Helsinki is known internationally as a city of design and at its heart is the Design District. Design District Helsinki is a large cluster of stores, restaurants and more, with creativity as the common factor aside from their location, spreading out from the hub of the Diana Park in Erottaja, at the south end of Mannerheimintie, […]

The earliest and still working companies in the field of the applied arts were the Arabia ceramics factory (founded in 1873), and Nuutajärvi glass factory (founded in 1794). In 1928 Riihimäen Lasi organised a glass design competition. The winning designer, Henry Ericsson already showed the clean lines of modernism. The work of the 1930s, from furniture and everyday wares to graphic design, was characterised […]

Kalevala Day (Finnish Culture Day) is full of magic and it is celebrated in Finland on the 28th of February. The Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, teaches ancient wisdom through the stories and spells of mythical heroes and heroines. The Kalevala was compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology in the […]

Nouveau ideas Helsinki’s architecture offers many examples of turn of the century Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) and the classicism that followed. These styles can be studied in numerous public buildings. The National Museum, the National Theatre, and Eliel Saarinen’s Central Railway Station are some of the landmarks of this period. Of the original interiors that still […]

The hectic construction that took place in the closing decades of the nineteenth century is evident nearly everywhere in central Helsinki. Four- and five-storey commercial buildings and residential blocks were erected on Pohjoisesplanadi, Bulevardi, and Erottaja, designed in a style that emulated the architecture of Vienna and Berlin. The so-called period of Eclecticism produced many […]

What does Helsinki have to offer visitors interested in architecture? Both architecturally and culturally, Helsinki is an idiosyncratic mix of eastern and western influence. The main theatres, museums, and concert halls are all centrally located, and many public and commercial buildings manifest outstanding architectural quality. HELSINKI IS YOUNGER and smaller than most of the other […]

Throughout Helsinki, you can find outstanding examples of a range of architectural styles from different eras. National Romanticism For instance, the Jugendstil architectural style is showcased beautifully in Helsinki if you know where to look. The romanticism of the art nouveau Jugendstil theme is expressed in the turrets, rural motifs and quirky granite detail of […]

The new northern lights are in town again, as the annual light festival Lux Helsinki kicks off this Saturday. Since 2009 Helsinki has put on one of the largest light festivals in Europe, with this year’s festival promising to be one of the best yet. An exciting range of light installation artworks will be on display, including […]

Update: The Helsinki Christmas Market 2019 is open from December 6th to the 22nd. Opening hours are Tue – Fri 11 am– 8 pm, Sat – Sun 10 am– 8 pm. Closed on Mondays. There will be Christmas Karaoke at the Market on Saturday! The Oldest Christmas Market in Helsinki The Helsinki Christmas market at […]