Ok, so Finnish is obvious but I had to maintain the alliteration!
I recently spent a weekend in Helsinki and came back full of praise for this tidy, friendly city. I had the fortune to be there during a mini-heatwave, so my opinion is possibly rose-tinted, but what the hell!
The city ... Read review
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Advantages: friendly people, somewhere different, nightlife, safe, long days Disadvantages: don't go in winter, not enough to do for more than a long weekend
...recently spent a weekend in Helsinki and came back full of praise for this tidy, friendly city. I had the fortune to be there during a mini-heatwave, so my opinion is possibly rose-tinted, but what the hell!
The city is small and walkable, but taxis are cheap if you're feeling lazy. Food is cheaper than the UK and servings are quite generous. Service is rarely short of exemplary and tipping is the exception rather than the rule. ...to expect it to - Helsinki is a fraction of the size of these other capitals), the bars are busy and the clubs vibrant. Clubbing here is simple, fuss-free and there is no attitude! For men, there is an added bonus. In Finland, women significantly outnumber the men. And, true to the Scandinavian stereotype, they are generally very friendly and attractive! English is spoken by almost everyone, cards are accepted in most bars and clubs, and doormen ... more
Ok, so Finnish is obvious but I had to maintain the alliteration!
I recently spent a weekend in Helsinki and came back full of praise for this tidy, friendly city. I had the fortune to be there during a mini-heatwave, so my opinion is possibly rose-tinted, but what the hell!
The city is small and walkable, but taxis are cheap if you're feeling lazy. Food is cheaper than the UK and servings are quite generous. Service is rarely short of exemplary and tipping is the exception rather than the rule.
Nightlife is fine. Whilst it doesn't have the buzz of Soho in London or Bastille in Paris (and it would be unfair to expect it to - Helsinki is a fraction of the size of these other capitals), the bars are busy and the clubs vibrant. Clubbing here is simple, fuss-free and there is no attitude! For men, there is an added bonus. In Finland, women significantly outnumber the men. And, true to the Scandinavian stereotype, they are generally very friendly and attractive! English is spoken by almost everyone, cards are accepted in most bars and clubs, and doormen are polite (a pleasant change from most places). All this, plus the best Guinness outside of Dublin!
Flights take around 2.5 hrs from London and buzz offer some good deals. I paid around £70, although the normal return is £120. Hotels are cheaper than in the UK. Full price for an executive double room is only £50-60 per room per night(equivalent hotel rooms cost £80-100 in the UK) and that's without shopping around.
During the day, check out the surrounding islands on a boat, go shopping in Europe's largest dept. store, check out the theme park within the city itself and just relax.
Go in the summer and enjoy long evenings, with darkness never really setting in. Sunset is around 11pm! Unless you're a fan of the cold and dark, don't go in winter though!
Advantages: friendly feeling, very relaxed Disadvantages: increasing property prices
Helsinki is a small-big city. Indeed it is the capital of Finland, the population is very small (about 1 million). This makes the city a good place to relax. The city has a lot to offer for tourists. For example endless art galleries (see the Kiasma! Truly modern art, and a building to go with the same theme!), the Helsinki week during every summer (everything to do with art, and good chance to party, its like a carnical!) and some nice bars and ... ...Suomenlinna – an island outside Helsinki (a ferry goes from the central of Helsinki), good family fun in the summer, loads of young people enjoy the sun and sea…
* Kaivopuisto – a park in the heart of the town, don’t miss the huge concerts in the summer! Nice boats in the seaside, benji jumping etc.
* Shopping – many good quality shopping malls, like the Kamp, Forum and Stockman (the Marks and Spencer of Finland)
And there is a lot more, you have ...
Annukka 18.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Helsinki in general
Advantages: Carpenters Disadvantages: Its a gay coountry
...may know, i recently visited Helsinki in Finland. Although it has a funny name and is in a bit of a gay country, the history and style of this capital city is far from gay.
I loved every bit of it. There are many cafes and bars scattered around (i recommend the Peter Daniels Inn) which is near to the Helsinki fountain in the city centre.
Ther is also one or two carpenter shops were you can actually observe the craftsman at work. I found this fascinating ...
dannyam178 28.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Helsinki in general
...swimming-pool complex names "Serena". It's quite cheap but funny to spend the time in, especially in the summer. But the one black spot must be added to this picture - the railway station in Helsinki is terrible. There is no place to sit and wait untill the train comes... ...
anatu2001 04.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Helsinki in general
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
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Advantages: Central location, great breakfasts, friendly staff Disadvantages: Somewhat overpriced, small bedrooms, tiny bathrooms
come back for seconds (or thirds) and given the generally high cost of eating out inHelsinki I would recommend that visitors eat a big breakfast and take away some fruit and crispbreads for later as I did. Finns ingeneral have their main meal at lunch time and if you adapt to this you will also find Helsinki to be better value for money.
---Sauna---
Of course this being a Finnish hotel there is the ubiquitous sauna which is well worth trying if you have time. Finns use saunas as communal meeting places where they gather to socialise and have no inhibitions about being naked in front of strangers. The Hotel Anna sauna is a bit different as it is private and must be booked before you can use it, so there's no danger of coming face to face with huge, perspiring, naked Finns if that bothers you. It is also necessary to pay a charge ...
Advantages: Friendly. Disadvantages: Just a little too far from the centre.
with 5 separate bars, two floors and a reasonable boogie area.
In most of its literature about the club, the hotel bills it as being the in-place. According to the waitress I was talking with this did in fact used to be the case, Helsinkians coming from all over but when the club was closed three years ago for renovations the crowd found a new place and decided to stay: Hotel Helsinkiin the centre (5 minutes away). We went in the club 2 out of the 3 nights we were there. It was never what one could call throbbing but there was around 40 people in. This number probably changes depending on how many conferences the hotel is hosting. Worth a drink in there! But leave your overcoat in the room otherwise you'll be accosted to pay in order to hang it in the cloakroom.
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Trev15 11.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hesperia
Advantages: A stunning sight, a fun but stimulating place to visit Disadvantages: Can get a bit crazy when Japanese coach parties arrive
. Even without the sculpture this is a nice place to sit quietly and reflect. The lake across the road gives the impression of an extended space and the atmosphere is generally peaceful - in spite of the occasional incursions from excited tourists. The park was litter free and although the park seems to be popular with dog walkers it looks as if they clean up after their animals.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Eila Hiltunen is a Finnish artist working inHelsinki. Another of her works - a copper fountain - can be seen outside the central bank inHelsinki. She is well known in the sculpture world for the pioneering work she did using MIG welding which was a relatively new method in any industry, let alone in the art world. Unfortunately the intense and prolonged work involved in the creation of "Passio Musicae" (as the work is titled) took its toll ...
