Helsinki in...

(Lonely Planet is this month going to release their newest edition of the Finland guide, and I got so impatient waiting to read it I decided to compile something similar of my own. The things to do in this entry apply only for the summer! A winter version will follow later)


... one day
Head straight for the harbour, a great place for people-watching and a very pleasant place to walk around. Spend some time at the market, either buying fresh seafood and vegetables or browsing through the kitch souvenirs on sale for tourists. Walk along Helsinki's oldest street (Sofiankatu) to Senaatintori (Senate's Square). Get yourself photographed infront of the statue of Alexander the Second with the cathedral in the background. Take in the elegant buildings around (among them Helsinki's prestigious University), then walk right into the city's main commercial district. Aleksanterinkatu is where you'll find the same stores as in the rest of Scandinavia and Esplanadi is for high-brow shoppers. Check out Stockmann, Helsinki's version of Harrod's, as well as the best and biggest bookshop in Scandinavia, Akateeminen Kirjakauppa.
In the afternoon, choose either Kiasma for some quirky contemporary art or Ateneum for a good look at Finnish paintings from the last century and spend some time exploring these museums before ending your day with a drink at the huge open-air bar along Mikonkatu, from where you can watch people running to catch their train at the railway station and be frowned upon by the statue of Aleksis Kivi, Finland's national writer.

... two days
On your second day, take the ferry to the fortress island of Suomenlinna. Make the obligatory tour of the most important touristic sites (there is a tourist information centre) and then head further off towards the southern tip of the island. Choose your perfect spot for a picnic but don't pack anything that could easily fly away because it can get very windy.
Back at the harbour, visit the Uspenski Cathedral, which is the biggest Orthodox church in western Europe. Explore the neighbouring area of Katajanokka, one of the oldest in Helsinki. Have dinner at the Nepalese restaurant “Mount Everest” and then take the tram back downtown, just in time for a Sibelius concert at the Finlandia house.

... three days
Start your third day in the workers' residential district of Hakaniemi, three tram stops from the railway station. Take a look inside the food hall, probably the most exciting in Helsinki, and then head west. After crossing the railway tracks on the suspension bridge, you'll find yourself at Töölönlahti, which technically is part of the sea but looks more like a lake in the middle of the city. Walk around it, stopping at the northern end to admire the view of Helsinki's skyline. If you're in luck, it'll be Sunday and families with little children will be feeding the ducks, people will sweep past you in their jogging suits and you'll see Finnish couples having a romantic moment, sitting on a remote bench. Pause to gaze at the modern opera house and have a look at what's on (try not to look too shocked at the prices). If the open-air cafe is open, having an ice cream is a must.
From Töölönlahti, go to visit the Rock Church (Temppeliaukion kirkko) and get lost a hundred times on your way in Töölö's labyrinth streets. If maps aren't your thing, just ask any passer-by for directions, he'll probably have heard the question many times before!

... four days
Have a late breakfast in Cafe TinTin Tango and then walk to the weird Sibelius Monument (try to ignore the ugly hospital buildings on your way), from where you can either catch a bus to visit the open-air museum at Seurasaari Island or make your way to the brand-new Kamppi shopping centre downtown. Shop till you drop (visit the Marimekko store for unique gifts to bring back home) and then spend a whopping 10 euro on a movie in Tennispalatsi, Scandinavia's biggest cinema centre. Spend the evening enjoying “Scandinavia's most exciting nightlife” (quote from Lonely Planet: Scandinavian Europe)

... five days
Visit the Hietalahti flea market and try to leave without your hands full of stuff. Walk past the docks where the world's biggest cruise ships are always being built and head towards the southern shore of the Helsinki peninsula for a nice seaside promenade. Lunch at Café Ursula – except if you're tight on your budget, in which case you'll just have to skip lunch. Walk around Eira, Helsinki's most expensive place to live in, and drool at the villa-style apartment buildings. Visit the Kaivopuisto park and climb Tähtitorninmäki, timing your visit with the sunset for wonderful views of the harbour and Helsinki's outlying island. If it's midsummer and the sun doesn't set until three in the morning, climb the hill anyway.

...six days
Time for an excursion. Choose either the old town of Porvoo, about an hour east from Helsinki by car and a delight for lovers of old buildings made out of wood, or Nuuksio national park, just outside Helsinki and easily accessible by public transport and well suited for both serious hikers and less serious hikers. In the evening, go and see an ice hockey match in Hartwall Areena.

...seven days
If you have a whole week, you can still visit the Linnanmäki amusement park, some more museums (The National museum, the museums in Tennispalatsi etc) or make a day trip by ship to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.