Things to do in Helsinki
Helsinki's geographical positioning made its success and individualism inevitable from the start.
Situated at the tip of an arrowhead peninsular and surrounded by 315 islands, the Daughter of the Baltic is in a prime position between Stockholm and Moscow. With a population of only half a million and the tallest building reaching just 12 storeys however, it would be easy to assume that this is a sleepy seaside oddity. Do not be fooled; EU figures reveal that Helsinki is one of the fastest growing spots in the union.
An immediately unique experience can be found in Helsinki by heading for the city's Temppeliaukio Church. It is no wonder that this is a very popular tourist attraction, as the church was quarried out of natural bedrock before it opened in 1969. This means that the interior walls are natural rock faces. Sibling architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen must have known that its structure would make the church the perfect spot for concerts, which are now regularly held here.
For an informative resume of the whole country, head for the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki's city centre. Spanning the country's history from prehistoric times to the present day, the collections include archaeological, financial and ethnographic histories of Finland. Even the collections themselves are a piece of history, as they have been collated over the past 170 years into their present form. Open every day except Mondays, the museum also has a very reasonable entrance price, starting at just ?6 (under-18s are free of charge).
If you are in the city during the end of August, keep your eye out for events being laid on for the annual Helsinki Festival, which will run from August 18th until September 9th. Classical music, dance, theatre and many other arts events are being put together for this cultural extravaganza. There are activities for children as well as adults, although this year's highlights will probably appeal to more grown-up tastes. A series of Mahler symphonies and a production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard headline the bill, as does Turner Prize winner Wolfgang Tillmans's photography exhibition.
For those flagging on their feet by this stage, head for the Korkeasaari Zoo and discover some cuddly recuperation. It may be one of the oldest zoos in the world, but it still finds room to look after 200 different species of animals and nearly 1000 different plants. Added to that, many of them are really cute! The Zoo is part of a European network that works to preserve endangered species, so head towards the rhino enclosure to see the work Helsinki is doing to save the world's animals.
Helsinki also offers an innovative solution to finding your way around a new city. Citysherpa is a tourist information service, which introduces visitors to a city resident that has volunteered to show them around. Tourists then get a free and knowledgeable guide, while the residents are able to show their pride and enjoy visitors' enthusiasm.
Tours are not time limited and the only charge is for entrance fees or travel expenses. The initiative is being enthusiastically promoted, with many reporters being invited to go along and experience Citysherpas over the summer. Handily, Citysherpas can also offer a variety of second languages.
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Things to do
