12 Step Planet: Helsinki

Where exactly is it?
Helsinki is a coastal city on the Gulf of Finland in the southeast of the country. It’s Finland’s capital and largest urban area. The ‘Daughter of the Baltic Sea’ has a population exceeding 1.2 million, spread across a series of sprawling suburbs and offshore islands. The Estonian capital, Tallinn, is 50km south across the Gulf of Finland. St. Petersburg is 300km to the east.

How do I get there?
Aer Lingus operates a direct service, March to October. SAS - the airline not the elite anti-terrorism unit - operates a regular one-stop service to Helsinki Vantaa Airport, connecting via-Norwegian capital, Oslo. Alternatively, Finnair flies daily from London Heathrow.

What language do they speak?
Finnish is spoken by over ninety percent of the city’s population. However, a sizeable percentage also speak Swedish, the country’s second official language. English is widely spoken, particularly by the younger generation. Small pockets of Sami-speaking Laplanders live in Helsinki.

What is the local beer like?
Finns are large consumers of beer. Pale lager is their favourite. Most of the leading brands are similar in taste. Lapin Kulta and Sandels are two of the better options. Sahti is the country’s most distinctive brew. Flavoured using juniper twigs and berries, it has a slight banana flavour and packs a kick at 8%. October 13 is Finnish Beer Day. The emerging craft beer sector is helping to broaden the variety of brews on offer.

Other drinks?
Finns like their liquor strong! Finnish vodka is sold the world over. The leading brand, Finlandia, is globally renowned. For something a little different, sample some lakka, a sweet tasting spirit made from soaking cloudberries in alcohol. There are also some excellent whiskeys produced in the ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’. Try a nip of Teerenpeli Single Malt. It’s guaranteed to warm the cockles on a cold winter’s day.
What’s the transport like?
Helsinki’s commuters are shuttled around the city by metro, the world’s most northerly subway. Trams also connect the main points of the downtown area. A ferry network links the Finnish capital with other significant seaports, including Tallinn, Stockholm and St. Petersburg. There are plans to link Helsinki to Tallinn by rail tunnel. Rail travel is a great way to experience the country’s epic landscape. Kolari in the Arctic Circle can be reached in 12 hours from the capital.

What’s the food like?
Over the centuries, the Finnish capital has absorbed the culinary traditions of the frozen north and of neighbouring countries such as Sweden and Russia. The inclement weather for much of the year has its limitations and dishes are normally simple, with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients. Red meat is expensive in Finland, but isn’t limited to beef and pork. Moose, deer and game are hunted for the dinner table and the numerous lakes and inlets are fished for herring, perch and crayfish. Berries are an important part of the Finnish diet. They’re picked in the wild and farmed. Cloudberries, raspberries and bilberries are amongst the most popular. These highly nutritious fruits are used to prepare jam, served as dessert or as an accompaniment to a main dish. Mushrooms are also harvested in large quantities from the country’s forests and used in soups and stews. As with Finnish technology and design, the local restaurant professionals are strong on innovation, resulting in a sizeable number of Michelin star restaurants.

What’s the nightlife like?
Helsinki’s nightlife is a joy. It’s devoid of the strict dress codes and image obsession characteristic of other cities in Scandinavia. Finns abandon their everyday reserve when they hit the town. People go out to have fun and are far less concerned about image. Dubstep and drum and bass are a big hit with Helsinki’s clubbers, whilst the trendy bars of the Vallila district are popular with the more bohemian student set. Bars normally serve until 2am and clubs until 4am. Keep your ears to the ground! The summer months are dotted with forest raves and mini electronic festivals which keep going until morning! If you fancy something more cultured and less frantic, check out the Finnish National Opera or Philharmonic Orchestra, both of which have busy programmes throughout spring and summer.

Why should I go?
Helsinki is a joy to visit. Be inspired by the eclectic ‘Design District’, sample the raucous abandon of the city’s nightlife and then unwind, Finnish-style, in one of the urban saunas. The wonderful architecture, the sea on your doorstep, great restaurants; Helsinki may be a tad expensive, but it’s worth shelling out the extra euros to experience this fantastic destination.

What are the touristy things to do?
Helsinki has an abundance of period buildings and fascinating museums. The museums housed in the vast sea fortress of Suomenlinna tell the story of Finland’s often turbulent past and its struggle for independence from both Sweden and Russia. Suomoenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was once dubbed the ‘Gibraltar of the North’. The old-fashioned, hill-top amusement park in Linnanmaki is a wonderful place to pass an afternoon eating candy floss at the funfair or getting your adrenaline fix on one of its vintage rollercoasters. The glass structure of the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art is home to the Finnish National Gallery and a wide variety of special events, including graffiti and modern dance displays. The islands that surround the city are certainly worth a look, particularly Seurasaari; home to the Open Air Musuem, where housing styles from all over Finland are authentically recreated and traditional crafts are practiced. The many city parks offer plenty of relaxation options. Other highlights include the vast Olympic Stadium, the brilliant white Lutheran Church that dominates the inner city and the Sibelius Monument.

Anything else?
Outdoor recreational areas are immaculately maintained in Helsinki. Kaivopuisto Park is amongst the best. It’s close to the waterfront and offers something for people of all ages – from elaborate children’s playgrounds to life-sized chessboards. Chess championships are played during the summer and draw sizeable crowds.

Anything to avoid?
Don’t bother renting a car during a visit to Helsinki. You may get a decent bargain on the vehicle hire. It’ll be immediately nullified by the extortionate cost of city parking! The tram, metro and bus services bring you everywhere for a fraction of the price of rental, fuel and parking.

What should I bring home?
Helsinki has a number of open-air markets with plenty of affordable gift ideas. Much like near-neighbours Sweden, Finns are global leaders in interior design. They specialise in everything from funky furniture to luxurious bed and living room decor. It’s also a great place to hunt for second-hand clothes! If money’s no object, check out the trendy ‘design district’ close to the city centre. It’s home to a plethora of creative businesses, amongst them jewellery, fashion and antique shops.

When should I go?
Helsinki is one of the world’s coldest cities. It doesn’t receive any sunshine for over 50 consecutive days each winter! In fact, on approximately 170 days a year temperatures are zero Celsius or much, much lower! If paying a visit to the shores of the Baltic during winter, pack a good coat! On the flipside, in June and July, Finland becomes the ‘land of the midnight sun’. June is probably the best month for a trip. Outdoor activities are plentiful and the weather warm.

What’s my challenge?
Savour the lifestyle and grandeur of one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals. Wonderful Art Nouveau architecture, the many sheltered bays and islets, the breezy café culture, all combine to make Helsinki incredibly laid back and inviting.

What’s the currency?
The local currency is the Euro.

Something to remember...
If you thought Irish people were obsessed with mobile phones, we’ve met our match in Finland. The home of communications multinational Nokia has over 5 million operational mobile phones owned by a population of 5.4 million! Equally impressive is the amount of saunas, a whopping 2.2 million at the last count!