for a nightcap with the best views of the city.

WHERE TO STAY

Helsinki's first design hotel is the Klaus K. Decorated with rich chocolate colours with iPod sound-docks in the rooms, this is hi-tech, glamorous and very central. Doubles start at €207, weekends €115 (Bulevardi 2, www.klauskhotel.com).

For smart design on a smaller budget, the Palace Hotel Linna, in the Design District, has double rooms from €189, weekends €116 (Lnnrotinkatu 39, www.palace.fi). As Helsinki's tallest building, the luxurious Hotel Torni has the city's only rooms (and glass-walled showers!) with views. Doubles from €225, weekends €117 (Kalevankatu 5, www.sokoshotels.fi).

WHERE TO EAT

For local seafood FishMarket (Pohjois, or north, Esplanadi 17, [phone]) has an inventive menu, including exquisite sashimi. You can eat at the bar and watch the seafood platters being assembled. At Pkonttori (Mikonkatu 23, [phone]) chenille-covered banquettes and designer lighting fill an Art Deco courtyard. The chef gives an Italian treatment to Finnish ingredients, including reindeer steak, with delicious results.

CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER?

Helsinki natives brag that their tap water is the best in the world, so don't worry about that. One tip: don't walk in the cycle lanes.

READERS' HIGHS AND LOWS

Fabulous

Get great inside knowledge of the city by hooking up with a Sherpa. These are local people who volunteer to show visitors round their favourite spots. Even better - they're free.

Diane Goodwin, Dunfermline

Not so good

Drink, particularly wine, is very expensive. Shop instead at the wonderfully named ALKO stores, which are much cheaper but are, unfortunately, closed on Sundays.

Mark Thompson, Edinburgh

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