Finland is the heavy metal capital of the world, as the saying goes, and Helsinki is a rock city with lots of rock bars to keep you rocking all night long. Loose (Annankatu 21) simply reeks of rock-cred. This is where everybody from the local rock scene loves to hang out. The bar has live gigs […]

The past few years have seen the rise of Finnish illustrators in the world of Finnish design. The hottest names now include Sanna Annukka, whose colourful work uses Finnish folkloristic themes. You may have seen her work in products by Marimekko, Mark&Spencer’s and Vogue. The Amsterdam-based Kustaa Saksi has designed illustrations for Jennifer Lopez’s Justsweet fashion brand and Issey […]

These days, the old fortress island of Suomenlinna is home to families and artists and is a part of the City of Helsinki, with a total year-round population of about 800. Access to the islands is possible from Helsinki’s South Harbour, with a ferry plying the short distance from the mainland from early morning until […]

Update 13.3.2020: Helsinki Regional Transport has advised that bus tickets will not be sold on board, effective today. Use of the HSL app and travel cards continues as usual. HSL advises that routes continue to be operated normally, but asks the public to avoid unnecessary use of public transport. Getting around Helsinki is easy because […]

Helsinki is a pocket-sized city and its sights are almost all within walking distance. Still, there is plenty to see in Helsinki. From the South Harbour If you arrive in Helsinki on one of the enormous cruise ferries from Stockholm, you will disembark in the South Harbour, in the heart of Helsinki and walking distance […]

There are lots of fun attractions and fun activities for children in Helsinki. The amusement park Linnanmäki is Finland’s most-visited attraction, and its spring opening is a major annual event on the calendar of Helsinki children. As well as a selection of rides and attractions of varying degrees of scariness, Linnanmäki houses Sea Life, an excellent aquarium and marine […]

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 […]

In 1808, Russia invaded Finland. One year later Finland was ceded to Russia, and Helsinki was destroyed by a huge fire. More importantly, in 1812, Czar Alexander I declared Helsinki the new capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland. All this paved the way for a new town plan drawn up by Johan Albrecht Ehrenström. […]